This group of 11 dedicated actors in the field of Professional Higher Education in Europe believe that while the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) has contributed significantly to harmonisation of HE in Europe, the ‘Professional’ Higher Education sector is still in significant flux. Thus, e.g. ‘Fachhochschule’ are increasingly becoming Universities of applied Sciences while traditional universities are increasingly providing professionally orientated programmes. The wide variety of systems which now fall under the umbrella term of ‘Professional’ HE, makes it difficult to transnationally analyse this sector, hinders recognition of qualifications, and limits the ability of soft-policy tools to strengthen its growth.
To address this issue, the HAPHE group intends, to bring together a group of field experts, who, through a wide consultation with stakeholders from education, business and society, will harmonise approaches to professional higher education (predominantly at European Qualifications Framework (EQF) level 6 and above) throughout Europe, by:
- Surveying the different approaches to PHE provision throughout EU-member states;
- Setting out the defining characteristics of a ‘professional’ Higher Education programme;
- Proposing a set of quality criteria which contribute towards the best-case fulfilment of those characteristics;
- Collecting and sharing best practice on how institutions can adopt the criteria;
- Suggesting indicators and quantification methodologies to allow comparison of PHE in the context of overall HE and LLL provision.
The involvement of stakeholders in all stages (research, design, valorisation), will ensure the group’s ability to provide sustainable results by creating a critical mass of consensus, to allow the de-facto adoption of the proposals as a standard.
By strengthening the PHE sector, and improving the transparency of PHE provision, the group wishes to enhance employability of European HE as a whole, to contribute towards a more cohesive Higher Education Area, and to support the modernisation of European HEIs, through encouragement of increasing responsiveness to enterprise and society.
Following are the
partners of the project:
Assemblée des Directeurs d’Institut Universitaire de Technologie (ADIUT) - Assemblée des Directeurs d’Institut Universitaire de Technologie (ADIUT) ADIUT represents the 113 IUT established in 80 French Universities. It acts as the coordinating council for the IUT network. Several committees... Read more
Association of Slovene Higher Vocational Colleges (Association HVC) - Skupnost višjih strokovnih šol Republike Slovenije (SKUPNOST VSŠ) The Association of Slovene Higher Vocational Colleges (Association HVC) was founded as a public institution in 2005, when its Establishing Act was... Read more
Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW) - The Cooperative State University Baden-Wuerttemberg (DHBW) is the largest university in Baden-Wuerttemberg with currently 34,000 students, over 9,000 partner companies and over 160,000 alumni. It is the first higher education... Read more
Croatian Council of Universities and University Colleges of Applied Sciences (VVIVŠ) - Vijeće veleučilišta I visokih škola (VVIVŠ) The Croatian Council of Universities and University Colleges of Applied Sciences (VVIVŠ) is an organization in the Croatian Higher Education System consisting of a... Read more
Czech Association of Schools of Professional Higher Education (CASPHE) - Sdružení profesního terciárního vzdělávání (SSVS) The Czech Association of Professional Higher Education (CASPHE) is an independent organisation of colleges and institutes of professional higher education in the Czech Republic. It... Read more
European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE) - EURASHE is the European Association of Institutions in Higher Education that offer professionally orientated programmes and are engaged in applied research within the Bologna cycles. EURASHE represents universities of applied sciences... Read more
Flemish Council of University Colleges (VLHORA) - Vlaamse Hogescholenraad (VLHORA) The Flemish Council of University Colleges is the formal consultative and advisory body of all Flemish University Colleges. It advises the Flemish government on policy issues concerning... Read more
Knowledge Innovation Centre (Malta) (KIC-Malta) - The Knowledge Innovation Centre is a dynamic consultancy focusing on knowledge brokerage and innovation of knowledge transfer processes. The Centre brings together a variety of local and European experts from... Read more
Portuguese Polytechnics Coordinating Council (CCISP) - Conselho Coordenador dos Institutos Superiores Politécnicos (CCISP) Created in 1979, the Conselho Coordenador dos Institutos Superiores Politécnicos (CCISP – Portuguese Polytechnics Coordinating Council) is the body of joint coordination and... Read more
State Higher Vocational School in Tarnow (University of Applied Sciences) (PWSZ-TAR) - Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Zawodowa w Tarnowie (PWSZ) more to come soon…
Tallinna Tehnikakõrgkool University of Applied Sciences (TTK UAS) - TTK University of Applied Sciences (TTK UAS) is a state professional higher education institution, offering competitive professional higher education in the fields of engineering, production, technology, architecture and construction. TTK University of Applied... Read more
Following are experts involved in the project:
Anthony F. Camilleri - Anthony F. Camilleri is a tertiary education policy consultant. He holds qualifications in law from the University of Malta, and was also active in the Malta national students’ union and... Read more
Johan Cloet - Johan Cloet has been the Secretary General of EURASHE in 2014-2016, which he represented in the Bologna Follow-Up Group (BFUG) and several of its working groups, such as on ‘Structural... Read more
Stefan Delplace - Stefan Delplace became the Secretary General of EURASHE in 2004, a position he occupied until 2014. He represented in the Bologna Follow-Up Group and several of its working and coordination... Read more
Ulf-Daniel Ehlers, Vice-President of EURASHE - Prof. Dr. phil.habil. Ulf-Daniel Ehlers is the Vice-President of the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW) in Stuttgart (Germany) and responsible for Quality and Academic Affairs in the Board of the... Read more
Justin Fenech - Dr. Justin Fenech graduated from the University of Malta as a Doctor of Laws (LLD). He was highly active in student representation, being elected as President of the Kunsill Studenti... Read more
Marek Frankowicz - Specialist in Theoretical Chemistry and expert on Higher Education reforms. Coordinator for Quality and Internationalization at State Higher Vocational School in Tarnow and Associate Professor at the Jagiellonian University in... Read more
Michael Gaebel - Michael Gaebel is the head of the Higher Education Policy Unit, which focuses on issues related to higher education learning and teaching, including the Bologna Process, lifelong learning, e-learning and... Read more
Nicole Graf - Since autumn 2014 Prof. Dr Nicole Graf has been the president of the new independent Heilbronn Campus, Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University. From 2005 to 2009 Prof. Dr Nicole Graf led... Read more
Guy Haug - Played a key role in the shaping and initiating the Bologna Process and the EU’s agenda for the modernization of higher education as part of the Lisbon Strategy (now EU2020),... Read more
Raimund Hudak - As senior lecturer and researcher with over 10 years of experience at leading academic institutions Raimund Hudak has been involved in various research programmes in Germany and abroad. He is... Read more
Michal Karpíšek, Secretary-General of EURASHE - Michal Karpíšek is the Secretary-General of EURASHE since June 2016. Within this role Michal has been engaged in policy and representation activities at EU level focused on higher education learning,... Read more
Jan Koucký - Jan Koucký, Director of the Education Policy Centre at the Faculty of Education, Charles University in Prague (Czech Republic) focuses on the relationship between education and the broader social and... Read more
Anne Kraav - Anne Kraav is an associated professor of civil engineering at TTK University of Applied Sciences, since 2001, Vice Rector for Development. Anne Kraav has been intensively involved in applied research... Read more
Regitze Kristensen - Regitze Kristensen was SPACE’s Secretary General for more than 3 years. Her valuable experience includes her work as Director of international relations from her home institution and as project manager of many... Read more
Stéphane Lauwick, President of EURASHE - Stéphane Lauwick is the director of the Institute of Technology, University Le Havre Normandy. He is the Vice-President for International Affairs of the French Association of Directors of University Institutes... Read more
Jiří Nantl - Jiří Nantl is First Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic since 2012. Prior to this post he was responsible for Higher Education in the Ministry.... Read more
Žarko Nožica - Žarko Nožica is professor and scientist. He obtained his masters and PhD degrees at University of Zagreb (Croatia). Mr Nožica has over 25 years of experience in University (Croatia) and... Read more
Armando Pires, Vice-President of EURASHE - Armando Pires is a graduate of Electrical Engineering from the Technical University of Lisbon. He received his MSc degree in 1988 and PhD degree in 1994 in Electrical Engineering at... Read more
Alicia-Leonor Sauli-Miklavčič, Board member of EURASHE - Alicia-Leonor Sauli-Miklavčič is a good connoisseur of international professional higher education, she has been Project Expert at the Slovene Association HVC as well as a member of the EURASHE working... Read more
Richard Thorn - Richard is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin (Bachelor degree in Natural Sciences in 1978 and a PhD in 1983) and the Institute of Public Administration (MA in Public Management,... Read more
Ann Verreth - Ann Verreth has been vice-president of NVAO’s executive board since 1 January 2016. Within NVAO she is in charge of strategy, communications and system-development matters as regards Flanders; as well... Read more
Iva Voldánová - Iva Voldánová is a former project associate of EURASHE. In 2009-2013 she worked on the follow-up and monitoring of European projects assisted the Secretary General in policy activities. Previously, she... Read more