Programme, background documents, presentations, photos of the Informal Council of Ministers for Education and Training (07.12.2010) are available:
http://www.education2010.be/calendar/education-and-training/media/
The European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, Androulla Vassiliou, welcomed the adoption of the Bruges Communiqué by the ministers of Education of 33 countries. The Bruges Communiqué contains a package of objectives and concrete actions to increase the quality of vocational training in Europe by making it more attractive, accessible and relevant to the needs of the labour market.
Meeting in Bruges, Belgium, Ministers of Education of 33 European countries (EU-27, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Turkey), representatives of employers and unions and the European Commission discussed and confirmed shared objectives for vocational education and training for 2011-2020. The Bruges Communiqué is the latest revision of the Copenhagen Process for European co-operation on vocational education and training.
Commissioner Vassiliou said: “It is very important that vocational training fulfils its two central objectives: to contribute to employability and economic growth on the one hand, and to respond to larger societal challenges, in particular social cohesion, on the other. I am very happy that 33 European countries, employers and unions are backing our plans to make vocational training a more modern and attractive learning option in Europe by 2020.”
Source: European Commission (full press release), 07/12/2010
Today, the EU Education Ministerial Council, chaired by Pascal Smet, reached an agreement on how Europe intends to enhance the future cooperation on vocational education and training between its Member States. This agreement has been crystallized in the Bruges Communiqué and sets out the priorities and objectives for the next 10 years.
Parallel to the Bologna Process, which focuses on higher education, the ministers for education of 32 European countries also launched a Copenhagen Process in 2002. This process is one of voluntary cooperation in the area of vocational education and training and is first and foremost aimed at creating mutual confidence in the various vocational education and training systems of the individual Member States. The Copenhagen Process takes the so-called “bottom-up” approach, which is illustrated by the fact that the European Social Partner Organizations[1] were asked to come on board from the very beginning.
The Copenhagen Process is very much rooted in Bruges, for, it is during Belgium’s last EU Presidency (2001) that the seed, which led to the Copenhagen Declaration, was sown. Today, on December 7, the European education ministers returned to the West-Flemish capital to ratify the Communiqué which contains the priorities and objectives for the next 10 years. This ‘Bruges Communiqué’ was launched today during a press conference hosted by the Informal Council.
The crucial objective of the Bruges Communiqué is to more actively engage the stakeholders of the Copenhagen Process, reason why, during the preparations for this Informal Council, the 4 main European providers were asked to take part in the drafting of a joint declaration for the very first time. With this declaration, they demonstrate that they henceforth intend to cooperate more closely on a joint European programme and that they endorse the objectives and the priorities of the Bruges Communiqué. In this agreement, they have agreed to:
Pascal Smet is utterly delighted with the agreement: “Also throughout my Flemish mandate I have always focused on the (re)valuation of vocational education. I am therefore truly honoured that, as chairman of the EU Council, I was able to bring about an agreement on enhanced cooperation on this particular theme within Europe. A united Europe should be reality for all people, irrespective of whether they hold a university degree or have more practically-oriented competences. In the future, Europe, including Flanders, will not only need people with an academic degree but also people with vocational qualifications. After all, in a globalized world where technology is changing at a head-spinning rate and the green economy continues to develop, we do need people who have received proper vocational training”
Pascal Smet, Minister for Education, Youth and Equal Opportunities
[1] BusinessEurope, UEAPME, CEEP and ETUC
More information:
Jeroen JANSSENS, SpokespersonPascal Smet
Jeroen.janssens@vlaanderen.be GSM: +32 (0)477 / 477.000
On 5 and 6 October in Antwerp, a first conference was held as part of the Europe 2020-flagship initiative “Youth on the Move”. The over 400 participants from all over Europe were seeking new possibilities for giving young people the chance to study or complete traineeships abroad.
Studying or doing a traineeship abroad is referred to as learning mobility. The participants concluded that such mobility still remains far from a reality for all. Nevertheless, they agreed that the goal must be upheld.
After all, learning mobility offers a variety of clear advantages. Thanks to foreign experience, young people can better fulfil themselves personally and have better job prospects.
Conclusions
Among the conclusions reached at the conference:
Flemish Minister for Education Pascal Smet opened the conference together with European Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou. Smet emphasised the importance of learning mobility in educating young people. “As policymakers, it is our responsibility to ensure that young people face their futures with confidence. And with a backpack filled with the right skills. One of the ways to achieve this is to guarantee that, during their education, all students can have the chance to gain experience abroad.”
The Belgian EU-Presidency organised the conference jointly with the DG Education and Culture of the European Commission.
Source: Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
People with a low level of education are up to four times more likely to wind up in poverty. Education and training can help to break the vicious circle of poverty. That was the premise of the conference on social inclusion and education held on 28 and 29 September.
Over 200 policymakers, experts, researchers, education and training providers and representatives of civil society gathered in Ghent.
An important message of the conference was that education and training is often regarded as the ideal way to achieve social mobility, yet educational systems themselves often aggravate social inequality and reinforce the vicious circle of inequality.
Inclusion at all levels of education
Flemish Minister for Education Pascal Smet and European Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou jointly opened the conference. For a day and a half, the central topic was the important role played by all levels of education: from preschool to compulsory years of education through adult education. Other aspects emphasised were:
• The importance of investing in preschool;
• Combating early departure from school;
• The democratisation of higher education;
• Making vocational training and education more attractive.
Breaking the vicious circle together
The vicious circle of inequality is more prevalent in some countries than others. Greater European cooperation can therefore contribute to breaking the circle. This may involve, for example, sharing good practices and identifying common challenges.
The Belgian Presidency will incorporate the results of the conference in preparation for a ministerial debate on equity at the EU Education Council on 19 November.
Source: Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Over 200 people from 31 countries are coming together for the Media & Learning conference being held in the Flemish Ministry of Education and Training HQ in Brussels. They will discuss how new media can contribute to improving learning, how young people learn by creating their own media-based learning resources and how media repositories can complement existing teaching and learning materials. They will debate how best to stimulate media literacy and digital fluency which are amongst the most important skills young people can learn in order to find, use and create accurate information to become the creative citizens of a future society. This highly interactive conference combines provocative presentations, stimulating discussions, hands-on workshops and demonstrations and a lively and growing online community of practice. The MEDEA Awards Ceremony takes place on Thursday 25 November alongside the Media & Learning Conference where the winners of the 2010 awards will be announced.
More information: http://www.media-and-learning.eu
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology was created in 2008 as an EU flagship initiative addressing global challenges via and integrated knowledge triangle approach fostering synergies between excellent education, research and innovation.
In this context EIT labelled Master and Ph.D. programmes play an important role.
EIT Master/Ph.D. degree programmes are offered by research universities in cooperation with research institutes and innovative businesses, which form the EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs). Each KIC addresses a particular global challenge, like climate change, sustainable energy and future information and communication society.
EIT degrees build on the experience gained in the context of other EU actions and are in line with the main achievements of the European Higher Education Area (Bologna Process), in particular in the field of Quality Assurance (European Standards and Guidelines) and recognition tools like the European Qualifications Framework, ECTS and the Diploma Supplement.
EIT curricula are moreover specifically geared at innovation, follow an entrepreneurial approach and have a developed international outreach strategy. They aim at translating state-of-the-art research into new services and products. Students work in trans-disciplinary multicultural teams coached in an interactive way by academics as well as practitioners. International mobility and placements in industry and business are an essential part of the curriculum. EIT degrees follow quality criteria to encompass the specific features of the EIT curricula.
In order to promote the EIT programmes and degrees and to discuss their further development in dialogue with the different stakeholders within the innovation web, the EIT will hold a conference hosted by the University of Leuven on 2 and 3 December 2010.
DICE (“Drama Improves Lisbon Key Competences in Education”) is an international EU-supported project. In addition to other educational aims, this two-year project was a cross-cultural research study investigating the effects of educational theatre and drama on five of the eight Lisbon Key Competences. The research was conducted by twelve partners (leader: Hungary, partners: Czech Republic, Netherlands, Norway, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden and United Kingdom).
Policy Paper and the Educational Resource can be found on http://www.dramanetwork.eu
The Brussels conference is the last stage of the two-years-long project. The objectives of the conference are
The conference runs from 9am until 6pm. Deadline for registration is the 22nd October 2010. Participation in the conference is free of charge. However, there are limited seats available in the conference room: Only the first 120 registrations can be accepted. To register for the conference, please click here: http://www.dramanetwork.eu/registration.html
The Standing Group on Indicators and Benchmarks is a group of education indicator experts, with representatives from EU Member States, from EFTA-EEA and Candidate countries and from relevant international bodies that meets twice a year.
The Standing Group advises the Commission on the identification of concrete statistical indicators to be used to monitor performance and progress in education and training in view of common EU targets (like the Lisbon targets or the EU 2020 targets). This includes the provision of advice on the development and definition of new indicators and benchmarks and on the concrete monitoring of progress and performance of education systems in Europe.
Venue: Ellips Building, Koning Albert II-laan 35, 1030 Brussel
The Encuentro de Mexicanistas 2010 Education, Science and Culture will take place between the 20th and the 22nd of September in Antwerp and will gather up to experts, researchers and academicians from Member States of the EU and Mexico, to discuss important fields in the areas of Education, Science and Technology and Culture.
In 2010 Mexico will commemorate the bicentennial of its Independence and the centennial of its Revolution, as well as the 50th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between Mexico and the European Union and the 10th Anniversary of the Mexico-EU Global Agreement. Furthermore, the Center for Mexican Studies of the University of Antwerp will also celebrate its twentieth Anniversary.
Together with the Belgian EU Presidency these celebrations are seen as a unique opportunity to organise a conference: the Encuentro de Mexicanistas 2010 in Antwerp. This conference, held from 20th till 22nd September 2010, is based on three pillars: education, science and culture. During these three days policymakers, academicians and researchers from Member States of the European Union and Mexico will come together to exchanges views and discuss opinions. At the conference parallel sessions will be held on each of the three topics. The central issue in the debate on education is how to facilitate and strengthen academic cooperation and mobility between Mexico and the EU, using existing tools and reflecting on new ones. Four topics will be central during these discussions:
During the conference also some famous Mexican movies will be shown, these movies are open to the public.
Source: Mexicanistas
As the summer draws to a close and holidays become but a distant memory, the month of September starts. To many school-going children September marks the start of the new school year. Across Europe children start to prepare themselves for school.
On a Europe-wide scale the new school year means that approx. 100 million people, i.e. one fifth of the total population of the European Union (EU) go back to work. This figure does not even include teachers and anyone else whose profession is directly related to the school environment.
In some EU countries the new school year started earlier. Danish children returned to school on 11 August for example. Together with the Netherlands and Germany, Denmark is one of the EU Member States with the shortest summer holiday.
The start of the new school year does not fall on the same date across the EU and that is not the only difference between the education systems in the 27 Member States. The duration of a school day may also vary. In Italy for example children only have classes in the morning, while in other countries including France and Belgium classes may take place throughout the day. The number of hours that a student may spend in class also varies greatly from country to country. In the frame of its own educational system each country will emphasise its own set of priorities. Some countries, for example, attach more importance to art or sport activities, while others prefer to focus on other competence areas.
Although the Member States develop their own policies in term of education, the EU serves as a platform for the exchange of best practices and identifying common objectives. The EU also funds several programs allowing students to make optimum use of what they have learnt by studying or volunteering in another country.
The European Commission’s Comenius Program for example promotes exchanges and partnerships between lecturers and students of schools in different EU countries. This year the program hopes to reach the threshold of 3 million students who take part in these partnerships.
Irrespective of the many differences in the educational systems we can only hope that all the children in the European Union fully enjoy this learning period, these wonderful years in which they develop an important part of their personality.
Source: Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, 31/08/2010
The complete programme of debates and conferences of the Belgian EU Presidency in the field of Education and Training is as pdf file available! Please find it bellow:
European civil servants go back to school to arouse young people’s interest in Europe.
In 2007, the Commission and the German EU Presidency launched the “Back to School” project to mark the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. This project allows EU civil servants from all levels to return to their primary or secondary schools for one day to tell pupils about their experiences in the EU institutions. The idea is to bring the European institutions and young people closer together and to make pupils acquainted with the EU in a unique way. In addition, pupils can be made enthusiastic for European exchange projects, such as Erasmus or Leonardo Da Vinci.
This year, schools from eleven Member States have put themselves forward to invite an EU civil servant. In Belgium, civil servants will be given the opportunity to visit their old schools on 28 October 2010.
Source: European Commission , 19/08/2010
According to a report recently adopted by the Commission, new, simplified procedures have substantially reduced the waiting period for the beneficiaries of grants under the Lifelong Learning, Youth in Action, Culture, Citizenship and Erasmus Mundus programmes.
The advisory procedure – and the lengthy right of scrutiny it entailed – originally envisaged in the rules of the programmes has been replaced since December 2008 by a simpler and quicker information procedure whereby the Commission informs the Parliament and Council of the selection decisions that have been taken within the programmes.
The Commission’s report to the European Parliament and the Council is a review of the new procedures to make sure that they work effectively. It shows that the implementation of the new procedure has been successful from all angles. The information required was transmitted to the Parliament and the Council in all cases as scheduled.
Substantially shorter delays under the new procedure have increased the efficiency of the programmes and have had positive effects on the sustainability of funding partnerships, resulting in a very positive impact on the quality of the projects themselves.
Source: European Commission, Directorate-General Education and Culture
The University of Ghent has been included in the ranking of the top 100 universities in the world. The ranking was drawn up by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU). Ghent is ranked in 90th position. Last year, the university was ranked between 101st and 150th position.
SJTU in China has been drawing up an annual ranking of 500 universities since 2003. As was the case in previous years, the American universities are at the top of the list. Harvard is number one, followed by Berkeley and Stanford.
Only two non-American institutions made it into the top ten: the British universities of Cambridge (5th) and Oxford (10th). The Anglo-Saxon dominance in the ranking is overwhelming: American and British universities hold no fewer than 26 positions in the top 30. The four remaining spots are filled by a Canadian, a Swiss and two Japanese universities.
American universities leave the competition far behind them in the top 500 with 154 institutions ranked, with Germany lagging in second position with 39 universities. Then come the United Kingdom (38), Japan (25) followed by France, Italy and China, with 22 universities each. Belgium is represented with seven institutions: except for Ghent (90) the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, the universities of Louvain-la-Neuve and ULB (between 101 and 150), Antwerp and Liège (201-300) and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (401-500) have also made it on the list.
The Anglo-Saxon dominance should not come as a surprise. Research is a predominant factor in SJTU’s criteria, and Anglo-Saxon institutions traditionally score well in this area. The use of English as a language for publishing scientific papers also constitutes a disadvantage for European universities. Next to this the SJTU also attaches a lot of importance to the number of Nobel Prizes won by a university resulting in an advantage for the US. In response to this criticism the European Union will draw up its own ranking by 2011. It will, however, consist of an overview per discipline in order to orient students in their choice of a university.
Source: De Tijd 13/08/2010
The “Youth on the Move” flagship initiative encourages cooperation between the European Member States on initiatives that offer young people opportunities to optimise their talents. The initiative focuses specifically on increasing the quality level and international appeal of European universities and on increasing the quality of training and education offered. The driving force behind the initiative is Dr. Dietrich Rometsch.
Commissioner Vassiliou will use a chat application to answer questions from the audience as well as from citizens during this debate. The debate can be followed live online. From 15 September participants can submit their questions to the Commissioner prior to the debate. Commissioner Vassiliou will make available a number of links on her website at the beginning of September.
Commissioner Vassiliou and the Directorate-General for Education and Culture of the European Commission call on everyone to take part in the debate on 17 September.
Source: European Commission 03/08/2010
Since 2004, the European Union is trying to achieve more international recognition for European higher education with the Erasmus Mundus Programme. The Erasmus Mundus Programme is part of Europe’s 2020 Strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
The European Commission funds prestigious university courses through the Erasmus Mundus Programme. This year two Master’s courses in Ghent and three in Leuven received the “Erasmus Mundus” label. Moreover, two courses at the University of Leuven (KUL) and one at the University of Ghent and one in Louvain-La-Neuve have now also been incorporated in the Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorates Programme. These include the Masters’ in Bioethics (KUL), Science in Environmental Technology and Engineering (Ugent), Nuclear Fusion Science and Engineering Physics (Ugent) and Sustainable Territorial Development and the doctoral programmes in Marine Ecosystem Health and Conservation (Ugent), Economics (UCL) and Membrane Engineering (KUL).
Erasmus Mundus offers a unique package that allows students to take classes at three universities in different countries. In most cases the courses take place in EU Member States but occasionally non-European universities also take part in the programme.
Interested students have to submit to a rigorous selection process. Those who succeed, however, not only get the unique opportunity to take classes with some of the best professors in their discipline, but they also get the chance to meet fellow students from all over the world. In addition they also receive a substantial grant from the European Commission.
Welcome! The website of the Belgian EU Presidency for Education is online. Please find an overview of our events calendar.
