The Impact of the Bologna Process on Higher Education Institutions in Malta
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THE IMPACT OF THE BOLOGNA PROCESS ON HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN MALTA An overview of the targets achieved and future challenges NATIONAL TEAM OF BOLOGNA EXPERTS MALTA 2009-2011 THE IMPACT OF THE BOLOGNA PROCESS ON HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN MALTA An overview of the targets achieved and future challenges NATIONAL TEAM OF BOLOGNA EXPERTS (2009-2011) A working document researched and produced for the NTBE by Dr Suzanne Gatt, Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Education of the University of Malta, and edited by Ms Debbie Lora Dimech, Commission Officer (NCHE). The Coordinator of the National Team of Bologna Experts is Dr James Calleja and the members of the National Team of Bologna Experts are: Dr Roberta Avellino (MEEF Coordinator), Mr Ray Farrugia (Registrar, MCAST), Ms Veronica Grech (Registrar, University of Malta), Mr Carl Grech, (KSU President), Dr Omar Grech (Lecturer, University of Malta), Mr Henry Mifsud (Senior Lecturer, ITS), Ms Bernie Mizzi (Director, St Martin’s College), and Professor Alfred Vella, Pro-Rector, (University of Malta). The preparation and publication of this report have been co-financed by the European Union. © Copyright National Team of Bologna Experts, Malta (2009-2011) and the European Union Programmes Agency (EUPA) - 2011 The opinions expressed in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the National Team of Bologna Experts. Every attempt has been made to provide the most current information at the time of printing. Designed and printed by Printit Printing Press - www.printit.com.mt 2 3 THE IMPAC T OF T HE BOLOGNA PROCESS ON HI GHER EDUCA ti ON INS tit U ti ONS IN MAL T A Contents INTRODUCTION 12 CHAPTER 1: THE BOLOGNA PROCESS AND THE 2010 TARGETS 14 1.0 Introduction 14 1.1 From Bologna to the Budapest-Vienna Declaration in 2010 14 CONTENTS 1.2 Stock-taking Developments of Bologna Process across Signatory Countries 19 1.3 2010 and Beyond 23 1.4 Conclusion 26 CHAPTER 2: HIGHER EDUCATION IN MALTA AND THE BOLOGNA PROCESS – AN UPDATE 28 2.0 Introduction 28 2.1 Developments up to the first stock-taking exercise in 2005 28 2.2 Malta’s position after the first stock-taking exercise in 2005 29 2.3 Developments up to the National Report in 2007 30 2.4 Malta’s position after the stock-taking exercise in 2007 31 2.5 Developments up to the National Report in preparation for the 2009 Ministerial meeting 37 2.6 Results of the Stocktaking report in 2009 39 2.7 Conclusion 43 CHAPTER 3: USING ECTS AND THE DS IN HEIS IN MALTA 44 3.0 Introduction 44 3.1 The ECTS system and its implementation 44 3.2 Implementation of the Diploma Supplement at the University of Malta 47 3.3 Conclusion 49 CHAPTER 4: ACHIEVING QUALITY IN HE INSTITUTIONS – THE STATE-OF-PLAY 50 4. 0 Introduction 50 4.1 Regulation of Higher Education Institutions at National Level 50 4.2 Quality Assurance at the University of Malta 52 4.3 Quality Assurance in other Higher Education Institutions 57 4.4 Conclusion 59 CHAPTER 5: PROMOTING STUDENT MOBILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION 60 5.0 Introduction 60 5.1 Some trends in ERASMUS mobility 61 5.2 Obstacles to ERASMUS student mobility 63 5.3 Conclusion 65 4 A CHAPTER 6: MEASURING RESEARCH AND T DEVELOPMENT 66 AL 6.0 Introduction 66 6.1 Defining Research and Development 66 M 6.2 A Historical perspective of Research and Innovation 67 N I 6.3 Malta and the Innovation Scoreboard 68 6.4 Participation of Higher Education in the RTDI Programme 73 6.5 The contribution of Research and Development by businesses 74 ONS 6.6 Intitiatives in Promoting Research and Development ti through investment in post-graduate studies 76 U 6.7 Conclusion 77 tit NS I CHAPTER 7: INDUSTRY’S SELECT OPINION ON HE QUALIFICATIONS 78 ON 7.0 Introduction 78 ti 7.1 Methodology 78 7.2 Main trends obtained 79 7.3 Discussion 85 7.4 Conclusion 86 DUCA E LIST OF BOLOGNA SEMINARS MALTA 88 GHER I LIST OF THE THREE MAIN HIGHER EDUCATION H INSTITUITIONS IN MALTA 89 ON APPENDICES 90 ROCESS P OLOGNA B HE T OF T MPAC I HE T 5 List of Tables Page CHAPTER 5 Table 5.1 Number of University of Malta students on ERASMUS exchange per year 61 Table 5.2 University of Malta Academics on Erasmus mobility exchange per year 62 CHAPTER 6 Table 6.1 Research and development expenditure, by sectors of performance; All sectors - % of GDP 71 Table 6.2 Share of research and development personnel, by sectors of ES AND FIGURES ES performance; All sectors - Head count (% of the labour force) 72 L Table 6.3 Total researchers (FTE), by sectors of performance; All sectors - FTE: full-time equivalent 72 Table 6.4 Share of women researchers, by sectors of performance; AB All sectors - Head count (% of total researchers) 72 T Table 6.5 Share of government budget appropriations or outlays for research and development (% of GDP) 72 Table 6.6 Human resources in science and technology as a share of labour force - Total - (%) 73 Table 6.7 R & D personnel in full-time equivalent (FTE) in 2006 and annual average growth rate 2001-2006, EU-27 and selected countries 73 Table 6.8 Amount of funding and projects awarded under the RTDI programme 74 Table 6.9 Distribution of Research and Development Personnel in Business 2004-2006 75 LISTS OF Table 6.10 Distribution of Research and Development Personnel in Business 2006-8 75 Table 6.11 Enterprises indicating high importance of selected factors hampering innovation activity 76 CHAPTER 7 Table 7.1 Frequency of employers contacted across the sectors identified 79 6 A List of Figures T AL Page M CHAPTER 2 N Fig. 2.1 Colour Codes for Progress Achieved 30 I Fig. 2.2 Bologna Scoreboard Summary (2005) for Malta 30 Fig. 2.3 Indicator 1 - Stage of Implementation of the First and Second Cycle Comparison 2005-2007 32 ONS Fig. 2.4 Indicator 2 - Access to the Next Cycle Comparison 2005-2007 32 ti Fig. 2.5 Indicator 3 - Implementation of National Qualifications U Framework Progress up to 2007 33 Fig. 2.6 Indicator 4 - National Implementation of Standards and tit Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the EHEA Progress up to 2007 33 NS Fig. 2.7 Indicator 5 - Stage of Development of External Quality I Assurance Systems Comparison 2005-2007. 34 Fig. 2.8 Indicator 6 - Level of Student Participation in Quality Assurance ON Comparison 2005-2007 34 ti Fig. 2.9 Indicator 7 - Level of International Participation in Quality Assurance Comparison 2005-2007 35 Fig. 2.10 Indicator 8 - Stage of Implementation of Diploma Supplement DUCA Comparison 2005-2007 35 E Fig. 2.11 Indicator 9 - National Implementation of the Principles of the Lisbon Recognition Convention 36 Fig. 2.12 Indicator 10 - Stage of Implementation of ECTS Comparison 2005-2007 36 GHER Fig. 2.13 Indicators 11 & 12 - Recognition of Prior Learning and Joint I Degrees: number and percentage of countries in each colour H category for indicators 11-12 36 Fig. 2.14 Malta’s Scoreboard on the 12 different Indicators 37 ON Fig. 2.15 Malta’s Scoreboard on the different Indicators in the 2009 stock-taking report 40 Fig. 2.16 Summary of rating of countries with respect to the implementation of the degree system 41 Fig. 2.17 Summary of rating of countries with respect to national ROCESS implementation of standards and Guidelines for QA in the P EHEA 42 Fig. 2.18 Summary of Countries’ ratings with respect to Recognition 43 CHAPTER 3 Fig. 3.1 Distribution of ECTS for the different Undergraduate Courses 46 CHAPTER 4 OLOGNA Fig. 4.1 Summary of the Procedure for the Validation of Programmes B at the University of Malta 54 Fig. 4.2 Summary of Student Feedback Cycle 55 HE T CHAPTER 6 Fig. 6.1 Representation of Research & Development Indicators 67 OF Fig. 6.2 Overall Innovation Performance: the EIS Summary Innovation T Index 2007 69 Fig. 6.3 Overall Innovation Performance: the EIS Summary Innovation Index 2010 69 Fig. 6.4 Specific Indicators achieved by Malta compared to EU 27 70 MPAC Fig. 6.5 Annual Growth per indicator 71 I HE T 7 ESSAGE M Hon. Dolores Cristina Minister of Education, Employment and the Family Higher Education is today the gateway to employability. More and more sectors are increasingly becoming dependent upon specialised learning and on skills and competences which can only be achieved if a person considers Higher Education as a challenge to be met at the earliest stages of life. I am, therefore, particularly pleased to see that the National Team of Bologna Experts (Malta) is taking this initiative to present to all stakeholders an overview of the impact of the Bologna Process on Higher Education in Malta as a working tool for its activities in the 2009-2011 cycle. The Bologna Process is history in the making. Initiated in 1999, it managed (over a relatively short period of time) to provide a new European culture for Higher Education through a more harmonised system of qualifications, quality assurance, as well as greater transparency in the learning process. Linked with the Lisbon Strategy, the Bologna Process is another step towards more structured mobility in Europe. An increasing number of Universities and Higher Education institutions in 47 countries are committed to the goals of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) which are: (i) to facilitate mobility of students, graduates and Higher Education staff, (ii) to prepare students for their future careers as active citizens in democratic societies and support their personal development and (iii) to offer broad access to high quality education based on democratic principles and academic freedom.