The document discusses internationalization trends in European higher education. It provides world figures on international students, top destination countries, and foreign student percentages. It then examines specific European trends driven by the Bologna Process and EU initiatives. Finally, it describes three key European tools - Erasmus Mundus, ECTS, and diploma supplements - and discusses their impact on international relations offices and the role of associations in supporting internationalization.

1. Internationalization in
European Higher Education
Trends and Tools
Antoinette CHARON WAUTERS
University of Lausanne, Switzerland
European Association for International Education
IAU International Conference
Internationalization of HE New Directions, New Challenges
Beijing - October 12-15, 2006
Beijing, October 15, 2006

2. Internationalization of
European Higher Education
SUMMARY
I. Some World Figures
II. European Specific Trends
III. Three European Tools
Erasmus Mundus, ECTS,
Diploma supplement
IV. Impact on International Relations
V. Role of Associations (EAIE)
VI. Conclusions
Beijing, October 15, 2006

3. I. Some world figures/1
Education outside home country
• In 2004, 2.7 million HE students were enrolled outside
their country of citizenship
= 8% increase since 2003
• France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United
States, receive more than 50 % of all foreign students
worldwide.
(OECD and UNESCO)
Beijing, October 15, 2006

4. I. Some World Figures/2
Top destination countries
0%
United States
Other 23%
27%
China United Kingdom
5% 12%
Japan
5%
Australia Germany 3 European
7% France 11%
10% countries:
33%
Source: IIE, UNESCO
Beijing, October 15, 2006

5. I. Some World Figures/3
Foreign students as % of students in HE
Australia Switzerland New EU 25 Norway USA Japan Russia Korea
Zealand
18.7 17.7 13.5 6.2 5.2 3.5 2.2 0.8 0.2
2003 (Eurostat and OECD)
Beijing, October 15, 2006

6. I. Some World Figures/4
Where does European HE stand?
• In the 2006 ranking of the ‘Times Higher Education
Supplement’ last week, among the 100 best HE institutions
worldwide, there are 41 European institutions:
• UK 15
• Netherlands 7
• France 5
• Switzerland 5
• Germany 3
• Belgium 2
• Denmark 1
• Russia 1
• Ireland 1
• Austria 1
and many challengers!
Beijing, October 15, 2006

7. II. European Specific Trends/1
Some of the European Universities challenges (a reminder)
• Be more local / more European / more global
• Increase mobility within Europe / attract more students and
scholars from outside Europe
• Improve academic quality / be more responsive to labour market
by providing more employable skills
• Provide compatible curricula across Europe / maintain cultural
diversity
• Etc…
...and, of course, do all of it with decreasing /freezed public
funds!
Beijing, October 15, 2006

8. II. European Specific Trends/2
The 2 main inputs - at least for the continental Europe - have been given
by the European Union and by the Bologna Process
• The Bologna process forces the European HE institutions to
restructure their degrees but they are moving at different speed which
is not always easy to follow mainly for non-Europeans partners
• This harmonization facilitates the vertical mobility from Ba to Ma but
not necessarily the horizontal mobility
• Vertical mobility leads to the development of an HE market attempting
to attract MA students but this was not a tradition in the majority of our
continental, non-English speaking universities
• The European Credit Transfer System is a real benefit for recognition
but also a potential hindrance as not all European institutions are
using ECTS in the same way.
Beijing, October 15, 2006

9. II. European Specific Trends/3
• Many institutions introduce English taught courses but
also- for some institutions – exists a willingness to
develop a multilingual tradition, even if this is difficult
and runs against the current stream
• Budget cuts create an increasing competition between
universities to attract fee paying students but in many
countries the universities are forbidden by law to raise
fees from the students; some are presently changing
the law for non-European students
and
• Many institutions are receptive to having graduates -
Beijing, October 15,and staff - with an improved knowledge of other
2006

10. III. Three European Tools/1
On the 3 tools, 1 is a ‘closed shop’ the 2 others are
opened to anyone willing to use them.
The ‘external dimension’ of European Higher Education is the las
wheel of the ‘Bologna’ carriage, but is now the subject of
increasing interest and activity and in the European Union
context this leads to an increasing programme activity
ERASMUS MUNDUS
Programme launched to make European HE more attractive and
enhance its quality, accessibility and visibility by having - among
other actions - international master degrees attracting third
countries students and partnership with third countries institutions
for European student and faculty mobility
Beijing, October 15, 2006

11. III. Three European Tools/2
ERASMUS MUNDUS(academic years 2004-6)
(1) INWARD MOBILITY
• 57 Masters Courses, wide variety of disciplines (hard, soft and life
sciences) 21 European countries for inward mobility
170 third-country scholars and 950 third-country students from nearly
100 countries, selected for scholarships
56.7% Asians
16.8% North or South Americans
12.6% Africans
12.4% Europeans
1.5% from Oceania.
(2) OUTWARD MOBILITY
• Partnership with 3rd countries institutions for outward mobility
17 European countries (strongest : UK, France, Germany, Norway)
17 third countries (strongest : Brazil, USA, Australia, China, SAfrica)
Mobility for 570 EU-students and 120 scholars to third countries
Beijing, October 15, 2006

12. III. Three European Tools/3
ECTS (European Credit Transfer and accumulation System)
Curriculum transparency tool
Common recognition tool
1. Make study programmes easier to read and compare
2. Facilitate mobility and academic recognition
3. Help universities to organize and revise the study programmes
4. Allow application to all types of programmes
5. Serve both mobile and non-mobile students
6. Utilize for accumulation within an institution and for transfer
between institutions
And, of course,
7. Make European Higher Education more attractive !
Beijing, October 15, 2006

13. III. Three European Tools/4
ECTS (European Credit Transfer and accumulation System)
• ECTS is a student-centred system based on student
workload required to achieve the objectives of a programme
of study
• 60 credits feature the workload of a full-time student during
one academic year to complete all planned learning
activities. It amounts to around 1500-1800 hours per year,
which corresponds to 25-30 student work hours per credit
• Credits can only be obtained after successful completion of
the work required and appropriate assessment of the
learning outcomes achieved.
Source: 'ECTS User's Guide'
Beijing, October 15, 2006

14. III. Three European Tools/5
DIPLOMA SUPPLEMENT
Diploma transparency tool (UNESCO, Council of Europe and EU)
Supplement to the diploma, gives a full description of a successful
achieved study programme and contains:
• Information on the place of the diploma delivering institution in the
national higher education system
• Information identifying the holder of the qualification
• Information identifying the qualification
• Information on the level of the qualification
• Information on the contents and results gained
• Information on the function of the qualification
• Any additional information
• Certification by the national higher education system.
Beijing, October 15, 2006

15. IV. Impact on International Relations Organization/1
The role and scope of an effective European
international relations office
Classical Missions:
Development and management of institutional partnerships
Development of student and staff mobility
European programmes
Internal coordination of international activities
Etc.
Beijing, October 15, 2006

16. IV. Impact on International Relations Organization/2
New tasks
Develop institution promotion abroad, marketing and recruitment
strategies
Renegotiate agreements after the implementation of the Bologna new
cycles and play a role in recognition of the new qualifications
Develop activities beyond student and staff mobility: common
research projects, joint diplomas, post-graduate and continuous
education courses
Play an advisory role towards the university leadership
Develop professional skills and knowledge to face new challenges
etc..
These tasks always depend on the institution profile and
international strategy
Beijing, October 15, 2006

17. V. Role of associations: the EAIE/1
The European Association for International Education through its
annual conference, information market, seminars, publications and
training courses:
Disseminates information on HE developments worldwide
Collaborates with associations worldwide to circulate
information, facilitate exchanges and create new international
activities
Promotes students, faculty mobility programmes, joint degrees
Facilitates meetings between partners and networking
Trains the internationalization actors
Fosters exchanges of ideas on HE internationalization
Facilitates the HE institutions internationalization not only for
Europeans but also for non-European partners (1/3 of the
>2,000 conference participants)
Beijing, October 15, 2006

18. V. Role of International Education
Associations:
the EAIE/2
«REACHING FOR NEW SHORES »
Trondheim Norway, 12-15 September 2007
www.eaie.org
Beijing, October 15, 2006

19. VI. Conclusions
The observed trends and existing tools have a positive
Impact on European HE internationalization
1. EHE is now forced to reinvent the internationalisation of its
higher education systems
2. EHE has developed/has to develop an improving
knowledge of the higher education world
3. EHE institutions have to improve or are improving the
quality of their exchanges using the existing tools, inventing
new ones
4. trust and understanding are developing and to be
developed among HE institutions even if this this not only the
time of cooperation but also the time of competition!
Beijing, October 15, 2006