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Butlletí

A bimonthly publication of AQU Catalunya

72

May 2014

EDITORIAL

The Humanistic University

For quite some time now we have been hearing that the Humanities are in crisis and that the university as an institution is letting slip the legacy of humanism that has been one of its basic core values since the Middle Ages. Taking advantage of the fact that we recently carried out a comparative study on candidates accredited by the Agency as tenure-track lecturers, those young doctorate degree holders entering the university in the initial stage of their academic careers, I'd like to begin with a few remarks on the place of the Humanities in today's universities and the university of the future. According to the study I refer to above, young researchers in humanistic disciplines are worth just as much as researchers in the Experimental, Natural, Social and Health Sciences and Engineering and Architecture. They also have their peculiarities, as everyone does, in that they still write lots of books and chapters in books (not just articles in scientific journals, as is more typical in the Natural and Medical Sciences) and they still often publish as a sole author (also in the Social Sciences, although hardly ever in the Natural or Medical Sciences).


AQU NEWS

ARTICLES

  • The trends and challenges in quality assurance
    The European Commission's report to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the progress made regarding quality assurance in higher education is dated 28 January 2014. It is clearly in the interest of both AQU Catalunya and the university system in Catalonia to take into account the declarations and perspectives set out in the report as a guide to action on quality assurance.
    Editorial Department - AQU Catalunya
  • Framework for the positioning of AQU Catalunya regarding subject-specific quality labels
    Following evaluation strategies employed for university study programmes in the United States, there is a trend towards opening up quality assurance in Europe in a similar way for it to be of continental scope. Such an option is developed through so-called quality labels, which fundamentally and solely preconfigure two aspects in any given university degree course: the minimum learning outcomes and the basic elements required to facilitate achievement of the learning outcomes.
    Editorial Department - AQU Catalunya
 

OPINION

  • AQU Catalunya receives high marks as the new INQAAHE Secretariat

    Carol L. Bobby
    INQAAHE President

    On 1 October 2013, AQU Catalunya began its service as the Secretariat for the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE). AQU Catalunya was selected by the INQAAHE Board of Directors from a competitive pool of applicants to serve in this prestigious role and has proven itself to be an excellent, capable organisation in every task undertaken to date. Prior to assuming the responsibilities of INQAAHE, the Secretariat was hosted by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO) located in The Hague.

 

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