Raport România 2009

riginated in third countries. Romanian HEIs are frecquently participating in international fairs and exhibitions aiming at attracting students from third countries. Representatives of the Ministry of Education, Research and Youth are activelly involved in the working group on EHEA in a Global Setting. 31  A strategy aiming at improving dissemination of information on higher education opportunities in Romanian universities, learning conditions and advantages is currently under examination in the Ministry of Education, Research and Youth and will be presented to the Rectors' Conference b) What has your country done to: i) improve information on the EHEA outside Europe? Romania used to have a respected tradition in educating international students from the Midle East, Asia, Latin America and Africa. In 2007 and 2008 mixed misions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of the Ministry of Education have revisited some of the countries in order to inform local authorities and HEIs on the study opportunities in Romania and in othet EHEA countries. ii) promote European higher education, enhance its world-wide attractiveness and competitiveness? Presenting the attractiveness of EHEA in the March 2007 meeting with rectors' conferences in ALCUE countries. During the May 2008 ministerial meeting ASEM the Romanian delegation had informal meetings with some asian delegations which offered the opportunity to relink contacts. The information disseminated on these occasions was highly wellcomed by rectors and other official representatives of these countries. iii) strengthen cooperation based on partnership in higher education? Many Romanian universities are involved in education projects and in research programmes developed in cooperation with universities outside the EHEA. iv) intensify policy dialogue with partners from other world regions? The seting up of an Agency for Internationalising Romanian HE is in progress. It will concentrate and make more coherent initiatives and policies that aim to improve image and attractiveness of study opportunities in Romanian universities for international students originated in other world regions. v) improve recognition of qualifications with other world regions? As many othe countries of EHEA, Romanian is negotiating bilateral agreements for the recognition of qualifications. c) What measures have been taken in your country to implement the OECD/UNESCO Guidelines for Quality Provision in Cross-border Higher Education? Please describe. According to the provisions of Law No. 87/2006 on quality assurance in education and of Government Decision No. 1426/2006 on integrated study programmes, the education provider is fully responsible for the content and quality of the study programmes. Providers have to implement internal quality management measures and self assessment procedures and submit periodically the educational offer to external evaluation to one of the QA agencies which are registered in the EQAR. These provisions are valid also for the different types of cross-border HE mentioned in the Government Decision 1426/2006. 32 d) Are the OECD/UNESCO Guidelines for Quality Provision in Cross-border Higher Education applied to i) cross-border provision of your education programmes? Yes No If Yes please explain in what ways the guidelines are applied ARACIS applies the same procedures and methodology of external evaluation for all the education programmes provided in Romania by Romanian and or cross- border providers, as well as for programmes provided by Romanian universities through cross-border extensions or by franchise. ii) incoming higher education provision? Yes No If Yes please explain in what ways the guidelines are applied Please see comments in the previous box. FUTURE CHALLENGES 22. Main challenges for higher education Give an indication of the main challenges ahead for higher education and the Bologna Process in your country in the short and long term. Main challenges for the Romanian higher education in the short term: - The completion of a National Register for Qualifications awarded in HE with self-certification of the compatibility with EQF and with the overall national qualifications framework from a lifelong learning perspective. - The external evaluation of all HEIs operating in Romania in accordance with the ESG implemented through the methodology promoted by ARACIS. - To find a better balance between teaching and research in the programmes of the three Bologna study cycles and in the activities of students and members of the teaching staff. - To motivate HEIs to develop a differentiated institutional startegy for HR development and management in close correlation with the mission and vision assumed by each university. Doctoral and post-doctoral research and teaching activities should be better linked to institutional objectives in HR management. - To redefine the financial support schemes and the grants in order to make access and completion of HE more equitable and to attract and retain up to completion students from underrepresented groups. For the longer term: - To increase competitiveness of the Romanian HE as part of the EHEA. - To foster differentiation of missions of HEIs, according to their development potential and to the needs of the regional long term development. - To further improve learning and living conditions in new university campses. - To attract more international students from EHEA and from outside EHEA. 33 34 PART II TEMPLATE for NATIONAL STRATEGIES on THE SOCIAL DIMENSION of THE BOLOGNA PROCESS Practical instruction The answers to this questionnaire will be included in the general national report on the implementation of the Bologna Process and reach the Bologna Secretariat (e- mail: [email protected]) by November 1, 2008. Please do not exceed the length of 10 pages for the national strategy on social dimension. The questions in Annex C are not included in the questionnaire itself but are to be considered as reference material which could facilitate the drafting of the information on the national strategy. I. Definition of the Social Dimension in the London Communiqué “We strive for the societal goal that the student body entering, participating in and completing higher education should reflect the diversity of our populations. We therefore pledge to take action to widen participation at all levels on the basis of equal opportunity.” II. AS IS SITUATION (Current state of affairs) 1. Which groups in society are still underrepresented in your national higher education system? What are the main obstacles to participative equity in terms of access and successful completion of studies? Three groups identified in the Romanian society are underrepresented in the higher education system: students from the rural area, students having lower educated parents with low family income per capita, students from the roma minority. Data collected during the Eurostudent III exercise helped to beter understand the real size of underrepresentation and suggested complementary measures to tackle the issue. Among the main obstacles to participative equity one should mention: the financial constrains, the cultural burden and the mentality of low educated people. 2. Please describe what measures your Government is taking to increase the representation of the groups identified in the question above. Please refer to the possible actions listed in the Bologna Working Group report on the Social Dimension and Mobility (see Annexes A and B to this document). Financial actions: To increase the representation of the three groups identified in the society, the Government provides each year through the Ministry of Education, Research and Youth' budget 1,000 scholarships for students originated in the rural area which accept after graduation to return for a limited period of time to the home community in order to teach in the local schools. 35 For students belonging to families with lower education background and low family income per capita, here including also students belonging to the roma minority, the Government is giving social support by means tested scholarships and by financial assistance on request of students in need. HEIs are also encouraged to do total or partial reimbursement of education costs for tuition fee paying students which belong to this social group and have acceptable results in the atteinment of courses. For some of these students, universities cover from their own financial resources living costs in hostels. In order to improve equity in terms of access and successful completion for all the students, the Government has completed with the technical support of the World Bank the feasability study aiming at introducing a general loan scheme for all the students. This loan scheme is expected to become operational in the next academic year. Structural actions: Many universities have broadened access to students by setting up local branches in towns which are closer to the domicile of the students family than the traditional university cities and where living costs are lower. Universities have developed traditional action plans targeting students in high schools and offering them broad information on the study programmes and career opportunities as well as counselling / guidance services. The Ministry is subsidising partly residence and canteen costs as well as transport in towns and to the domicile of students. Free of charge health care services in most campuses of the Romanian HEIs. Distance learning in selected fields of study is another alternative for students and also for persons which are benefiting from the second chance initiatives of HEIs. Most students benefit of free access to internet and to the virtual libraries of HEIs. Meeting the needs of certain groups: Aiming at widening access to higher education, Romania has developed free of charge primary and secondary education in Romanian and in 18 languages of the minorities registered in the country, here including the roma minority. The teaching staff for these schools is mainly trained in Romanian Universities in the respective mother tongue. For students from the roma minority the Government develops a positive action since 1998 by suppoting from the state budget special study places in most of the study fileds. Most universities have provided special access means for disabled students as well as special learning assistance and guidance for them. 3. Describe what measures are being taken by the Government to help students complete their studies without obstacles related to their social or economic background. Again, please refer to the possible actions listed in the Bologna Working Group report ion the Social Dimension and Mobility (see Annexes A and B to this document). Please indicate whether the measures apply to all students or only to certain levels or types of higher education institutions. According to the Constitution of Romania and to the introductory provisions of the Education Law No. 84 / 1995 all types of discrimination are declared illegal. Admission rules are simple, fair and transparent. 36 Exemples of affirmative actions: Students having studied in high school various disciplines in one of the minority languages have the right to ask for admission exam in that given language. For the Hungarian and German minority students universities have developed full first cycle study programmes taught in the respective language. In order to enhance the quality of student experience, most of the universities have set up special departments that offer academic and career guidance and all the teaching departments are providing tutorials. In 2007 the Romanian Parliament adopted and universities have implemented the provisions of a special Law on pupils' and students' internship. They improve practical knowledge and skills of the learner and establishe a shared responsibility of the school and of the internship provider for the achievement of the training goals. Aiming at increasing retention of the first cycle graduates, most of the HEIs have adopted flexible pathways as well as flexibility in the delivery of the second cycle programmes. Most HEIs provide students well functioning libraries and lecture halls with updated books and reviews and free of charge access to scientific data bases. Please refer also to answer under point 2 for the provision of social services. Student participation in higher education governance and organization is guarated by the legal framework in force which is implemented through the provisions of the Charter of each Romanian HEI. Students have at least 25% of the voices expressed in the University Senate and in the Faculty Councils and the representative of the studentship has his position in the Executive Board at each managerial level of the university. According to the provisions of Law No. 87/2006, student evaluation of courses, programmmes and institutions, as well as student plans and follow-up actions are fully taken into account in the current and strategic management of each Romanian HEI. Romania has a clear and nationally coordinated system of financial support given to students which is fully transparent and was agreed with representatives of the different student bodies at national level. 4. Does your country have statistical and/or other research evidence at disposal to underpin the identification of underrepresented groups and the main obstacles to participative equity (see Q 1) ? If yes, please specify. Or are regular student survey organised with the aim to provide data concerning the social dimension? Most of the evidence of underrepresented groups in higher education is originated in the Monthly Households Enquiry conducted by the National Institute of Statistics. The Higher Education Department of the Ministry is conducting its own regular student surveys twice a year aiming to provide detailed data on the student body in the country, including data concerning the social dimension. A distinctive evidence is kept for the implementation of the financial support measures and for the use of the money. Universities report back twice a year to the Department of Higher Education on the costs of the social support measures. III. PROCESS TOWARDS A MORE INCLUSIVE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM (strategy for the future) 37 5. How do you plan to tackle the challenges identified under Q 1 in the near future (2008-2010)? (a) Which concrete goals do you want to achieve? a.1. To make full use of the portfolio of 1,000 scholarships offered to students originated in the rural area by improving the dissemination of information about this opportunity to get financial support from public funds. a.2. To further encourage individuals and private companies to make full use of the legal provision that allows to devote 2% of the tax payments for scholarships. a.3. To continue to develop the capacity and quality of learning and living conditions in student residences. A "University of the Future"project was officially lounched in 2008 and aims at building new campuses in 4-5 centers with modern learning, research, living and leisure facilities for students. a.4. To take positive action measures aiming at improving retention of roma students up to the completion of studies at least in the first cycle. a.5. To implement the loan scheme for all students. (b) What actions are planned for the different target group identified above to overcome the obstacles in access, participation and completion of studies by students? Please refer to Annex B and to the suggested approach outlined in the 2007 report from the Bologna Process Working Group on the Social Dimension and Mobility (Annex C to this document). Measures presented above under No. II.2 and II.3 will continue to be implemented in order to overcome financial and structural obstacles in access, participation and completion of studies. Universities are further encouraged to publish and disseminate their own Study Guide with all the information refering to student services and facilities offered in the campus. (c) is there a specific budget for these measures for underrepresented groups ? If yes, please provide details For each of the above mentioned measures, the Ministry of Education, Research and Youth allocates dedicated funds which are distinctivelly ennumerated in the annual institutional contract for the public funding of universities. d) is there a timeline for action? If yes, please provide details. The above mentioned actions are implemented year by year in HEIs, as it is forseen in the annual institutional contract signed up between the Ministry of Education, Research and Youth and each HEI funded from public resources. The use of these funds is reported back to the Ministry for each semester of the academic year. 6. What arrangements are planned for monitoring progress towards more equitable access, participation and success? 38 Romania is participating in the next Eurostudent IV international project. These data allow for detailed analysis of access, participation and completion of studies by students from the three groups which are underrepresented in the Romanian higher education. Student unio