Following are EURASHE news items related to the event:

Following is the programme of the event:

Day 1 – Thursday 15 May 2014

09.00 – Registration and coffee

10.00 – Opening plenary

Welcome words by the President of EURASHE, Andreas G. Orphanides, President of EURASHE, Rector of European University Cyprus (EUC) (Cyprus)

Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia (Armenia)

Armen Ashotyan, Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia (Armenia)

Hovhannes Tokmajyan, Rector of the State Engineering University of Armenia (SEUA), on behalf of the Rectors’ Council of Armenia State Higher Educational Institutions (Armenia)

Gagik Galstyan, Rector of the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia (NUACA) (Armenia)

11.15 – Keynote speech: Higher Education Graduates in the 21st Century: Trends and Challenges

Jim Allen, Senior Researcher at Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market, Maastricht University (Netherlands)

12.00 – Lunch break

13.30 – Track I: Diversity of European systems and qualifiations and their supporting policies

Diversity of European systems and qualifications and their supporting policies through U-Multirank – the multidimensional ranking of higher education institutions, Don F. Westerheijden, Senior Research Associate at the Center for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS), University of Twente (Netherlands)

14.00 – Track I parallel workshops

Workshop 1.1: Diversity of Professional Higher Education in Europe / HAPHE project outcomes, Raimund Hudak, Professor at Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University Mosbach (DHBW), CEO of Synesis GmbH (Germany)

Workshop 1.2: Quality and Transparency of education-business partnerships, Barbara Kelly, Head of Industry and External Partnerships at Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) (Ireland)

Workshop 1.3: The supporting role of innovation and applied research in creating a knowledge triangle, Stéphane Lauwick, Member of the Board of EURASHE, Director of Le Havre University Institute of Technology (IUT) (France), Armando Pires, Vice-President of the Portuguese Polytechnics Coordinating Council (CCISP), President of the Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal (IPS) (Portugal)

Workshop 1.4: Level 5 in the EQF, at the interface of vocational education and training (VET) and higher education, facilitating access to HE, Slava Pevec Grm, Senior expert in the Qualifications and Learning Outcomes at Cedefop (Greece)

16.00 – Coffee break

16.30 – Pleanery session

Issues of Amployability in the Armenia context, Karine Harutyunyan, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia (Armenia)

16.50 – Panel discussion: Diversity of European systems and qualifications and their supporting policies

Raimund Hudak, Professor at Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University Mosbach (DHBW), CEO of Synesis GmbH (Germany)

Barbara Kelly, Head of Industry and External Partnerships at Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) (Ireland)

Stéphane Lauwick, Member of the Board of EURASHE, Director of Le Havre University Institute of Technology (IUT) (France)

Sandra Kraze, BA School of Business and Finance (Latvia)

19.30 – Performance of the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia “Orphanides meets Arutiunian and Khachaturian” and Opening reception Venue: Arno Babadjanyan Concert Hall, 2 Abovyan St, Yerevan (semi-­formal dress)

Download the portfolio here.

 

Day 2 – Friday 16 May 2014 

09.30 – Track II: Cooperation between Education and Business for supporting employability

Employability and cooperation between education and business sectors – the Employers’ view, Anita Līce, Adviser on Education and Employment Affairs, BUSINESSEUROPE – Employers’ Confederation of Latvia (Latvia)

Armenian National Qualifications Framework for Higher Education and its implementation issues, Armen Budaghyan and Kristina Tsaturyan, Higher Education NQF Working Group of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia (Armenia)

10.00 – Track II parallel workshops

Workshop 2.1: Models for Embedding Employability and Placements into Programmes and Courses in Higher Education, Mike Grey, EC Futures Team Leader, Faculty of Engineering and Computing, Coventry University (United Kingdom)

Workshop 2.2: Indicators of employment and employability from various data sources, Eurydice, European Commission’s evidence-­based viewpoint, Jari Riihelainen, Education policy and system analyst at the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), European Commission (Belgium)

Workshop 2.3: Stakeholders involvement for increasing employability of young graduates, Jens Vraa-Jensen, Chair of HERSC, The Higher Education and Research Standing Committee of Education International in Europe (ETUCE) (Belgium), Rok Primožič, Chairperson of the European Students’ Union (ESU) (Belgium)

Workshop 2.4: Promoting apprenticeship schemes and initiatives across Europe: The European Alliance for Apprenticeships, Alicia-Leonor Sauli-Miklavčič, Secretary General of the Association of Slovene Higher Vocational Colleges (ASHVC) (Slovenia), Michal Karpíšek, Vice-President of EURASHE, Executive Officer of the Czech Association of Schools of Professional Higher Education (CASPHE) (Czech Republic)

12.00 – Lunch break

13.30 – Plenary session

Employability from the Bologna perspective, Gayane Harutyunyan, Head of the Bologna Follow-Up Group (BFUG) Secretariat (Armenia)

The cooperation of private universities with the business sector, Arthur Aghababyan, Rector of Yerevan University after Movses Khorenatsy (Armenia)

Employment and remuneration problems for the higher education specialists in the Republic of Armenia, Ashot Markosyan, Professor at National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia (NUACA) (Armenia)

14.30 – Coffee break and space for promotion, networking and exchange

15.00 – Closing panel: Qualifications for the Labour Market

Andreas G. Orphanides, President of EURASHE, Rector of European University Cyprus (EUC) (Cyprus)

Karine Harutyunyan, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia (Armenia)

Jens Vraa-Jensen, Chair of HERSC, The Higher Education and Research Standing Committee of Education International in Europe (ETUCE) (Belgium)

Rok Primožič, Chairperson of the European Students’ Union (ESU) (Belgium)

15.45 – Closing of the Conference

Andreas G. Orphanides, President of EURASHE, Rector of European University Cyprus (EUC) (Cyprus)

Announcement of the 25th EURASHE Annual Conference, Armando Pires, Portuguese Polytechnics Coordinating Council (CCISP) (Portugal)

19.00 – Gala dinner Venue: Ojakh Restaurant, Kotayk Marz, Balahovit village (Abovyan region)

Download the portfolio here.

Qualifications for the Labour Market

The theme of the 24th Annual Conference of EURASHE, which is held this year in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, is ‘Qualifications for the Labour Market’. In the run-up to our 25th anniversary and to the next Ministerial Conference of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), also to be held in Yerevan in 2015, the choice of this topic shows the confidence of a sector of higher education, which has gained in status and relevance. Professional qualifications are also a focal point in EURASHE’s EU-funded pilot project HAPHE, which is an attempt at mapping professionally-oriented programmes in a number of countries, in different national systems and contexts, irrespective of the level or qualification. Underneath the project rationale also lies the wish to show to both students and employers the features that make graduates from professional qualifications employable on a short or medium term.

Employability is more and more a central topic in education, also in spheres where it was previously not acknowledged as an objective of education, such as in quality assurance processes. The question what contributes to a graduate’s employability, and therefore indirectly to his or her employment prospects, is a crucial one in current difficult economic times. The European Union has always considered employability of graduates as a strong factor to meet the internal EU challenges of fighting unemployment and also to ensure Europe’s competitive strength on a global scale. ‘Europe 2020, Europe’s growth strategy’, specifically mentioned in its education section, ‘Education and Training 2020’ (ET 2020) employability as the cure for unemployment, but also, through it, a way to enhance social inclusion and democratic participation (citizenship). This broader definition of employability, much wider and more integrated than a mere economic vision, is also strongly advocated by the Council of Europe and the student organisations on national and European level (ESU).

A recent ‘EURASHE Study on Employability among Professional Higher Education Graduates in Europe’ is surveying ways to monitor and improve employability in Europe and also wants to benchmark our conclusions transnationally. Professionally-oriented programmes, specifically in a binary higher education context, appear to respond well to the challenge of employability imposed on the younger generations, but the transferability of our systems to other regions still has to be proven.

With this conference, we want to offer a comprehensive and holistic picture of the various models, higher education systems and qualifications that create an environment favouring graduates’ employment, and at the same time having an impact on the choice of the study discipline, studying cycle and finally the chances of immediate employment. We also want to bring in case studies showing the broad variety of higher education institutions, the systems in which they operate, and the supporting policies in the different countries. They are taken from the broad membership of EURASHE, which contains ample evidence of the variety of systems and institution’s profiles. The Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS), known under different names in countries having a binary system of higher education, offer programmes with a professional orientation at levels 6 and sometimes 7 of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), in which innovation and applied research is fully embedded in the curriculum.

At the other end of the scale, vocational trainings are more clearly distinguished from academic trainings in the disciplines or fields of study, and also in the level of the qualification offered (Level 5, short-cycle tertiary education). The variety of the professional higher education landscape is often the result of historical choices, but also very much determined by stimuli coming from the world of employment, which is clearly shown by the greater impact of stakeholders in the governing structures and the design of curricula in professional higher education (PHE).

While it is true that Europe’s higher education infrastructure is not limited to the EU countries, still the typology of those institutions that are generally styled professional higher education is mainly a product of the EU countries. The BaLaMa study3 undertaken by the UASnet, has revealed the potential of this type of higher education institutions in fostering programmes geared to labour market needs, but also its limitations when it comes to adopting such a system or structure in other national contexts/a university only context. With the appearance of dual systems of higher education, where higher education providers and employers set up joint programmes directly catering for the specific needs in a region, proof is given that the setting can vary in which professional programmes can flourish.

The aforementioned HAPHE project has the merit of broadening the interpretation of what is professional higher education, while at the same time valorising its successes. The 24th Annual Conference of EURASHE, with its two distinct tracks, each providing the theoretical input to be further exemplified and evidenced in four alternating hands-on workshops, will combine the systems level in which qualifications are offered with the tools supporting the different approaches, in the different higher education landscapes of the EHEA. In a first conference track we are featuring how the diversity of higher education systems contributes in different ways to the expectations of the labour market. In a second track we are looking at the way the employability of graduates can be considered as a sign of responsiveness to societal and labour market needs, through an analysis of the different tools and instruments that support the employability objectives. The other recurring focus points in the two tracks next to employability, are the recognition of qualifications and the transparency of programmes, each of them supporting the implementation of qualifications that serve the demands of the labour market, and through this, the aspirations of the entire society. The 24th Annual Conference of EURASHE concludes with a panel discussion on the main conference theme, with the Minister of Education of Armenia, the President of EURASHE, a student and the employers’ representative.

Download the rationale here.

Following are the speakers of the event:

Following are the practicalities of the event:

Traveling to Yerevan

We suggest participants to use direct flights from, or connect through the following cities: Paris, Prague, Vienna or Moscow.

Please take into account when looking at the arrival time of your flight that Armenia is situated in a timezone 3 hours ahead of Central European Time.

 

Visa requirements

The following countries are exempted from the requirement to obtain a visa: European Union (28) plus EFTA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland), Argentina, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan.

Nationals of most other countries can obtain a visa on arrival at the airport. If you require a visa prior to your arrival, please contact us, and we will support you in the process.

 

Conference map

View EURASHE 24th Annual Conference in Google Maps here.

 

Conference location

The 24th Annual Conference will be hosted by Yerevan State University (YSU) at 1 Alex Manukyan Street, 0025 Yerevan, Armenia. It is shown (in yellow) on the map above.

 

Suggested hotels

Following is a selection of hotels near the conference venue. They are shown (in red) on the map:

1. Best Western Congress Hotel 4*, 1 Italy Street, 0010 Yerevan, Armenia – www.congresshotelyerevan.com
2. Ani Plaza Hotel 4*, 19 Sayat-Nova Avenue, 0001 Yerevan, Armenia – www.anihotel.com
3. Tufenkian Historic Yerevan Hotel 4*, 48 Hanrapetutyan Street, 0001 Yerevan, Armenia – www.tufenkianheritage.com
4. Armenia Marriott Hotel 5*, 1 Amiryan Street, Republic Square, 0010 Yerevan, Armenia – www.marriottarmenia.am

 

Social programme

Performance of the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia “Orphanides meets Arutiunian and Khachaturian” and Opening reception 7.30 pm on Thursday 15 May 2014

Venue: Arno Babadjanyan Concert Hall, 2 Abovyan St, Yerevan

Gala dinner 7.00 pm on Friday 16 May 2014

Venue: Ojakh Restaurant, Kotayk Marz, Balahovit village (Abovyan region)

Optional social programme: A guided tour in and around Yerevan with lunch provided (additional fee) 9.00 am on Saturday 17 May 2014

In the morning a visit of Matenadaran and the Genocide Memorial, followed by lunch outside of Yerevan. Then onto the Temple of Garni, and Geghard Monastery – with an approximate return in Yerevan around 5.00 pm.

 

Organisers

Following is the material of the event:

•  2014 24th Annual Conference: Portfolio (2.4 MB)
•  2014 24th Annual Conference: Programme (0.5 MB)
•  2014 24th Annual Conference: Rationale (0.5 MB)
•  A Unitary System: IUTs in France (2.0 MB)
•  Armenian National Qualifications Framework for Higher Education and its Implementation Issues (1.1 MB)
•  ARMENQA: Implementation of National and Sectorial Qualifications in Armenia (0.5 MB)
•  Diversity of Professional Higher Education in Europe / HAPHE project outcomes (0.8 MB)
•  Embedding Employability into Higher Education Programmes and Courses (3.1 MB)
•  Employability and cooperation between education and business sectors: Employers’ view (1.4 MB)
•  Employability in context of the Bologna Process (1.8 MB)
•  Enhancing Employability: Evidence from European Education Systems (1.9 MB)
•  EURASHE 25th Annual Conference, Lisbon (Portugal), 16-17 April 2015 (1.2 MB)
•  European Alliance for Apprenticeships (1.6 MB)
•  Framework of EURASHE activities: Employability agenda (2.2 MB)
•  Higher Education in Armenia Employability of Students (1.0 MB)
•  Modernisation of Higher Education in Europe: Access, Retention and Employability 2014 (3.2 MB)
•  Qualifications at EQF level 5: Benefits for career and higher education (1.1 MB)
•  Qualifications frameworks in Europe: supporting transparency, mobility and lifelong learning (0.7 MB)
•  Quality and transparency in education-industry partnerships (0.9 MB)
•  Quality, Qualifications and Employability (0.4 MB)
•  The Cooperation of Private Universities with the Business Sector (4.9 MB)
•  The supporting role of innovation and applied research in creating knowledge triangle (2.8 MB)
•  The world’s first global, multi-dimensional, user-driven university* ranking (3.8 MB)
•  Trends and challenges for higher education graduates (1.8 MB)
•  What do students need to get a job on today’s labour market and what can we do? (1.0 MB)

Following are the photographs of the event: