Butlletí

A bimonthly publication of AQU Catalunya

51

November 2010

EDITORIAL

Being aware and attentive

In the editorial that I wrote a year ago from now, I expressed my interest in bringing the Agency's activities more in line with the needs of Catalan universities, given that an external review body like AQU Catalunya, while being independent of the Administration and the universities, must also be fully aware of the situation in the system of higher education in which it operates.

At the beginning of this year, the "Research assessment in the Humanities and Social Sciences" workshop was one example of the closer relationship between the Agency and the Catalan scientific and academic community. Attracting more than three hundred people, the workshop served as a forum for constructive dialogue between the participants.

AQU NEWS

• AQU Catalunya publishes a catalogue of scientific journals in the Humanities and Social Sciences27.10.2010
• Meeting of the AQU Student Commission25.10.2010
• Workshop on the VSMA Framework at the Pompeu Fabra University and Ramon Llull University21.10.2010
• Workshop on the VSMA Framework at the Open University of Catalonia19.10.2010
• Results of the first call for applications in 2010 for the accreditation of research and advanced research14.10.2010
• Workshop on the VSMA Framework at the University of Girona11.10.2010
• AQU Catalunya presents the VSMA Framework for the ex-ante assessment, monitoring, modification and accreditation of recognised degrees to the vice-rectors of the Catalan universities07.10.2010
• ENQA celebrates its 10th anniversary at the General Assembly in Helsinki28.09.2010
• Reminder: Reports to be submitted for the Experimental Monitoring Programme21.09.2010
• Publication of the quality handbook, Research assessment in the Humanities and Social Sciences10.09.2010

ARTICLES

• Support Programme, searching for good practices for Europe
  At present, European universities should be implementing reforms enabling them to become centres for knowledge management and, moreover, allowing them to act as the driving force for this knowledge to encourage greater levels of mobility and employment integration among their graduates.
  Esther Adot Giménez - Project manager of AQU Catalunya
• International activity by AQU Catalunya
  The establishment of the EHEA represents a highly important step in the synchronisation of state policies to eliminate internal borders within the European Union. This political strategy is not exclusive to Europe, with similar initiatives being observed in other continents, and there is every indication of a willingness to overcome the negative effects of national-scale regulations, with the new socio-economic environment calling clearly for implementation on an international, if not a global, basis.
  Josep Grifoll Saurí - Head of Quality Assessment department

OPINION

• The ENQA celebrates its 10th anniversary
  

  Achim Hopbach
  President of ENQA

  When ministers responsible for higher education in the Bologna signatory countries met in Budapest and Vienna in March this year and officially launched the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), this was without doubt a remarkable milestone in the history of higher education in wider Europe. For quality assurance agencies, 2010 is not only an important year because of the launch of the EHEA, it also marks the 10th anniversary of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA).

AQU RECOMMENDS

• Entre Lolf et Shanghai. Quel espace pour l'évaluation?
• ENQA: 10 years (2000-2010). A decade of European co-operation in quality assurance in higher education
• Budapest-Vienna Declaration on the European Higher Education Area
• EQAR: Summary Report of the First Register Committee