Mission of PHE as a link with academic education
EURASHE is the leading representative of professional higher education (PHE) in Europe sees its mission to lead a harmonisation process across the EHEA. The HAPHE project was launched in 2012, working on ‘harmonising approaches to professional higher education in Europe’.
Together with our member experts, we established the Task Force on the Mission of PHE. EURASHE will continue developing initiatives and supporting its members in strengthening the sector on the national and European levels.
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What is different between academic and professional higher education?
The term professional higher education cannot easily be defined. From the current absence of any categorisation, we may conclude that PHE is just part of higher education and operates within the same triangle of education, research and services to the community. PHE can occur in all kinds of institutions in the broad spectrum of academic, professional and vocational strands, in the same way as it can be offered in several modes of learning (including the traditional ones).
Identifying academic institutions with ‘highly theoretical courses’ and professionally orientated institutions and programmes with ‘practical skills development or training’ means to disregard the fact that the comprehensive universities have offered and continue to offer vocational trainings such as for prospective physicians, dentists, veterinary surgeons and architects, which are all ‘professionals’ in their own right.
In past decades, we could witness various convergent and divergent processes in higher education, which have influenced what is perceived as professional versus academic higher education.
Role of PHE as a link between academic and professional world
PHE may play an essential role as an intermediary between higher education, vocational education and training and the labour market.
In particular, PHE institutions are – in a way – ‘bilingual’; they speak both the academic and professional language and can thus be key players in the process of a better understanding between higher education and the world of work.
It is essential to elaborate multidimensional characteristics of PHE with adequate indicators of good practice or even excellence and make a comparative review of existing higher education structures in European countries, also identifying problems and weak points of present systems.
‘A LOOK AT PROFESSIONAL HIGHER EDICATION IN EUROPE ’, in Gleichartig – aber anderswertig? Zur künftigen Rolle der (Fach-) Hochschulen im deutschen Hochschulsystem, 2014, Stefan Delplace
Role of PHE as a link between academic and professional world
The working group has been established to continue the work started through the HAPHE project, and further support its outcomes by promoting them at the European level.
Specific tasks of the working group include:
- Continuous promotion of the outcomes of the HAPHE project, including the definition and characteristics of PHE;
- Preparation and organisation of the events of EURASHE on topics linked to the mission of PHE;
- Support EURASHE’s policy work in the field, provide expert advice and input for the drafting of policy papers, statements, and contribute to writing articles, manuals etc.;
- Develop initiatives and research the topics linked to the mission of PHE;
- Develop and prepare project proposals.
Projects
WEXHE
ApprenticeTrack
STRATEGYHACK
