Log No. 2008/268

The Bologna Process as Part of Strategic of Educational Development at Uppsala University

Bologna Process Phase 3

Final Report from the Bologna Group 3 2010-02-16

Contents

1 Introduction______5 1.1 Background______5 1.2 The Bologna Processen at the local level______6 1.2.1 Regulatory documents______6 1.2.2 Previous work and experience______7 The Bologna Groups ______7 Proposals from Bologna Group 2 ______8 1.2.3 The present assignment, Bologna Group 3 ______10 1.2.4 Professional programmes and the Bologna structure ______10 1.3 The Bologna Process at the national level ______11 1.3.1 New quality assessment system ______12 1.4 The Bologna Process at the international level______12

2 Description of the current educational structure ______13 2.1 Education at the basic level ______14 2.2 Education at the advanced level ______14 One-year master degree ______2 Two-year master degree ______2 Mobility between basic and advanced levels ______15 2.2.1 The Swedish Master Project 2009-2010 ______16 2.3 Education at the research level______16 2.3.1 National graduate schools ______17 2.3.2 Collaboration with companies and with other higher-education institutions_ 18

3 Some key issues in the Bologna Process ______19 3.1 The connection between course objectives, instruction, and examination ______19 3.1.1 Syllabi and study programmes______19 3.1.2 Progression ______20 3.1.3 Forms of examination and criteria for grading ______20 3.1.4 The grading issue ______20 3.1.5 Educational development ______21 3.2 The research connection ______22 3.3 Liberal education______22 3.3.1.1 The Liberal Education Project ______24 3.3.1.2 Other liberal education initiatives ______24 3.4 Utility, employability ______25 3.4.1 Information for stakeholders? ______28 3.4.2 The National Audit's assessment of Uppsala University's work with employability______28 3.4.3 The degree project______29 UPPSALA UNIVERSITET THE BOLOGNA PROCESS AS PART OF STRATEGIC EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AT UPPSALA UNIVERSITY

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3.5 Joint programmes and degrees ______29 3.6 Mobility ______30 Teacher mobility ______31 Student mobility ______31 3.6.1 Collaborations and agreements______33 3.6.1.1 Uppsala University's collaboration with SLU, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences ______33 3.6.1.2 Uppsala Centre for Sustainable Development ______34 3.6.1.3 Collaborative agreements with the university colleges in Gävle and on Gotland ______34 3.6.1.4 The University's participation in European cooperative programmes for enhanced mobility ______34 3.6.1.5 Collaborative agreements for mobility between countries ______35 3.6.1.6 Strategic alliances ______36 3.6.3 Tuition fees ______37 3.7 Transitions ______38 3.7.1 The basic-to-advanced-level transition ______39 3.7.2 The master-to-research-level transition ______39

4 The group's proposals______40 Analysis and review ______40 Alumn studies and doctoral-student surveys ______40 Programme and degree offerings at the advanced level ______2 Mobility between levels______41 The research connection ______41 General competencies ______42 Progression ______42 Information ______42 Guidelines______43 Quality follow-up and quality assurance ______43 Establishment and discontinuation of study programmes ______43 Recruitment, eligibility, and selection for the advanced level ______44 Establishment of national graduate schools ______44 Recognition of credit in research-level education ______45 Pan-University education and collaboration ______45 Collaboration between advanced and research levels ______46 Strategies ______46 Liberal education ______46

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Mobility among higher-education institutions ______47 Readiness for tuition fees ______48

5 References ______48

6 Abbreviations ______50

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1 Introduction Uppsala University’s Bologna work commenced in 2003. The Bologna Process did not represent a reorientation but rather a further development of the goal-oriented and student-centred work that has long characterized the development of educational programmes at the University. The present report on the University’s Bologna work should not be seen as an evaluation of how work with the various aspects of the Bologna Process has been pursued, but as a part of the University’s developmental efforts and quality assurance of higher education, as a progress report on Bologna work and a mapping of the need for further work. The University’s Bologna efforts and quality work are an ongoing and comprehensive process, which is reflected in the broad perspective of the report.

1.1 Background On 25 May, 1998, the ministers of higher education from France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Germany sign a joint declaration in connection with the celebration of the 800th anniversary of the University of Paris, Sorbonne. However, more countries than these four wished to be part of the work to enhance the clarity and comparability within and among the various European educational systems. This led to a meeting in Bologna in the summer of 1999. This meeting adopted what came to be called the Bologna Declaration, signed by 29 countries, all the EU members, the EFTA countries (European Free Trade Association), and most countries in Eastern and Central Europe. The aim was to continue to develop European cooperation in higher education and above all to promote student mobility between European educational systems and job markets. Although the Bologna Declaration is not a legally binding document and the process is a purely multilateral collaboration between countries, it has proven to be truly dynamic in its impact, leading to comprehensive changes in higher education in many of the participating countries. The declaration established a number of objectives for creating a European Higher Education Area, EHEA, by 2010. The declaration contains three overarching objectives: to promote mobility, employability, and the competitiveness of Europe as an education continent. The overarching objectives are broken down into six operative goals: the introduction of a system of clear and comparable degrees (Diploma Supplement), a system of three educational levels, a credit system (ECTS, European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System), and the promotion of mobility, of European collaboration in quality assurance, and of the European dimension of higher education. These objectives have been followed up at education minister meetings in Prague in May 2001, Berlin in September 2003, Bergen in May 2005, London in May 2007, and Leuven in April 2009. At the latest follow-up meeting a communiqué was adopted regarding continued work up to 2020. The next ministerial meeting will take place in Bucharest in April 2012. At these ministerial meetings, further countries have joined in the process, which now comprises 46 countries. The process will thus continue for a further ten years, with all member countries obliged to set up measurable objectives for broadened recruitment to higher education and with at least 20% of graduates having studied or pursued trainee periods abroad. The new phase means that the discussion has largely gone from a focus on structural issues to deal more with content and the meaning of various central concepts, the practical design, and the consequences of the Bologna Declaration. The first step in the Swedish process is completed, including the design of the Diploma Supplement, the level division of education, a clear credit system, and syllabi with goals for learning.

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1.2 The Bologna Process at the local level Bologna work at Uppsala University has not taken the form of a pure adaptation or implementation of an international declaration and a national programme. Instead these efforts have assumed the form of active translational and developmental work based on deliberations about what is central to the declaration. The work has been directed towards providing the central objectives and concepts of the Bologna Declaration – such as employability, progression, mobility, and the European dimension – with practical content, and the concepts have been converted into practical action, including transitioning between levels, grading scales, generic courses, cross-level courses, and joint study programmes. The work has involved integrating the degree structure of the Bologna Process and its general thrust into a previously developed educational structure and combining this with the University’s strategic development in the field of education. Processes and support structures have been created within the University to develop its education in accordance with the intentions of the Bologna Declaration and to continue to monitor developments at the European and national levels. Uppsala University’s Bologna work has thus been and will continue to be active developmental work. The introduction of a new degree structure has been combined with reviews of the content and structure of education, programmes and courses. New programmes and courses have been developed. This work has also involved national and international collaboration both with other higher-education institutions and with the business community and the public sector. Student recruitment, student contacts, and follow-ups have been areas where considerable effort has been expended. The central organization supports the activities that take place at departments and faculties.

1.2.1 Regulatory documents The University’s quality work is governed by a number of established documents, which can be found under “Goals and Regulations” on the University home page. “Goals and Strategies for Uppsala University” describes the overarching goals for the University’s activities. There are also a number of programme documents that are anchored in the work with overarching goals and strategies. The University’s Bologna work is an important and central part of the foundation on which these governing documents and the University’s quality work are based.

Goals and strategies for Uppsala University The University Board adopted “Goals and Strategies for Uppsala University” in April 2008. The document affirms that Uppsala University is an internationally prominent research university that leads the world in many fields and provides settings in which students develop into knowledgeable, critically thinking, creative, and responsible individuals. Uppsala University aims to strengthen its position as a world leader. International collaboration is a means and a strategy for achieving enhanced quality in research and education and to contribute to a better world. Contacts and conversations among senior researchers, teachers, and students are important, and much emphasis is placed on the professional skills of teachers and having students meet professors early in their studies.

Programme for Quality Work at Uppsala University In April 2008 the Board also adopted its “Programme for Quality Work at Uppsala University,” and a three-year programme of concrete measures (for 2008–2010) was established by the Vice Chancellor. Quality work is to meet both the University’s internal demands and the requirements for

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external auditing laid down by the government and other stakeholders. In education quality work involves processes for establishing content and progression in study programmes and syllabi on the basis of current research, course evaluations, and other assessments. Systematically designed procedures for peer criticism ensure the quality of degree projects and essays. In research-level education, the admission of doctoral candidates and the monitoring of their individual study plans are central issues.

Programme for Teaching at Uppsala University In May 2008 the Vice Chancellor adopted its “Programme for Teaching for Uppsala University – Guidelines for Teaching Activities and Development.” The programme stresses that the responsibility for good teaching and quality in education must be shared on several levels. Structurally supportive decisions must be made at the University and faculty levels, while other decisions must be taken locally in the everyday work at departments. The quality of instruction is a responsibility that is shared by teachers and students, and this is also reflected in the design of the programme. Each sphere of objectives formulates the roles of both the University and its students in creating good conditions for learning. The programme is supplemented by an implementation and follow-up plan for the 2009–2012 period.

Programme for Collaboration – Uppsala University in Dialogue with the Surrounding Community In September 2009 the Board adopted its “Programme for Collaboration – Uppsala University in Dialogue with the Surrounding Community.” The programme establishes the importance of the University carrying on a dialogue with the public sector, the business community, citizens, associates, students, and international target groups. Students constitute an important link in collaboration with the surrounding community. The content and organization of education help support and advance such activities. The University’s mission to provide broad liberal education is a key part of its collaboration mission.

Programme for Internationalization at Uppsala University In spring 2009 a work group assembled a proposed “Programme for Internationalization at Uppsala University” and a programme of measures for internationalization work at Uppsala University 2010– 2012. The programme was adopted by the University Board in November 2009. It establishes that internationalization work must primarily be pursued by active researchers, teachers, and students, and that the links between research and education should be borne in mind. Multiple paths to internationalization must be encouraged, such as student and teacher exchange, foreign guest lecturers and course literature in languages other than Swedish. An action programme with suggestions for concrete measures in the coming three-year period will be adopted in spring 2010.

1.2.2 Previous work and experience

The Bologna Groups The University’s Bologna work commenced in 2003, when the Vice Chancellor appointed a first workgroup, Bologna Group 1, active in 2003–2004, charged with reviewing various issues brought

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to the fore as a result of the Bologna Process. On the basis of the workgroup’s proposals in its final report, and after circulation for comment within the University, including the student unions, the Vice Chancellor issued the document “Policy for Uppsala University’s Continued Course in its Work with the Bologna Process.” Prior to this, in October 2004, the Vice Chancellor had appointed a new workgroup, Bologna Group 2, active in 2004–2005, to continue the work with the new educational structure in accordance with the Bologna model. The group submitted its final report in September 2005. On the basis of the proposals from Bologna Group 2, the Vice Chancellor appointed a special workgroup, on the one hand, to continue to prepare for goal statements in accordance with a Bologna structure for higher education at the basic and advanced levels and, on the other hand, to devise guidelines to serve as a basis for decisions in the continued Bologna work and in regard to the University’s approach to so-called ECTS grades. In 2008 Bologna Group 3 was appointed, whose assignment was to work under the leadership of the Deputy Vice Chancellor in monitoring the implementation and continued development of the Bologna Process. Through the work of the first two Bologna groups, the structure and fundamental principles of the University’s Bologna work had been laid down. The local work at the University has largely been carried out without any national guidelines. In some cases this has meant that certain guidelines have had to be revised, but above all that Uppsala University has developed a Bologna approach in terms of both educational structure and educational content that takes into consideration the University’s own preconditions and objectives.

Proposals from Bologna Group 2 Bologna Group 2 proposed, as regards educational structure, that Uppsala University should provide education leading to bachelor, one-year master, and two-year master degrees but refrain from study programmes leading to diplomas in higher education. The University’s profile should be characterized by 120-credit two-year master programmes but should be open to 60-credit one-year master programmes to be established pursuant to special review. Further, it was proposed that each faculty must take a stand regarding how the division of subjects in subject areas should be done within their respective spheres and consider how these subject areas should be related to neighbouring subjects and subject areas in other faculties. The scope of courses must be described in the Swedish credit system and in ECTS credits (this latter proposal was mooted by the fact that the new national credit system entails that one higher education credit is equal to one ECTS credit). No course/component should be less than 5 ECTS credits. The work group stressed the importance of thoroughly discussing the introduction of seven-level goal-related grades for all students before any decision is made in this matter, but the University should continue to offer seven-level goal-related grades for students going to study abroad and for exchange students. Goal- descriptions must be in place for all courses and programmes, and must expressly state expected student achievement and how students’ attained knowledge, profiling, and capabilities contribute to employability. The group also clarified that the determination of course levels must be based on the level descriptions in the Higher Education Act, that courses at the basic level must be classed within their respective subject areas in such a manner that a clear progression can be discerned, and that courses at the advanced level must be characterized by greater depth and a higher degree of independence in relation to courses at the basic level. Concerning admission to the advanced level, it was proposed that the principles for admission to programmes and to single-subject courses at the advanced level must be the same. Selection must primarily be based on the quality of qualifications. Students who have completed one-year master programmes and apply for a two-year master programme in the same or a closely related subject area can either be offered the opportunity to apply for the latter part of the two-year master programme or to apply for the entire programme and

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thereafter request that their earlier credits be recognized. Finally, the group proposed how decisions about programmes and courses, regarding establishment and discontinuation, for instance, should be taken. How the University has worked with the proposals from the Bologna groups and other governing documents has been described in detail in the University’s quality work, the 2009 self-evaluation (UFV 2008/843). The University Board makes decisions about the establishment of study programmes that involve a long-term economic commitment for the University, that is, bachelor programmes and longer professional programmes, whereas the Vice Chancellor makes decisions about the establishment of shorter programmes at the advanced level. In connection with the decision to establish new study programmes in 2007, the faculty boards were tasked with providing an account of the preconditions for each study programme in terms of teacher competence, research ties, possibilities of transitioning to the advanced and research levels, respectively, connections with a future job market, etc. These quality criteria remain in place for the establishment of new programmes. There are no set criteria for discontinuing a programme. However, reasons for phasing out may be declining recruitment, lack of teaching capacity, or diminished societal need. The introduction of a new degree system, failure to be accredited by the National Agency for Higher Education (HSV), or internal demands regarding academic and educational renewal can also be grounds for discontinuation. If a programme is to be shut down, the faculty board turns to the Vice Chancellor to make the decision. Discontinuation is a long-term process, as there will be students still pursuing the programme for several years to come who need to be provided with high quality studies. Since 2001 the Quality and Evaluation Office (Q&E) has been carrying out a systematic study of alumni in the form of questionnaires targeting former students with general or professional degrees. Research-level education is also evaluated regularly in the form of a questionnaire sent to active doctoral candidates addressing issues like the study environment, satisfaction with supervision and research-level courses, and future prospects. The information generated by various formal evaluations is complemented by information from programme directors, meetings of directors of studies, teacher days, senior educational administrators, student organizations (student councils), students who are so-called study monitors at their respective faculties, and student advisers. By analyzing the aggregate information, the relevant undergraduate education body identifies quality issues and areas to be developed. In connection with the introduction of the new degree system, a comprehensive review was undertaken of all study programmes and syllabi at Uppsala University in order to ensure that the goals formulated for each was expressed in terms of expected study outcomes. This means that goals now state what knowledge and skills as well as what competence students are expected to have in relation to a certain assignment or a certain piece of work, and that this is what they will be examined on. The introduction of the new degree system also focused attention on various grading systems, and a detailed basis for discussion was assembled regarding the function of grades, ties to learning and examination, issues of measuring technologies and comparability, pros and cons of finely graduated grades, etc. In January 2007 the Vice Chancellor determined that the objective for the grading system at Uppsala University would be national coordination, with a four-point grading scale for all programmes at the basic and advanced levels, though with the possibility of exemptions. Different grading systems may be used within the University, for example in cases where professional programmes wish to harmonize their grading system with corresponding programmes within the country. The review of study programmes has still not been fully completed. In the arts, this work has just begun, as many students traditionally pursue single-subject courses in this field, and work is now

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underway to organize courses in set combinations of courses and study programmes. Discussions about the first two levels is reported to have entailed an enhancement of quality, as the courses at the advanced level have now become more advanced than the old “D-level” in previous programmes. In the University’s Goals and Strategies it is established that quality and renewal are to be promoted by, among other measures, “strategic recruitment and leadership development, promotion of equality, and skills development for University employees.” The quality of education is to a very great extent dependent on the professional skills of teachers. According to the Programme for Teaching, which took effect in January 2009, newly employed teachers must have completed training in tertiary-level education corresponding to ten weeks, and doctoral candidates assigned teaching duties five weeks. Training in teaching skills, including subject-related advanced courses, must be offered to all teachers at least up to the level required for newly employed teachers. To strengthen leadership in teaching, one or more individuals must be available at each department, and for each study programme, to serve as educational leaders. It must be easy for teachers to receive help from colleagues and to collaborate.

1.2.3 The present assignment, Bologna Group 3 It is the responsibility of the faculty boards to implement and ensure the quality of their programmes. The faculty boards are also responsible for providing leadership. Beyond this, University management has recognized a need for a central coordinating and cooperative body to provide quality foundations for decision-making in certain overarching educational questions and to function as a body for disseminating ideas across various activities. This is not intended to entail a centralization of decisions or to take over the responsibilities of the faculty boards. Therefore, in 2008 a Bologna Group 3 was appointed, tasked with monitoring the implementation and continued development of the Bologna Process under the leadership of the Deputy Vice Chancellor. The group has discussed matters such as how the University has worked and is working with the research perspective, transitions and intersections between the three educational levels, the notion of liberal education, employability, connections with working life, internationalization elements in education, mobility, how tuition fees will impact mobility, and where students go when they have completed their education. The group’s discussions are to lead to recommendations that can advance the University’s Bologna work and quality efforts.

1.2.4 Professional programmes and the Bologna structure Bologna work has brought major changes, not least for professional programmes. Uppsala University has chosen to go in different directions regarding its professional programmes and the Bologna structure. Thus master programmes in engineering have changed their structure to allow the possibility of leaving with a bachelor of engineering degree after three years or after a five-year programme to take a professional master of engineering degree or a general master of science degree. Students in the biomedical analysis programme, dispensing pharmacy programme, x-ray nursing programme, physiotherapy programme, and nursing programme can take both a professional degree and a bachelor degree. The old pastoral programme has been adapted to the new educational structure and degree system, with bachelor and master degrees in religious studies. The majority of professional programmes, however, have elected not to introduce a bachelor level, including the programmes in pharmacy, law, medicine, and psychology. The programme in teaching makes it possible for students with earlier bachelor degrees to go on to pursue a double degree: a general master of philosophy degree and a teaching degree specializing in the latter parts of compulsory school or upper-secondary school.

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Another example of how the University has acted is the programme in economics. In 2007 when the government decided to introduce a professional master degree for economists, Uppsala University chose instead to further develop an economics programme adapted to the Bologna Process, with a bachelor of economics degree that can lead on to various programmes at the advanced level, depending on the choice of major subject in the programme.

1.3 The Bologna Process at the national level The Bologna Process in Sweden has primarily been about the introduction of a new programme and degree structure. The government has presented its national strategy for Sweden’s adaptation to the Bologna Process in the governmental bills Ny värld – ny högskola (prop. 2004/05:162) (New World – New Higher Education) and Gränslös kunskap – högskolan i globaliseringens tid (prop. 2008/09:175) (Knowledge Without Borders – Higher Education in a Time of Globalization). On July 1 2007 relatively comprehensive changes were made in the Swedish programme and degree structure. The intention of the reforms was to make Sweden an attractive study destination for foreign students. Higher education should be attractive on the job market. The active internationalization work of universities and university colleges should aim to highlight the quality of their education and an understanding of other countries. Obstacles to internationalization must be eliminated. The monitoring of the higher-education institution’s international activities must be developed and enhanced. The changes mean, among other things, that three levels have been introduced in higher education in Sweden: basic level, advanced level, and research level. Both degrees and courses are to be placed on one of these levels. Each level must build upon the foregoing level and provide the opportunity to be admitted to studies at the next level. Swedish regulations do not specify any step divisions regarding programmes leading to professional degrees; this is regulated at the local level. All degree descriptions have been reworked to follow a common structure. The point of departure for the new or revised degree descriptions has been the overarching European reference framework for degrees, which consists of descriptions for programmes on the three levels and for study programmes on the first level, so-called learning outcomes. This has entailed major changes in degree descriptions for general degrees, which now contain comprehensive learning objectives. A new degree, the two-year master degree at the advanced level, has been established in the Swedish degree system. The former magister degree that previously covered four years (the so-called depth magister) or one year (the so-called breadth magister which built upon a previous three-year degree) are now a one-year degree at the advanced level. Certain degrees have been discontinued, such as the bachelor of theology degree, and one new one has been added, the one-year master of economics and/or business studies degree. The degree system also comprises degree descriptions for research-level degrees. The National Agency for Higher Education has analyzed the first year with the new programme and degree structure on the basis of statistical data (HSV 2009/1). During the first year with the new programme and degree structure, 21,500 students entered bachelor programmes, 3,300 one-year master programmes, and 7,700 two-year master programmes. Foreign students coming to Sweden were primarily in one- or two-year master programmes. In the coming ten-year period the government intends to emphasize increased student mobility, greater teacher mobility, the possibility of developing joint degrees, and funding for the Swedish Institute for Marketing and Information Abroad. More students at Swedish universities and university colleges should study abroad for a period within the framework of their education, and more teachers at Swedish universities and university colleges should be stimulated to participate in teacher exchanges, so new scholarship programmes are being created for them. The International

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Programme Office (IPO) will be setting up guidelines and the higher education institutions will be allocating funds to individual students and teachers. Concerning joint programmes and degrees, the Higher Education Act has been changed as of 1 January 2010, entailing that Swedish universities and university colleges are allowed, under certain conditions, to issue joint degrees with other institutions of higher education (see 3.5).

1.3.1 New quality assessment system On assignment from the government, the National Agency for Higher Education has developed proposals for what a new system for quality assessment of higher education programmes should look like (HSV rapport 2009:25 R). The fundamental idea behind the government’s initiative and the new system is that it should focus on outcomes rather than conditions and processes. All programmes at the basic, advanced, and research levels at state universities and university colleges are to be evaluated. The evaluation cycle is to be shortened to four years from the previous six years, and a graduated assessment of programmes with three levels is proposed: excellent quality, acceptable quality, and unacceptable quality. A programme whose quality has been judged to be unacceptable will have its accreditation questioned and possibly rescinded unless necessary measures have been taken within one year of the evaluation. The new evaluations should provide clear information for students and stimulate improved ties between programmes and their usefulness to both students and the job market. They should also be able to provide a foundation for the allocation of resources at the basic and advanced levels under the condition that the parliament and government make decisions to that effect. The results of these evaluations should enable future and present students to compare the quality of similar programmes at different institutions of higher education.

The government has yet to take the final decision regarding the structure of the system. Some indicators that have been discussed as being part of the evaluation system are Learning Goals and Examination, Learning Outcomes, and Student Experience. According to the proposal, the first indicator means that institutions are to show that the programme follows a plan in which their learning goals cover all the forms of knowledge in the national degree descriptions and that they are examined in a relevant manner. In this connection special emphasis is to be placed on goals that relate to the usefulness of the programme on the job market. An evaluation of the aggregate teaching resources (research competence, teaching competence, and professional ties) is also proposed to be included in this indicator. Under the Learning Outcomes indicator the quality of students’ own work is assessed (degree projects and project work). The proposal bases the third indicator on students’ own experiences from the programme, both in the midst of their studies, and upon degree completion, in the form of surveys among alumni.

The government’s intention is to use the coming evaluation system as a basis for a certain portion of quality-based resource allocation to universities and university colleges. The government is preparing a bill dealing with the evaluation system and its possible ties to resource allocation.

How would the proposal affect the University’s internal work if it were to take effect? The proposal is entirely in line with the University’s own work and entails no new elements. For example, the Programme for Teaching takes up the explicit connection between learning goals and examinations, as well as the importance of relating education to working life. An evaluation system with such a focus will no doubt further stimulate work that is already underway.

1.4 The Bologna Process at the international level At the ministerial meeting in Leuven in April 2009 the latest inventory of the situation in the member countries was presented (Bologna Process Stocktaking 2009). Not all objectives from 1999

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will have been reached by 2010, but the division of education into three levels has largely been established in all countries, which makes it easier to compare programmes. However, some professional programmes, such as medicine, architecture, and engineering, remain outside the Bologna system in several countries. EHEA is part of the European mode of thinking, and quality systems with Qualification Frameworks are beginning to be implemented in all countries. Course syllabi are being designed on the basis of learning outcomes, and collaborations in the form of joint degrees are being established between higher learning institutions across national boundaries. The report points out that not all countries have embraced students as an important part of the Bologna Process, an issue where Sweden is in the forefront. Much work remains to be done regarding the ECTS system, to measure the scope of courses in relation to the work required of students and to place this in relation to learning goals as well as in mapping the social dimension and mobility. The communiqué from the Leuven meeting asserts that there needs to be a greater focus on quality work and that the distinct roles of higher education institutions (education, research, cooperation, source of social cohesion, cultural development) need to be recognized. Broad recruitment must be a priority. The principle of lifelong learning must be facilitated via flexible learning, part-time studies, and work-based educational opportunities. Previous qualifications must be recognized regardless of whether they are formal or informal in character. Higher education institutions must strive to enhance employability, which means both being sensitive to the needs of employers and encouraging on-site education. Student-centred learning is emphasized, all educational levels must have a research perspective, and research-level education must include both disciplinary and interdisciplinary studies. As mentioned, the mobility objective for the coming ten-year period has been raised (see further under 3.6). The Bologna Process has also had an influence on other countries in the world. The ministers of the Benelux countries, who hosted the meeting of ministers in Leuven, had therefore taken the initiative of inviting countries outside of Europe to a Bologna Policy Forum, which took place in connection with the Bologna meeting. That forum also issued a communiqué on collaboration, involving mobility, for example, with the Bologna countries and 20 extra-European nations, including China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, Brazil, and Egypt. The European Commission also supports reforms in higher education outside of Europe. In concrete terms this is done via the Commission’s external measures and programmes. One example is the Tempus Programme in support of EU’s neighbour countries. Relations with other partner countries are supported via a number of bilateral or multilateral collaborative programmes, such as ICI-ECP (Industrialised Countries Instrument Education Cooperation Programme), EU-USA/Canada, EDULINK (collaborative programmes for the 78 ACP countries – African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States), ALFA for Latin America, and the new Nyerere Programme for Africa. The Erasmus Mundus Programme provides scholarships for students from the entire world who wish to pursue integrated master programmes and doctoral studies in various countries in Europe. Cooperation with non-European institutes is paid for from the Commission’s contributions to research activities at higher education institutions, which is allocated via the EU’s 7th Framework Programme for Research. Marie Curie funding provides individual researchers with the opportunity to participate in research teams in other countries.

2 Description of the current educational structure Bologna groups 1 and 2 laid down the conditions for the intensive developmental work at the University’s subject departments and units responsible for study programmes. In the first year this work resulted in the new educational structure in 20 bachelor programmes and 29 new master

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programmes. On average 20 students took part in each master programme, which was higher than the national average of 17 students per programme (HSV, Lena Eriksson). However, some faculties chose to postpone the start of master programmes the first few years. In the 2009/10 academic year, there were (besides non-Bologna-adapted study programmes) 24 bachelor programmes, 7 one-year master programmes, and 38 two-year master programmes, including 30 in the medium of English that are advertised internationally. The relatively large proportion programmes in English has created a need for international marketing of master programmes. Further new master programmes have been established for 2010, several of them in professional education. Some of the programmes at the advanced level are offered together with other higher education institutions and lead to a joint degree (see 3.5). The Vice Chancellor has determined the offerings of one- and two-year master programmes for the 2010/2011 academic year. The University will then be offering 52 advanced- level programmes, 30 of which will be international. Beyond these programme offerings there are about 2,000 single-subject courses, some 600 of them given in English, primarily for foreign exchange students. In education at the research level the work has resulted in new syllabi and discussions about how many programmes the University should offer. Discussions have also involved the length of programmes and the transfer of courses from the advanced level. Areas for development: Ahead of coming work with the establishment of new programmes, it has been proposed that an overhaul of the guidelines should be undertaken, whereby it may be suitable to factor in the internationalization aspect. One possibility under discussion is the introduction of an obligatory period of study abroad in each programme.

2.1 Education at the basic level For an international research university, the commitment to high-quality education at the master and research levels is self-evident, and this has also been stressed by Bologna Group 1, for example. However, it is the opinion in Bologna Group 3 that this must not exclude commitments at the bachelor level or to professional programmes. These forms of education complement each other. Engineering bachelor programmes and professional programmes at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy are examples of three-year professional programmes with a strong job market. Nevertheless, many students do not feel that they are employable with a bachelor degree but rather regard it as preparatory education for the advanced level, also seeing these two levels as a composite unit. Bologna Group 3 has therefore discussed whether the bachelor degree has been marketed in the right way in the sense that this degree should lead both to employment and continued studies. Some employers have indicated that we overeducate our students, while others point out the importance of a good basic education.

2.2 Education at the advanced level

One-year master degree In accordance with decisions related to Bologna Group 2, the University has profiled itself towards two-year master programmes but nonetheless also offers a number of one-year master programmes. This is partly a result of the fact that student applications fell in certain areas with the change in the business cycle and expanded access to basic-level education throughout the country. Another reason to offer shorter programmes than the two-year masters programmes is that it facilitates international collaboration, as shorter programmes are common in many countries.

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Two-year master degree Master programmes can be research-intensive with close contacts with research-level education, research masters; professionally oriented, professional masters; or programmes targeting recurrent education within the framework of lifelong learning, providing continuing education in a field, general masters or lifelong masters. Normally the University does not offer these types of master programmes in their pure form; it is common for its programmes to represent a mixture of the types but with varying emphases in one direction or another. The disciplinary domains have consistently evinced a favourable view of developing research and professional masters, but there are also further-education programmes that have work experience as an eligibility requirement. To achieve the objectives of employability after a master degree, a common structure for a programme is to make the first year preparation for research and have the second year’s degree project, normally worth 30 higher education credits, provide generic knowledge for enhanced employability. A further perspective on the advanced level is found in the so-called Tuning Project (Tuning Educational Structures in Europe). This is a collaboration within the framework of the EU’s Programme for Lifelong Learning, which focuses on processes and how study programmes can be developed implemented, evaluated, and improved at all three levels. Uppsala University is participating in one of the project’s groups, in history. Here tools are made available for the shaping of a distinct profile in education at the advanced level, as in master programmes, for instance. Areas for development: A discussion should be undertaken regarding whether, and if so in what way, the University should commit to different types of master programmes, such as research masters. In particular the possibility of various flexible solutions should be addressed. The manner in which master programmes are described and presented is not least important in the information for foreign students, and to compete with foreign universities for students. A discussion should also address the current division into main subject areas and specializations and to what extent this division corresponds to the needs of international marketing. When the Bologna structure was introduced, the University and its faculties usually decided to create general main subject areas, such as biology, social sciences, computer science, and history. In order to deal with various educational needs it was then decided to create programmes with multiple specializations. This solution has now proven to entail complications and should be considered anew. It turns out to be difficult to market different specializations within a single programme, not least in an international perspective. Not seldom it is the various specializations that provide the unique and attractive educational concepts that best reflect the research environment in which the education is carried out. Moreover, this is a problem in cases where one specialization succeeds in marketing itself independently. The student expects a degree denoting the specialization but instead receive a degree in the main subject area. This highlights a need for renewed discussion of the main areas in which Uppsala University should offer master degrees.

Mobility between basic and advanced levels A fundamental idea underlying the educational structure is that students should be able to move to another higher education institution between the various educational levels. Uppsala University is the institution that admits the greatest number of students who have basic degrees from another institution in Sweden to programmes at the advanced level (HSV, Lena Eriksson 2009). There is a certain degree of uncertainty regarding what stance the University should take in terms of eligibility issues. Should a certain bachelor programme lead to one or a small number of master programmes or offer entry to many master programmes that provide the specialization? How can the progression of

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the various alternatives be guaranteed? A good example of a programme that has succeeded with this progression is the Master Programme in Sustainable Development. Areas for development: The University should discuss its stance on questions of eligibility, how it views broad and narrow prerequisite knowledge (the American vs. the European master tradition), and how to ensure progression in its programmes.

2.2.1 The Swedish Master Project 2009-2010 As a component of quality and developmental work for education at the advanced level, three institution, Uppsala University, Lund University, and Gothenburg University, have started a collaboration called The Swedish Master Project. The shared aim of the project is, among other things, to provide support for students who have completed their education and want to market themselves in the job market, to inform the job market about the new programmes, and to review the transitions between education at the basic, advanced, and research levels. The background to the project is that many new master programmes have been created in Sweden as a result of the new educational structure. According to the offerings indicated on the institutions’ home pages in the spring of 2007, there were a total of c. 680 master programmes planed for the 2007 autumn semester. A total of 460 master programmes started in the first year (HSV, Lena Eriksson, 2009). The number of programmes is now up to c. 750. Many observers feel that the country’s institutions should discuss and analyze their existing programmes and ponder whether there should be so many programmes, many of which look rather similar, albeit with different names. Just such an analysis is underway at the three universities in the project. The first master students completed their programmes in summer 2009. Many of them are going on directly to education at the research level, while others are seeking employment outside higher education. There are several important questions regarding these former students, for example, how they should make it known that their education differs from the previous four-year magister programmes.

2.3 Education at the research level At the ministerial meeting in Leuven it was pointed out that education at the research level is also part of the Bologna Process. The stocktaking report shows that member countries make use of the ECTS system more and more also at this level, but that issues involving general knowledge for employability remain to be solved in several countries. A clear definition of the status of research students, whether they are students or early stage researchers, is still lacking in the international community. Research-level education has thus far not been touched on to any great extent in the University’s local Bologna work. The research level differs from the basic and advanced levels in that the education is based more on the individual and is not as highly regulated. The faculties have been interested in a possible adaptation of the education to the Bologna Process (length and connections with the advanced level, forms of examination, transfer of credits, etc.). However, the proposal to have research-level education follow the Bologna structure also in Sweden and comprise three years has been rejected by the student unions’ committees for doctoral candidates, among others, who argue that this line of thinking is a threat to the value of a Swedish doctoral degree. It is felt that a shorter programme would entail less interesting academic findings and that a Swedish doctorate would be less valuable internationally, representing a significant drop in quality.

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A survey of doctoral candidate was undertaken in 2008. On several issues the results were good. Three quarters agreed to a great or rather great extent that they are satisfied with their research programme. An equally large proportion agreed that their supervision has been good in the last year. Those who had been assigned teaching felt that this experience was valuable. But there are also areas that need to be developed. Many would like to see clearer guidelines for supervision, as well as more course offerings and better information about available courses. Improvements can also be made in the psychosocial conditions, the forms of support and employment, and seminar activities. The results of the doctoral-candidate survey were presented in faculty reports and at seminars during 2009. The University’s faculties and departments are taking locally adapted measures on the basis of the survey.

2.3.1 National graduate schools The concept of the national graduate school can have different meanings, including a course of a few weeks during the summer break for upper-secondary school students who have completed their next- to-last or last year to see what it is like to pursue research (the National Graduate School at Södertörn University College, for instance); course packages that prepare students for education at the research level (the National Graduate School in Medical Sciences at Uppsala University, for example); or an organization for structuring education at the research level. It is this last meaning that the National Agency for Higher Education (HSV) uses. HSV has therefore laid down a number of characteristics of national graduate schools, with which we associate ourselves in principle, such as a national graduate school having to constitute a coherent research programme, having a clear organization, making a commitment to supervision, having a syllabus that is systematic, and involving an organized collaboration between several subjects and several universities and university colleges. However, we would like to point out that collaborations can also involve subjects/specializations for research-level education in what are traditionally regarded as subjects and can be between sections, departments, or faculties within one and the same institution. A graduate school can thus be international, national, regional, or institution-based. We also maintain that a graduate school must have a certain minimum volume, that is, comprise a significant number of students in order to function well.

The forms of research-level education are central to parliament and the government. The white paper En ny doktorsutbildning (A New Doctoral Education) (SOU 2004:27) provides descriptions and incentives for the 16 national graduate schools that the government instituted in 2001, based on proposals in the bill Forskning och förnyelse (Research and Renewal) (2000/2001:3). Each national graduate school consists of a host university and a number of partner institutions. These partner institutions may be universities or university colleges with or without the right to issue degrees at the research level. The reason these national graduate schools were established was that they would promote collaboration in education at the research level across subjects and institutions and further enhance this education. Uppsala University hosts two of the national graduate schools (Management and IT, and Mathematics and Computation) and is a partner in two others (Genomics and Bioinformatics, hosted by Stockholm University, and Language Technology, hosted by Gothenburg University). In 2008 the government launched an initiative in the field of teacher education, for practising teachers at the research level, the so-called Boost for Teachers (Lärarlyftet). This education is to be carried out in 10 national graduate schools, seven of which started in autumn 2008. Uppsala University is the host of the National Graduate School in Geography. This is being carried out in collaboration with the university colleges in Dalarna and Gävle.

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The responsibility for the national graduate schools was transferred to various research councils, and the special commitments have largely come to an end. It is thus left to institutions to take decisions about the establishment of national graduate schools, and Uppsala University is open to such initiatives, as the framework provided by a national graduate school has proven to be effective in improving both quality and throughput. This higher quality also means that the doctors that graduate are more competitive internationally. Therefore there are roughly ten national graduate schools instituted at Uppsala University.

Areas for development: The University should decide whether we should strive to create more national graduate schools and in what sense we should used the concept of national graduate school. The question of who decides about the establishment of national graduate schools and their organization, direction, and economy should be investigated. Criteria for national graduate schools should be laid down, as the forms for establishing them vary and are unclear. Such criteria should include that a national graduate school should be able to add greater value for research-level students than can be achieved within an individual programme, that it should follow the regulations and guidelines that are in place for research-level education at the national and local levels, that times for advertising and admission to the national graduate school with national or international advertising of programme places should be synchronized, that there should be a study plan for course activities and syllabi for the individual courses, and that the national graduate school should have a leadership function that is responsible for courses and other joint components (e.g. seminar, summer schools, field trips) being carried out according to plans and in a manner that observes the rights of the doctoral candidates.

2.3.2 Collaboration with companies and with other higher- education institutions The majority of the University’s doctoral candidates are financed by Uppsala University, in the form of doctoral studentships, study grants, or scholarships. Other forms of financing do exist, however, such as PhD-students being employed by another Swedish institution of higher education but receiving their education at Uppsala University, an arrangement that takes place in collaboration with Gävle University College, for instance. Industrial doctoral candidates (or company doctoral candidates) are employed and funded by companies. A similar form involves doctoral candidates who are employed as physicians with time allotted to pursue their education as part of their job. A less common form are so-called sandwich doctoral candidates, who receive part of their education at a higher-education institution in their home country and are financed there, but are admitted and take their degree at Uppsala University. Areas for development: The Office of Legal Affairs, in cooperation with the Planning Division and the disciplinary domain offices, should design templates for agreements to regulate collaboration between UU and the financier, such as a company or a foreign university. The Faculty of Science and Technology has a template for agreements with other Swedish institutions and with Swedish or foreign companies, while agreements for doctoral candidates employed at foreign higher-learning institutions are still formulated individually.

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3 Some key issues in the Bologna Process

3.1 The connection between course objectives, instruction, and examination Within the framework of the Bologna Process there is a discussion about learning outcomes, that is, a description of what students are expected to know, understand, and be able to do upon completion of a course/programme. In Swedish various terms like lärandemål (learning goals) or förväntade studieresultat (expected study results) are still used. Learning goals in the form of expected study results can be used for comparisons and quality monitoring both within a single higher-education institution at both the course and programme levels as well as nationally and internationally (UFV 2005/2130). The Division for Development of Teaching and Learning (T&L) is responsible for working with the Bologna Process from the point of view of teaching. The consequences for instruction are in line with current research on tertiary-level education and involve the transition from a teacher-centred to a more learning/student-centred perspective in teaching. This entails that the work process in course planning must be first to consider what it is that students should know (goals), then to settle on how this can be examined in a suitable manner, and thereafter to determine what modes of working and what literature supports the goals and helps the students pass the examination. Grading criteria and the expected study results must be communicated to students clearly, both in writing and orally before the course/programme starts and should preferably also be discussed as the course/programme progresses.

3.1.1 Syllabi and study programmes Syllabus work is an important part of the University’s regular quality development work, and the Programme for Teaching emphasizes the importance of constructive linking, that is, connections between course goals, instruction, and examination. Syllabi and study programmes have been rewritten in accordance with the new guidelines. Discussions with senior educational administrators indicate that many teachers are satisfied with the new syllabi and that they use the syllabi more actively in their teaching and examination. In many cases, however, the focus has been on purely subject-specific knowledge than generic skills. Both T&L and students have pointed out that much remains to be done before learning goals infuse all syllabi and are clearly linked to examinations. In particular, T&L points out that the issue of grading criteria is difficult, that there is still a hidden relativity in grading. T&L has arranged recurrent voluntary teacher-training days targeting syllabus and examination issues but perceives a need to make such courses compulsory, as they are at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, which has an obligatory two-day course in syllabus writing for all teachers. Moreover, several departments have chosen to work with the question of constructive linking within the framework of implementing the Programme for Teaching.

The following question should be elucidated within the framework of every programme: Do the learning goals for our programmes correspond to the Higher Education Act and the Degree Ordinance?

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3.1.2 Progression An essential issue in the educational structure is how to establish progression in education, that is, what distinguishes the advanced level from the basic level, which is emphasized in the Programme for Teaching. The University has well-developed criteria for what is meant by progression. In 2006, as a result of work in Bologna Group 2, issued guidelines on “Goals Expressed As Expected Study Results” (UFV 2005/2130). It is stated there that progression in education can apply within a subject or subject area or within an educational/professional programme. Progression means adding depth and/or breadth in the subject or subject area and adding depth in terms of a scientific approach or, respectively, successively better competence in relation to a professional field, in parallel with greater depth regarding a scientific approach and traditional subject knowledge. Concerning knowledge goals, progression in studies is characterized by greater depth/breadth/complexity in the subject, subject area, or professional field and more emphasis on analysis and synthesis in courses at higher levels. When it comes to proficiency goals and competence goals, progression can be characterized by increased independence, greater responsibility for one’s own learning, more responsibility in relation to the subject, subject area, or professional field or an enhanced ability to communicate knowledge in the subject, subject area, or professional field. The guidelines also state that there is a further aspect of progression, namely the cumulative structure of various subjects or subject areas. This means that the chronological order and prerequisite knowledge constitute criteria for progression. The guidelines put forward still apply in the design of syllabi and study programmes. As a consequence of this, the following question should be elucidated within the framework of every programme: Is there a discernible progression between the learning goals at the beginning and at the end of our programmes?

3.1.3 Forms of examination and criteria for grading The importance of establishing course goals and examinations that relate to each other, as well as the importance of clear grading criteria, is highlighted in the Programme for Teaching, and developmental work in accordance with this is underway at the University. The examination tasks that students must successfully complete in the course of their education must be tied to course objectives in order to make the learning process more transparent and meaningful to students and to provide feedback to students and teachers. Students have stated that examinations today do not cover learning goals or generic competencies. Furthermore, it can be problem that examinations cover courses and not entire programmes. The following questions should be elucidated within the framework of each programme: Are examinations properly purposed in their form and content in relation to learning goals? Can all learning goals be examined? Are students aware of the criteria for grading?

3.1.4 The grading issue Several different grading systems have been used within the University, both across and within faculties, for example in cases where professional programmes wished to harmonize their grading system with the corresponding programmes in Sweden. In accordance with the recommendations of Bologna Group 2, a work group was appointed in 2006 to develop comprehensive discussion materials dealing with the function of grading, ties to learning and examination, issues of measuring technology and comparability, pros and cons of graduated scales, etc. In January 2007 the Vice Chancellor declared that the objective of the grading system at UU should be a four-point grading scale with national coordination that does not hamper the mobility of students. A goal-related

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uniform system was described with a four-point scale, the grades med beröm godkänd (AB or 5), icke utan beröm godkänd (Ba or 4), godkänd (B or 3, and underkänd (U) and with a translation between this four-point scale and the ECTS scale1 2 as follows: AB or 5 corresponds to the ECTS grade of A (the best) or B; Ba or 4 corresponds to the ECTS grade of C; B or 3 corresponds to the ECTS grade of D or E (the weakest). At the same time the Vice Chancellor’s decision stated that grading scales already in use should continue to apply in anticipation of a change towards national coordination. Several departments and programmes have chosen to give only Pass/Fail (G/U) for certain courses and on degree projects. Lena Adamsson at HSV/SU has investigated the matter of grading and mobility and states that a more differentiated grading scale heightens the competitiveness of Swedish students abroad. For teachers, however, the more possible grades there are, the more difficult it is to assign grades, which in turn may lead to examinations that are easy to grade, unless examination and assessment criteria are developed on the basis of the knowledge and research available in the field. Areas for development: National coordination of grading scales has been achieved only to a limited extent. The four-point scale has not been embraced at UU. Bearing this in mind, along with the new version of ECTS Users’ Guide and the Association of Swedish Higher Education’s (SUHF’s) new recommendations, there is reason to renew the discussion of grading scales at UU with the aim of revising the Vice Chancellor’s decision from January 2007.

3.1.5 Educational development Educational development can to some extent be brought about by decree, but normally there is a need for both educational leadership and support for development to take place. The University is actively working with the implementation of the Programme for Teaching decided by the Vice Chancellor, which incorporates the key educational issues emanating from the Bologna Process, as shown above (see Regulating documents). The Programme for Teaching takes into consideration the

1 ECTS, European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System, is the European system for transferring study credit between countries. Among other things, it comprises guidelines for accounting student achievement in the form of points, but also for joint European ECTS grades, previously, according to the directive, a relative 7-point scale (A-F and two failing levels Fx and F). Few Swedish institutions introduced this scale, choosing to provide a translation key and to have the grades be goal-related. UU was among these institutions. In accordance with the Vice Chancellor’s decision in April 2000 (Log No. UFV 2000/621), as of autumn 2000, grades for courses may be reported both under the Swedish grading scale and under the ECTS grading scale, in the form of supplementary information in the study documentation system.

2 A new version of the ECTS Users’ Guide was adopted on 6 February 2009. This eliminated the joint ECTS grading scale of five passing grades, A-E, and two failing grades Fx-F. In its place an ECTS Grading Table was established, meaning that each institution should continue to assign grades in accordance with its local grading scale but should supplement its Transcript of Records and Diploma Supplement with tables of the distribution of grades across each of the passing grades on the scale. The table can then be compared with the distribution of grades for corresponding courses at another institution (Swedish or foreign), thus offering comparability without having to take a detour via another grading scale. The Association of Swedish Higher Education (SUHF) recommends its members to make use of the ECTS Users’ Guide and ECTS Grading Table starting on 1 January 2011by giving all students, on the one hand, the Swedish grades, and, on the other, for international comparison, providing them with the distribution of each of the passing grades on the scale for every completed course in their Transcript of Records.

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need for both a common pan-University view of quality in education and adaptations to the varying conditions and needs that exist within the University. Q&E and T&L provide support for work with evaluation and development of education, but the main quality work is done at the domain, faculty, and departmental levels. As a good example of work being done at the faculty level, mention can be made of the TUR Group, the council for university teaching at the Faculty of Science and Technology, whose field of responsibility is a mapping and evaluation of teachers’ training in tertiary-level education and their views on teaching and learning, as well as to support a holistic view, progression, and the achievement of degree goals. The TUR Group collaborates with the Uppsala Union of Science and Engineering Students and is charged with facilitating efforts for educational development at the Faculty. The group is to be in charge of the Faculty’s subject- and engineering-specific didactic training of university teachers, workshops in formulating assessment criteria for teachers who direct courses, coordination of ongoing projects supported by the Fund for Innovation in Teaching, the network of educational leaders at the Faculty, and the creation of a model for a career ladder in teaching. TUR is also tasked with providing support for educational leaders and teachers and for study programmes and departments in the mapping work that the pan-University programme urges, and to contribute to those aspects the mapping finds. Developmental support can be in the form of supervision, seminars, workshops, or conferences.

3.2 The research connection Uppsala University offers research-based education. One of the University’s objectives is to develop education in terms of content, structure, and examination so that it is based on current research. The Office of Quality and Evaluation presented material in May 2006 as a basis for a discussion about the content and application of the concept of the research connection, in which the following three categories were defined: (1) the environment surrounding the instruction, including teachers who pursue research and the existence of a relevant research subject area, (2) course content, that is, instruction should be in keeping with current research findings, and (3) attitudes the students should be introduced to, including a readiness to accept new knowledge and the capacity to formulate, recognize, and resolve problems. The form of instruction is central to creating a research perspective. Seminars (academic dialogues) and laboratory work are highlighted as suitable forms of instruction, where students learn to delimit a relevant problem, explore available knowledge, take a preliminary stance in the matter, formulate that stance so that it can be criticized, and change the stance in those parts that do not stand up to criticism. It is important for students to meet teachers who do research. The Programme for Teaching states that teachers have a responsibility to stay abreast of research developments and continuously update their subject knowledge. The foundations of science include a discussion of views on the subject and how it changes, as well as how knowledge in the subject evolves. Teachers must therefore be given the opportunity to pursue research, as one of several ways to ensure that education has a research perspective.

3.3 Liberal education Uppsala University is a broad institution and thus is well poised to create, implement, and develop programmes that benefit from the broad and rich competence and the liberal-education environment

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that exist. The University’s programmes are characterized not only by the specialized subject knowledge and professional competence they provide, but also by the liberal education they offer, in the sense of general competencies that contribute to a transformation of the entire human being. The University generates new knowledge and sustains the tested knowledge that already exists. Programme offerings are thus underpinned by multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary forms of collaboration within the University with the purpose of providing the general competence that is called liberal education. The aim is to set up opportunities to teach students and employees to work together and create understanding across the boundaries of specialized disciplines. The University’s breadth makes it possible for a certain portion of a programme to be pursued in another field or at another faculty and special courses to be commissioned. By offering students general competencies, the University contributes to the liberal education of individuals, to their integrity, and openness, which is fundamental to the maintenance of an open and democratic society. The University has a rich liberal-education environment, including libraries and a cultural milieu consisting of art collections, museums, and music-making. On top of this, there is a wealth of activities at student social clubs, student unions, and student associations. The meaning of the notion of liberal education, or general competencies, varies. Uppsala University has no official definition of the concept. We are closely monitoring discussions about the concept of liberal education and its role at Swedish universities and university colleges. A number of initiatives have been launched to promote the status of liberal education, and special liberal-education courses have been introduced at several higher-education institutions. The interest of the higher education community is also noticeable in the special commitment the National Agency for Higher Education has made, with a number of publications and a dedicated Web site for the issue (www.hsv.se/bildning). The most comprehensive review of what is meant by general competencies, and what competencies employers are looking for, has been made in the so-called Tuning Project, see 2.2. Uppsala University is represented in this project by the Department of History. Among the most sought-after general competencies are the ability to analyze and synthesize, time planning, oral and written communication, foreign language skills, computer knowledge, and the capacity to collaborate. Uppsala University is very well equipped to provide these skills. Discussions with senior educational administrators and Division for Development of Teaching and Learning indicate that such general competencies can be integrated in professional programmes, using programme matrices and commissioned courses from departments. Such matrices are in place for the programmes in medicine, law, and engineering, for example. In general programmes, general competencies are often covered in degree projects. Areas for development: At all levels the University’s liberal-education environment should be scrutinized, supported, and developed, and students should be made aware of the liberal education, broad competence, and opportunities for personal development that such a setting offers. It should be pointed out that it is not only students who can be expected to benefit from continued work with liberal-education issues. It should open up opportunities for teachers to collaborate across both departmental and faculty boundaries. Concrete cooperation on a shared idea (e.g. a liberal-education course) is a highly effective way to promote such contacts. The University should establish a definition of what we mean by the concept of liberal education. One of the fundamental issues in the liberal-education discussion is what the concept denotes and what consequences this might have on how this work is pursued. There are many good examples of work within the University to spotlight general competencies. One good example of excellent results is found in work with course evaluations at the Department of Business Studies, which as a result of Bologna efforts has developed its own model for educational

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follow-up, not least in regard to general competencies. A quality council has been appointed where department leaders discuss the results of course evaluations, which then serve as a basis for professional development for teachers, seminars on teaching, etc. As a consequence a total overhaul of programmes is underway in order to enable greater student activity, more hours of instruction, and a better work situation for teachers. Much work has been done to make efficient use of the teaching staff (“smart instruction”), and to make use of the time outside the classroom. The Physiotherapy Programme is actively working to capture and assess general competencies (“take charge of your own learning”). The Medicine Programme’s internship semester and on-site components provide set documents for supervisors to fill out. Leadership courses are also provided at the advanced level. In programmes for teaching and caring professions, there is on-site training and specific components that target general competencies. The DiaNa Project at the Faculty of Science and Technology is an exemplary model for communication training at other faculties.

3.3.1.1 The Liberal Education Project On 1 July 2008 ordered an assessment of liberal-education activities at Uppsala University (UFV 2008/1311). Brian Palmer had been employed by the Department of Theology for a three-year period to develop and coordinate so-called liberal-education courses at Uppsala University. Dag Blanck was commissioned to evaluate the project. The Liberal Education Project at Uppsala University has focused on the possibility of broadening studies at the basic level. At an early stage, however, it became clear that it would not be possible to introduce liberal-education courses as an obligatory component in all study programmes at Uppsala University; instead, there should be a group of elective courses, open to all students, that could serve as a complement to their regular studies. An objective for these emerging liberal-education courses is to help students develop as empathetic individuals who understand the problems of others. The depth and breadth that Uppsala University possesses make it especially well suited to provide courses of this kind. Areas for development: The new liberal-education courses initiated by the Liberal Education Project stand out as its foremost contribution. They have been both innovative and highly appreciated by students. Contacts with other liberal-education initiatives have been weaker. Furthermore, much work remains to be done regarding both the restructuring and deployment of an array of already existing liberal-education courses within the University. It is also evident that any future work needs to be both coordinated and rooted better throughout the University. The issue of the concept of liberal education should be discussed more, and the results of this discussion will be important in determining the direction of continued efforts. A further dimension has to do with the importance of the written word. The point of departure is to place written proficiency at the centre of all courses throughout all levels of education. Much emphasis is placed on developing the ability to write texts of various kinds and at different levels. Improvements in written proficiency can also be seen as leading to a greater capacity to think critically. Uppsala University would do well to emphasize this aspect and make it a key part of our liberal-education profile.

3.3.1.2 Other liberal-education efforts There are more examples of cross-disciplinary activities at the University. The so-called core curriculum programme, where students from various academic backgrounds read and discussed fictional works in an interdisciplinary perspective for a number of semesters, attracted a great deal of attention. Among other things, discussions revolved around the relationship between the humanities

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and natural science and the societal responsibility of science. This approach, focusing on interdisciplinary contacts and a few overarching and sometimes perennially discussed issues, is another part of liberal-education thinking. A further example is found in the various courses that have been created surrounding Cemus (Centrum för miljö- och utvecklingsstudier) (Centre for Environment and Development Studies) at Uppsala Centre for Sustainable Development. Here there is a pronounced interdisciplinary perspective, and issues involving sustainable development, climate and the economy, global environmental history, and ethical and moral aspects of environmental and development matters are treated. These courses also clearly fall within the realm of liberal education. There have been certain attempts to identify what courses should be included in the University’s liberal-education offerings. There is a compilation of nearly 100 such courses, divided into four categories: 1. Reflect on moral responsibility. Examples: environment and development, feminism; 2. Prepare for civic participation and leadership. Examples: learning about science and technology as a non-specialist, rhetoric for science students; 3. Develop cultural and historical breadth. Example: fundamental aesthetic questions. 4. Learn about science and technology for amateurs. Example: everyday physics. The selection of courses, or the form in which they could be presented in a liberal- education perspective, has not yet been discussed or established within University management or the faculty boards.

3.4 Utility, employability Employability is a core objective in the Bologna Process. Employability has been much discussed ahead of, during, and after the implementation of the new educational and degree structure. The National Agency for Higher Education has begun to use the concept of utility (användbarhet in Swedish) in this context in its recent publications, which Uppsala University welcomes. The University wants to stress that the most important part of making education useful is for students to gain knowledge of high quality and high relevance, but that this is also a matter of students’ personal development. The new educational and degree structure comprises new degrees where the utility of the programmes is an important aspect. This is of course especially evident in professional programmes and less pronounced in general programmes. The awareness that general competencies are needed, and what students need in order to find suitable work (which does not necessarily mean becoming an employee) after graduation has grown as a result of the Bologna Process and the introduction of the new Swedish educational and degree structure. The goal is to plan and implement programmes in such a way that the students’ knowledge, skills, and competence will be relevant to the job market. An extremely important source of knowledge about the usefulness of programmes is maintaining active contact with the University’s alumni. The University is working with employability by, for instance, consciously including practicum components, liberal education, and workplace connections, but also by involving alumni in teaching and instruction, as guest lecturers and as members of programme councils and other bodies where the programme is discussed and determined. Other features that tie in with life in the workplace are mentoring projects and communication training. The utility of programmes is also promoted by their learning goals being formulated, as the Degree Ordinance prescribes, in such a way that students’ knowledge, skills, and competence are clearly stated. Special guidelines for how learning goals are to be formulated were developed ahead of the revision of syllabi under the new Degree Ordinance. These guidelines stress that this ambition targets both programmes and single-subject courses.

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The University’s 2006 follow-up of how things turned out for more than 4,000 of its graduates showed that 65 per cent of them found work before or within one month of graduation. According to the National Agency for Higher Education (HSV Rapport 2009:28R) 79.4% of 2007 UU graduates had established themselves in the job market a year and a half after graduation. This places UU 12th out of 35 institutions of higher education in Sweden. In a comparison with the large, broad universities, UU came in second place (after Linköping University). It is primarily single-faculty or smaller, more regionally oriented and profiled institutions that attain high levels of workplace establishment. The University is actively working with usefulness. Study and careers counselling is available at both central and departmental levels. At the University level there is also a centre for students and the workplace (Students and the Job Market) that assists students in the transition between studies and working life. However, students’ awareness of this facility is patchy. Representatives of study and careers counselling services nevertheless maintain that counselling services should be augmented at the departmental level. The student unions, student and programme associations, and invited professional associations also arrange their own activities focusing on connections with jobs and utility. Among other things, the student unions arrange annual job fairs where students can meet companies, public authorities, and organizations. When it comes to the content and implementation of programmes, it is common for students to look for practicums, field trips, and oral presentation, all of which are found in many programmes. Guest teachers and adjunct teachers are more common in technology and science than in social sciences and the arts. Generally speaking, few teachers have any experience for work outside the academy, as they are primarily researchers. This contact with the frontlines of research constitutes the foundation for an education that targets the global job market of the future. As the University wishes to emphasize the role of the teacher in the connection with working life, in 2009 the free Distinguished Teaching Award was earmarked to honour a teacher who had made major accomplishments in this area. The Uppsala Student Union is also active in this connection. For example, the union wants all students to have the opportunity to pursue a trainee period for credit, and feels that students need to receive training in what working life is like. Students also want to see models for feedback to students regarding their general competencies. Areas for development: In anticipation of a new model for evaluations, the University should review whether syllabi and study programmes contain learning goals that can be seen as especially crucial for the utility of the programme and how they are examined. The University’s preparations should also include an elucidation of how collaboration with the job market takes place. Good examples The self-evaluation the University undertook ahead of being reviewed by the Agency for Higher Education showed that in varying degrees the faculties have policy documents that translate central documents to local conditions. The Faculty of Science and Technology and the Faculty of Social Sciences, for example, have specific guidelines for tying their programmes to working life. According to the action plan from the Board for Engineering Programmes, systematic work has been underway since 2006 to introduce workplace connections in all its programmes, by having representatives of the business community on programme councils, for instance. This work is seen as being part of quality assurance. The foundation for preparing students for professional life is a well- developed study programme that includes courses with relevant content. The Board also defines the working-life perspective as “more actively relating programmes to the future professional role” and states that activities taking place at the programme and course levels are the most important

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components of this work. The purpose of the action plan from the Board for Engineering Programmes is to provide support at the overarching level for the programmes’ work, to draw attention to the programmes, and to facilitate the transition into professional life. The document is divided into the continuous work that is done and the special measures taken during each academic year. Such special measures include offering all students entrepreneurship courses, engineering methods courses, business internships, and business studies courses, as well as developing activities for alumni and defining impact goals for work with workplace connections, including methods for evaluation. For each of the six measure an individual is put in charge and a deadline is set for task completion. The document also has an appendix with examples of “active workplace connections.” Among these examples are guest lecturers, case studies in teaching, field trips, internships, skills training, and training for the teaching staff. A booklet, Karriär – finns det ett liv efter examen? (Career – Is There Life After Graduation?), has been produced to equip students in their encounter with professional life. The Faculty of Social Sciences has also developed an action plan for providing its programmes with workplace perspectives. It contains examples of how workplace connections can be achieved through internships, skills training, and courses in entrepreneurship and project management. There is a description of how this work can be carried out. For each component it is indicated who is in charge. This may be the programme director, the director of studies, the head of department, or the faculty board. The Faculty of Languages has a policy for collaborating with the surrounding community. The goals laid down are broad, but in one of the strategies for achieving these goals it is stated in concrete terms that departments at the Faculty must “stimulate students within the framework of their studies to find business concepts and suitable workplaces.” In the future the job market may demand unexpected combinations. Even today it is competitive to have knowledge of how to go about organizing, managing, and structuring activities. Thanks to its breadth and diversity, UU can integrate sets of components that provide a broad perspective for a future job market when new programmes are developed. This is true of language programmes, for example, where the University has Sweden’s broadest offerings, which entails excellent potential for combinations with other subjects. The importance of language skills for an individual’s prospects in the job market is increasing in our globalized world. The Language Programme is a three-year bachelor programme. According to the programme statement for the Language Programme, the goal is to provide students with broad language competence for careers in public and private sectors. The programme should moreover not only provide a thorough theoretical foundation and practical skills in at least one language, but also pave the way for contacts with the surrounding world and prepare students for working life. The employability requirement has always been central to the Language Programme. According to programme representatives, this is, on the one hand, a matter of continuously, and early on, highlighting the job market for language students by shaping a strong sense of identity and, on the other hand, providing students with the opportunity to identify their professional profile and make contact with potential career fields. Those applying for the programme indicate that their choice was motivated to a great extent by its connection to working life. The majority of faculties are working to enhance the quality of their programmes through regional or national collaboration. Weaknesses in the on-site component of the Pharmacy Programme, for instance, prompted a joint effort together with Gothenburg University, in the form of a joint Web- based platform that serves as a forum for students, supervisors at pharmacies, and teachers at the universities. In teacher training, workplace connections are strengthened by enlisting the help of senior teachers with doctorates who are employed by the municipality of Uppsala. On the one hand, they are to supervise on-site training in the schools to a greater extent and, on the other hand, also be

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involved in university teaching at the subject level, as guest lecturers, for instance, who focus on subject-specific didactic issues and subject issues of special relevance to the profession. The University, especially through its subject departments that are involved in teacher training, has a network of headmasters and senior teachers with doctorates employed by the municipality of Uppsala to develop this collaboration. The University has at least fifty alumn associations and other types of networks. These associations arrange alumn days, reunions, mentoring programmes, field visits, and much more. Many of these associations are run by students and serve as a link between those who are still studying and those in the middle of their professional careers. Mention can be made of the Academy of Mentors at the Pharmacy Student Union, the association Dynamicus for students in the field of human resources, the Association of Uppsala Economists, and the Association of Medicine.

3.4.1 Information for stakeholders? “Enhanced employability” means, among other things, describing at a much earlier stage than previously what students who have completed a programme are able to do (subject-related knowledge and general/generic competencies). Employers have only sketchy knowledge about what is meant by the new educational and degree structure and the work done at higher-education institutions in the Bologna Process. Here more, and more targeted, information can be one answer. Another is to let the impact gradually be felt when the new bachelors enter the job market. In terms of general societal information about the new degree system and its structure, the National Agency for Higher Education has a key role to play in accordance with its mission from the government, whereas UU of course has an interest in disseminating, and is better positioned to provide, more narrowly targeted information about its degrees.

3.4.2 The National Audit’s assessment of Uppsala University’s work with employability During 2008 the National Audit undertook a case study of UU regarding the University’s work to promote the employability of its students. According to the National Audit, UU carried out a number of initiatives to promote the employability of its students. There are several good examples of how individual departments and study programmes are working with features such as internships, on-site education, work-integrated learning, guest teachers and adjunct teachers, mentoring projects, training in generic skills, and representatives of working life on programme councils or the equivalent. Positive examples that are mentioned at the pan-University level are the centre for working life known as Students and the Job Market, the student unions’ annual job market fairs, alumni activities, the particular Distinguished Teaching Award that was earmarked for work with workplace connections for 2009, and the systematically performed surveys of graduates. However, the National Audit pointed out that the dissemination of good examples across the various parts of the University is limited and that resources that are available are insufficiently known amongst students. Furthermore, few teachers have any experience from work outside the academy, and such work does not seem to be viewed as having much value as a qualification. In the National Audit’s judgement, Uppsala University has clearly stated overarching goals and strategies for its students’ employability, along with a division of tasks and responsibilities that is well suited to the purpose. University management has consciously and actively taken measures to anchor the overarching goals and strategies within the institution. The University’s goals and strategies constitute a clear point of departure for quality work and operational planning, and for

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2009 student employability and the workplace connections of programmes are elevated to an area of priority. The National Audit notes, however, that only two of the University’s nine faculties – social sciences and science & technology – have developed a policy of their own regarding student employability. They observe further that the goals for employability are monitored in the form of the University’s alumn follow-ups, but there is no systematic review of what is being done to promote student employability within each respective programme. In its annual report for 2008 Uppsala University presents an account of how it views and works with student employability at the pan-University level, but annual reports from the various faculties contain little information about this.

3.4.3 The degree project As mentioned, weaknesses have been identified as concerns examining general skills. In general programmes, which make up the majority of the University’s programmes, generic knowledge is primarily covered in the degree project. This has raised the question of whether the degree project should always be “the finishing touch,” as is often the case in professional programmes. Regardless of which model is adopted, the quality of the project must be ensured. The teaching staff will probably need training in such matters. The Division for Development of Teaching and Learning has the competence to arrange such training, but this competence can only be deployed on assignment from University management.

An important issue that should be discussed is the scope of the degree project. At present there are divergent views about this, partly depending on the chronological placement of the degree project. There are examples of degree projects comprising 15+15 , 30, and 45 higher education credits. A further question has to do with the grading of degree projects. According to the Programme for Teaching there must be written criteria for grading, and of course this must also apply to degree projects. The following questions should be continuously posed within the framework of each programme: Do degree projects that are passed clearly meet the standards required for a passing grade? How can we ensure a process that leads to projects of high quality (e.g. through training of supervisors and written guidelines for carrying out independent work)? What forms are there for quality assurance of the grading of degree projects (e.g. grading criteria, peer-criticism procedure, co-grading)? A good example of this is found at the Faculty of Arts, where departments have developed a consensus view regarding degree projects, which means, for instance, that degree projects are co-graded within the Faculty.

3.5 Joint programmes and degrees There are several reasons why the University strives to develop joint programmes at various educational levels. The most important of these is the need for enhanced competence beyond what the University can offer. Declining demand for the University’s programmes, and thereby a growing need for recruitment efforts, is another. The expanded views of various issues that are entailed by international, and thus cultural, contacts are less concrete, but nonetheless important reasons for developing collaboration with other countries and higher-education institutions. Both the Higher Education Act and the Higher Education Ordinance have been amended to allow Swedish universities and university colleges to issue joint degrees with other institutions of higher education (Swedish and foreign) and to permit Swedish universities and university colleges relinquish administrative responsibilities to others in regard to admissions and credit transfers. By

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joint programmes is meant programmes that are developed and given/arranged jointly. A written agreement must be in place that clarifies respective responsibilities, admissions, credit transfers, level placement, quality assurance, etc. The new Act is in force as of 1 January 2010 to be applied to programmes starting after the end of June 2010. The joint European master programmes Ecocatch and Evolutionary Biology in science, the Sino-Swedish Master in computer science, and Euroculture and NOHA in the humanities will thereby be empowered to issue a joint degree. There is a growing interest in joint programmes, including joint supervision, in education at the research level. There are a small but growing number of such collaborations, such as in cultural anthropology with Leuven, in chemistry with Toulouse III and with Pau and de Pays de l’Adour, in physics with Pierre and Marie Curie, and in information technology with Porto. Several new collaborations in research-level education are now being discussed. A number of problems with such collaborations have been identified, such as differences in programme length, requirements regarding course content, forms of examination, etc. Areas for development: In accordance with the programme adopted by the University Board regarding internationalization, the development of joint courses and programmes shall be encouraged. A “Handbook for Working with Joint Programmes” at Uppsala University was produced in 2004. This handbook should be updated. A template for agreements regulating collaborations should be developed by the Office of Legal Affairs in collaboration with faculty offices and the Office of Student Affairs. Issues to be addressed include programme length, financing, distribution of supervision between the contracting institutions, length of time at each institution, insurance, examination forms, and the composition of dissertation review panels, etc.

3.6 Mobility The University is pursuing active internationalization work with the aim of enhancing the quality of education and research and an understanding of other countries and of international conditions. The exchange of students, doctoral candidates, teachers, and researchers is an important aspect of these efforts. Via joint research-level programmes, joint graduate schools, and other agreements, many doctoral candidates spend part of their study time at another institution. They can also participate in exchange programmes like Erasmus and Erasmus Mundus. Most of the administration, and the major problems, involve the mobility of students at the basic and advanced levels, which is why the following primarily deals with them. As has been indicated, within the EU there is a goal of 20% mobility for the coming ten-year period. The reason for setting the sights so high is that studying abroad enhances employability, contributes to liberal education, increases respect for diversity, provides the capacity to deal with cultural differences, and encourages collaboration among higher-education institutions, but it also heightens competition among institutions. The opportunity for mobility must be provided on all three levels of education. The goal is to be achieved by increasing the number of joint programmes and joint degrees, creating flexible study curricula with so-called mobility windows, a built-in period of studies abroad in study programmes, and by informing students more about opportunities for studying abroad and how credit can be transferred. Transferring credit is especially important to students and is often brought up in connection with information meetings and conferences arranged by the EU Commission; when there is a so-called learning agreement already in place, study abroad must be fully transferable. The National Agency for Higher Education (Analys 2009/1) has reported that in the first year with the new educational and degree structure, Swedish institutions have attracted a great number of foreign students to programmes at the advanced level. In the 2007/08 academic year incoming

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students constituted 61 % of those starting two-year master programmes and 54 % of those starting one-year master programmes. This can be compared with the fact that only 3 % of those starting bachelor programmes were incoming students. Of course, these differences are related to the extent to which programmes are given in English. Tuition-free education is also an important explanation for the great interest in one- and two-year master programmes in Sweden. The government intends to work to achieve greater mobility among Swedish students. At the Council Meeting on Education in November 2008 it was decided that mobility would gradually become the rule rather than the exception. All students in higher education should have the opportunity to pursue some portion of their studies abroad. Mobility is primarily physical mobility, but virtual mobility can help stimulate physical mobility. So-called IaH, Internationalization at Home is another way to promote internationalization and enhance students’ international competence. In the University’s Programme for Internationalization Work it is stated that international exchange of students, doctoral candidates, and teachers must increase and that it must be possible in every study programme to locate some portion of the studies outside Sweden. The University’s administrative staff must also be provided with opportunities for greater international exchange. The goal is to increase international contacts. It is vital to expand opportunities for international contacts to areas where they are not so prevalent today and also to have international components increase as studies progress.

Teacher mobility Both international and national reports make it clear that teacher mobility is essential for student mobility. The Swedish government has decided to make commitments to teacher exchanges in order to inspire students to study abroad. Teachers who have been abroad on exchange programmes are key individuals. These exchanges are often brief, but important contacts are forged. It can be a matter of both serving as a role model and being able to help students who want to transfer credit for studies abroad, as they are familiar with the environments in other countries. National teacher mobility has been declining for a number of years. Lack of money is the primary reason that Sweden does not have more teachers going abroad, according to a report from the National Agency for Higher Education (Universitetsläraren 6/09). The government is therefore making funding available to defray the costs for teachers going abroad, but these resources can also be used to pay substitutes for the teacher who is away. A further explanation for the drop in teacher mobility might be the introduction of internally promoted career professors. This makes it possible to achieve a career promotion within one’s own higher-education institution. Forms are thus needed to stimulate teachers to seek experience by going abroad. Areas for development: As mobility has declined in general, both nationally and internationally, the issue should be reviewed and measures should be taken to reverse the trend. It is especially urgent to find forms for greater teacher mobility. One way to do so would be to improve/simplify short-term visits to other institutions both within Sweden and abroad. This can be linked to existing research contacts where the collaboration can be further developed to include teaching exchanges.

Student mobility Follow-ups undertaken by the International Office show that the number of Swedish students going abroad has dropped. One reason for this is the way in which higher-education studies are financed in Sweden. Students feel that study financing is an aggravating factor when it comes to studying abroad. At present students can receive study loans and partial financing for a maximum of 12 semesters of higher education. The grant portion for studies abroad is the same as for studies in Sweden. On the other hand, the student loan portion varies depending on the country the student will

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be studying in. Students can also borrow extra money for travel, insurance, and tuition fees. However, the achievement requirements are the same as for studies in Sweden, which makes students reluctant to go abroad to study and risk prolonging their studies. The proposal for new rules for financing studies, where the general right to borrow money and receive grants for six years would be shorten to four years, with special conditions applying for getting an extension of two years, would further reduce the willingness to undertake studies abroad. The Bologna System, “3+2,” hampers mobility: students feel that it was easier to go abroad during four-year programmes. Those students who do travel to other countries also spend less time abroad, owing to difficulties in planning more than one semester of foreign study in a three-year bachelor programmes or a two-year master programme. Semesters in Europe vary in length and are moreover scheduled for different parts of the year, which impedes international exchanges. From the point of view of mobility, the Swedish modular system, with short courses without other parallel studies, to some extent facilitates student exchange. Many exchange universities do not accept students at the advanced level as their agreements primarily apply to basic-level education, and admission to higher levels is highly restrictive. Trans- Atlantic universities give priority to two-semester exchanges, and normally there is no scope for this within a master programme. The Office of Quality and Evaluation has performed a follow-up survey of Uppsala students’ experiences from studying abroad under the Erasmus Programme, that is, studies in Europe (STARS, 2007). It is shown there that students who took part in exchange programmes via the Erasmus Programme had good or excellent experiences. The difficulties these students encountered primarily had to do with administrative red tape and lack of knowledge about how courses were structured. Poor language skills (in non-English-speaking countries) were also a problem, as was adapting to different modes of instruction. Areas for development: Developments regarding mobility need to continue to be monitored, regarding mobility both between institutions within the country and between different countries. This applies both to mobility under exchange agreements and to students who choose to take courses or entire programmes in another country on their own, so-called free movers. There are study programmes and subject areas that are in particular need of enhanced mobility. We should work to find forms and measures to promote student and teacher mobility in these areas and at the University in general. The development of international courses and programmes should be followed up and evaluated from the point of view of mobility, among other perspectives. The University’s work with internationalization at home should be highlighted. To promote mobility in education at the research level, the research database that has been created should be updated and further elaborated. A project database should be created, and the University’s international collaborations and exchanges should be elucidated. It should be investigated how best to support departments wishing to develop their international commitments in education. Proposals have been made to create programmes with open windows (rather than mobility windows), where students themselves combine elective courses within given frameworks. Students already know from the outset that a certain semester is an open window, and take the responsibility themselves for its content. This can involve courses at home and/or studies abroad. This is predicated upon a generous recognition of credits in which the concepts of liberal education and breadth are factored in. A task force should be appointed to determine whether programmes with open-window features would promote mobility.

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3.6.1 Collaborations and agreements Both student and teacher mobility functions best within stable collaborations, confirmed by long- term agreements. Joint study programmes are the surest guarantee that credit earned abroad will be recognized. These collaborations probably benefit from direct contacts between programmes and/or specific subjects at the different higher-education institutions. One problem is that programmes/courses are continuously changing, so it is imperative to have a well-developed network of contacts so that students can quickly and simply get information about transferability. Through the Bologna Process mobility has in many cases been simplified at the advanced level. It is therefore important for those in charge of programmes and degrees to bear this in mind and take advantage of the opportunities that have emerged for our students. A well-functioning example of long-term international exchange involving research-level education and teachers is ULLA, which is found at the Faculty of Pharmacy. The University has signed a large number of agreements regarding collaboration with Swedish and foreign institutions. The majority of these are about student and teacher mobility. In some cases such agreements have been further developed to create more stable and far-reaching collaborations in both education and research. Examples of this are the workshops that have been arranged for developing educational and research collaboration with the universities of Tokyo and Beijing.

3.6.1.1 Uppsala University’s collaboration with SLU, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala University has long had close collaboration with SLU in multiple areas. For instance, collaboration between the two institutions takes the form of about ten joint centres, including Uppsala Food and Nutrition Centre, Centre for Reproductive Biology in Uppsala, Network for Research Ethics and Bio Ethics, Centre for Sustainable Development, and Centre for Entrepreneurship and Business Development. These collaborations were created to take advantage of the strengths of the two institutions and to provide students at both institutions with the opportunity to benefit from them. In a number of research disciplines there are research teams with members from both universities. The Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology has far-reaching collaborations with SLU, especially in education at the basic and advanced levels. For roughly ten years the Biology Education Centre had an agreement with SLU regarding collaboration in admitting students to courses in upper-level undergraduate programmes (formerly “C- and D-level courses”). The agreement entails that students at the respective universities are treated the same as each university’s own students. The universities also collaborate on two master programmes in engineering, Energy Systems and Environment & Water Technology. The collaboration means that students take courses in the programmes at both universities. For a number of years the universities have also cooperated in the so-called Entrepreneur School, where students from each university are offered a one-year education in entrepreneurship after graduation. At the advanced level the universities have a Joint Master Programme in Sustainable Development, which started in autumn 2007. In education at the research level there is collaboration in the national graduate school Focus on Soils and Water at SLU. Moreover, discussions are underway regarding a possible future collaboration above all concerning interdisciplinary courses such as introduction to research-level education, research ethics, and academic writing.

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3.6.1.2 Uppsala Centre for Sustainable Development The Uppsala Centre for Sustainable Development contains within it the Centre for Environment and Development Studies (Cemus), Baltic University Programme (BUP), and Uppsala Water Centre (UWC). Through Cemus the two universities in Uppsala have collaborated for many years on courses at the basic and advanced levels with fine results. BUP is a programme directed towards universities in countries surrounding the Baltic Sea, designing courses and projects to support the key role that universities play in achieving sustainable development. Uppsala Centre for Sustainable Development also participates in the Joint Master Programme in Sustainable Development at Uppsala University and SLU and the Master Programme in Integrated Water Resource Management.

3.6.1.3 Collaborative agreements with the university colleges in Gävle and on Gotland In 2008 Uppsala University entered into collaborative agreements with the Gävle University College and Gotland University College. One of the ambitions behind these collaborations is for students at the two university colleges to perceive advanced-level education at Uppsala University as possible and natural continuations of their basic studies at the university colleges. This can expand the pool of students likely to come to Uppsala University and at the same time provide clearer study paths for students at the university colleges. Collaboration with Gävle University College was originally mainly directed towards research-level education, but it has been broadened, and discussions are underway regarding collaboration also at the basic and advanced levels. Joint courses in advanced level education in the humanities are being discussed. Collaboration is planned also in teacher training, for example in the form of educational development work and leadership courses. Collaboration with Gotland University College targets cooperation on basic- and advanced-level education and educational development, among other things. A special agreement has been reached regarding collaboration in the teacher-training programme specializing in early education. IT is one of the developmental fields in teacher-training programmes. Collaboration between Uppsala and Gotland surrounding developmental work on IT issues in teacher-training is being discussed.

3.6.1.4 The University’s participation in European cooperative programmes for enhanced mobility One of the central objectives of the Bologna Process is to improve mobility. In the Leuven communiqué it is stressed that collaborative programmes and joint degrees are important means to increase mobility. The International Programme Office for Education and Training offers the possibility of support for activities such as student and teacher exchanges, personnel training for employees at institutions of higher education, course development projects, grants for field studies, internship exchanges, and intensive programmes within a number of European collaboration programmes. A few such programmes that are of interest to, and have been used by, UU are presented below.

Erasmus Erasmus is the largest and oldest of the European mobility programmes. From its inception in 1987, 2 million European students have participated in the programme, including 45,000 Swedes. Participation in Erasmus requires an Erasmus Institutional Contract, and the institution of higher education must have been granted an Erasmus University Charter (EUC), which UU has had since 2003. The Erasmus programme’s decentralized aspects comprise student and teacher exchange and personnel training, organization of mobility, intensive courses in lesser used languages, and

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intensive programmes. Uppsala University is one of the most successful Swedish institutions, with some 20 teachers going abroad, nearly 300 outgoing and 650 incoming students in 2008/09, as well as intensive courses in Swedish for 150 students. Uppsala is also one of the most successful institutions regarding the granting of funding for Erasmus intensive programmes, with 3 of a total of 8 programmes in Sweden (SAIL, Ecocatch, and Choral Conducting). A further application in Turkology was placed as the first reserve but could not be funded.

Erasmus Mundus Erasmus Mundus is a major programme for providing funds for individuals from third-party countries to come to consortia of European universities for studies over a limited period at the master and research level or as post-docs. European students receive funding to travel abroad within the consortium. In his analysis of EU-financed research, commissioned by the Vice Chancellor to find forms to further enhance researchers’ opportunities to apply for, receive, and administer EU funding, Professor Jan Otto Carlsson has identified a connection between these programmes and the well- established networks that are serious competitors for major European research allocations. For many years Uppsala University has participated in two programmes, Euroculture and NOHA. In spring 2009 a third Erasmus Mundus project was added, Lisum, a project administered by Universiteit Gent, and is a consortium of European and Chinese universities. The project was granted funding through the Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation Window for student and teacher mobility. The European Commission has also recently decided to grant funds for an Erasmus Mundus project in Evolutionary Biology, a collaborative programme that grew out of the strategic alliance with Groningen (se 3.6.1.6). The Joint Master Programme Ecocatch has begun preparations to apply for funding to develop into an Erasmus Mundus programme.

Linnaeus-Palme Linnaeus-Palme is an exchange programme for teachers and students at the basic and advanced levels. The programme started in 2000 and targets long-term collaborations between higher- education institutions in Sweden and in developing countries. UU is participating in the programme with 17 projects, which places UU fourth among Swedish institutions. UU’s participation in the programme is increasing, with 11 projects granted in 2008/09 and 12 projects in 2009/10. For 2010/11 UU has submitted 14 applications.

Areas for development: The University should strive to establish and develop more cooperation with support from the collaboration programmes offered by the International Programme Office for Education and Training, the EU Commission, and other financiers.

3.6.1.5 Collaborative agreements for mobility between countries Uppsala University is a very attractive collaborative partner, with a great number of agreements for student exchange and other cooperation. All exchanges are presented annually in a review from the International Office. For the current year UU has some 150 extra-European exchange agreements, some 90 of which are so-called general (pan-University) exchange agreements managed by the International Office, while the remainder are linked to subjects and are dealt with by the respective department. The largest number (nearly half) of the latter involve the Department of Business Studies. However, the majority, about 600, of the University’s exchange agreements are so-called Erasmus agreements, European, subject-related agreements, and involve students at the basic level. Subject- related agreements are administered by international contact persons at the respective departments,

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who are also responsible for students coming in and travelling abroad in the subject. The number of Erasmus agreements has increased from previous years, and it is now primarily German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Turkish universities that continuously court the University regarding proposals for collaboration on various levels. A subject-related exchange agreement is most often initiated at the departmental level, but in order for the agreement to be valid, it needs to be signed by the University’s LLP (Lifelong Learning Programme) coordinator, who is placed centrally in the International Office. This coordinator monitors the balance between the number of students coming in and those travelling abroad in the exchange agreement, among other concerns. Owing to the fact that exchange agreements have increased in the last few years, the number of incoming students has also risen dramatically. Partner universities largely take advantage of all the exchange places, whereas it has been very difficult to fill the places for outgoing students. This is particularly the case regarding exchange universities that do not offer instruction in English. Although the University has a favourable view of having many incoming students, there are some problems attached to this, primarily housing issues. Access to housing in Uppsala remains limited. Areas for development: The University should review all exchange agreements for the purpose of identifying those that have potential for development into more extensive collaborations and terminating those that have not evinced any activity for a long time. The introduction of tuition fees will entail that exchange agreements will have economic consequences in a different way than previously. As part of efforts to achieve better balance, the opportunities to study abroad should be given priority, and there should be more focus on what partner universities can offer our outgoing students in the process of signing new agreements. Administrative assistance and service for students is of major importance, and on the academic plane relevant courses should be offered in the medium of English. This facilitates the transfer of credit following exchanges, which will become more and more important in maintaining and preferably increasing the number of outgoing students in future. The International Office has compiled a number of points to be considered in assessing potential partners, with the aim of ensuring functional and reciprocal agreements. The following issues need to be assessed: who is responsible for administrating the exchange, demand among students, reciprocity, subject breadth/course offerings (in English), level breadth, matching (subjects, specializations), potential for development, involvement/communication (good teacher contacts), prominent universities, long-term commitment and anchorage, national priorities and initiatives, regional priorities and initiatives, security in the country. The International Office thus recommends that if a partner university does not fulfil more than half of these conditions, it is probably not a good idea to embark upon collaboration, bearing in mind that some conditions may be more important than others. Agreements entered into must benefit students wishing to study abroad.

3.6.1.6 Strategic alliances

The alliance with Groningen, U4 Collaboration, and Interfaces The U4 Collaboration is a strategic agreement with the universities of Ghent, Göttingen, and Groningen. Collaboration between Rijksuniversiteit Groningen and Uppsala started in 2003 with the aim of creating a strategic alliance between the two universities. In November 2008 the alliance was expanded to include the universities of Ghent and Göttingen. At a meeting of vice chancellors at Groningen in November 2008 representatives of the four universities formulated a joint strategic interest in deepening their collaboration (UFV 2008/2143), primarily at the advanced and research levels with collaborations in the form of joint study programmes and modules, student and teacher mobility, knowledge transfer, and information exchange. As a consequence of the Uppsala-

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Groningen collaboration, UU is participating in an ICI-ECP project, an EU-Japan collaboration called Interfaces, for the purpose of providing students and teachers in science and technology with opportunities for mobility and other cooperation with the universities of Tohoku, Kyoto, and Osaka in Japan. Other European universities in the project are Heidelberg and Bochum. A total of 30 students and 20 teachers or administrators are expected to be travelling in each direction over a three-year period.

The Coimbra Network Ever since the network started, Uppsala University has been the only Swedish university involved in the Coimbra Network, which consists of 38 prestigious European universities. The network office is in Brussels and mainly works within the framework of various task forces. At present the Deputy Vice Chancellor is on its board. It has turned out that in many contexts the Network can provide an interesting platform for collaboration in connection with various EU applications and trans-Atlantic collaborative projects. In order to benefit fully from the advantages the Network offers, Uppsala University must vigorously participate in its activities. Starting roughly a year ago these contacts have been revitalized on multiple fronts and several new initiatives are being discussed, including a Joint Master Programme in Development Studies, as well as an Erasmus Mundus Action 2 application involving the United States.

3.6.3 Tuition fees The government proposes that certain foreign students who want to study in Sweden should pay a tuition fee and a registration fee. The proposal entails that students from countries outside the EEA area would have to pay for their studies as of autumn 2011. The amount of money charged would be determined by the universities and university colleges themselves, based on the principle of full cost coverage. Experience from Denmark (Internationellt om högskolan nr 18, 2009) has shown that the number of foreign students coming to take an entire programme fell drastically when fees were charged. Between 2006 and 2007 applications declined by 90% and admissions by 8.5 % after having increased continuously since 2000. After the drop in the first year, the number of extra-European students has slowly begun to rise again. It is proposed that special labour scholarships should be introduced for foreign students. The idea is for good foreign students to have their studies in Denmark paid for, as long as they remain in the country and work for a couple of years. As in Denmark, the introduction of fees in Sweden for so-called third-country students will probably entail a drop in the number of free movers, that is, students who arrange their studies on their own, outside of exchange programmes. A study from November 2009 regarding attitudes towards tuition fees showed that 57 % could not imagine paying for their studies in Sweden. Fewer than 5 % are prepared to pay the fees that will have to be charged in order to cover the cost of tuition. A survey among master students at the Faculty of Science and Technology in autumn 2009 revealed that 23 % of them had chosen to study at UU because tuition is free of charge. Interestingly, the same questionnaire shows that 35% chose Uppsala University because of its high placement in international rankings. Free movers now make up a significant portion of students in Sweden, 25 % of all beginners at Swedish higher-education institutions in academic 2007/08 (Statistiska meddelanden UF 20 SM 0901). The reason for this is that the number of programmes given in English has increased, including the introduction of international master programmes. Most free movers come from China and Pakistan, followed by Iran, India, Finland, and Bangladesh, and they are primarily pursuing one- or two-year master programmes. The limited geographic spread among free movers that thus far have come to UU is also cause for reflection. Does it correspond to the

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recruitment base at other European and American universities with similar placements in various rankings? Areas for development: There is reason not to lose the free movers group, and the University should develop a strategy to this end, such as enhanced marketing, signing agreements with interesting higher-education institutions, committing to better quality and service, and introducing scholarships. The possibility of making use of agents could be discussed. Regardless of the fee issue, international recruitment of master students needs to be developed and professionalized. The advanced level is the recruitment base for research-level education and thus in the long term can be crucial to the research that will be pursued at Uppsala University. Where are the students who are best suited to contribute to the development of Uppsala University? Various stakeholders have expressed a need to follow up all master students at Uppsala University in the form of a questionnaire. The aim is to elucidate why they chose Uppsala University and how they perceive their situation. The results are expected to provide a foundation for work with the fee issue, as well as for quality development in master programmes. The Quality Committee will be appointing a work group consisting of individuals with different perspectives on the matter, to be tasked with assisting the Office for Quality and Evaluation in designing a questionnaire.

3.7 Transitions A discussion is underway at the University regarding problems with transitions between the various levels, primarily between advanced- and research-level education, see 2.2. One issue is whether gliding transitions between levels should be possible or if students should have fully completed one level before being allowed to go on to the next. At the same time as there may be good reasons for offering inter-level courses, both between basic- level and advanced-level education and between master-level and research-level education, it is nonetheless important to make the boundaries between the different levels clear. Bologna Group 3 has undertaken a review of the respective disciplinary domains, with the support of the domain offices, to illuminate the situation at Uppsala University and found the following: The Disciplinary Domain of Medicine and Pharmacy provides mainly professional education. They currently offer few bachelor programmes. Some master programmes have been established with relatively broad requirements for prerequisite knowledge that can thus be applied for from various programmes. However, in the field of biomedicine, the intention is to follow the Bologna structure and introduce a 3+2 model. Concerning the advanced level in professional programmes, the focus is primarily to offer continuing education to mid-career professionals. Continuing education of nurses is working out very well, and continuing education for dispensing pharmacists at the advanced level is also being discussed. The Programme in Medicine occupies a unique position and can be said to be a typical professional programme. No special continuing education efforts are being planned currently within the programme. The Faculty has plans to establish new research masters. A discussion is underway about this with students, who are concerned that they have to finance the first year of their own research-level education. The Disciplinary Domain of Arts and Social Sciences has a relatively large number of transitions involving students with bachelor degrees from other higher-learning institutions. This is partly regarded as a problem, as these students are seen as being too general at the bachelor level and therefore find it difficult to adapt to a master programme that prepares students for research. At present it is common for research papers to be incorporated in the master level. This means in practice that research master programmes have been established even though this has not been made

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explicit. The situation today is that there is no clear path for a master programme that prepares students for research. The Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology is not experiencing any particular problems regarding the transition from the basic to the advanced level. However, it would be desirable to allow greater flexibility for engineering masters programmes. No particular need to divide programmes into general and research masters has been expressed, but a clearer structure is needed. Gliding transitions do occur, but they are usually a consequence of the recruitment situation. Nevertheless this is a problem, and within the Domain there have been calls for a more absolute system, even though it is probably not possible to eliminate gliding transitions altogether. Another problem is the system of financing studies, which can be an obstacle to transitioning. The Faculty of Educational Sciences identifies problems with transitions from the basic to the advanced level. The main cause is that course offerings at the advanced level are still not sufficiently well developed. Today there are two master programmes that prepare students for research, but the Faculty intends also to introduce more general programmes at the advanced level. There are no bachelor programmes as yet.

3.7.1 The basic-to-advanced-level transition In the first years with the new educational structure, Uppsala University was the institution that received the greatest number of “institution transfers,” that is, beginners in one- and two-year master programmes that had a basic degree from another higher-education institution in Sweden (HSV, Analys 2009). Students emphasize that such transitions between institutions should be facilitated. Eligibility criteria should not be overly specific, but neither should they be overly general. Some faculties report significant problems with the process of selection to the advanced level and would like to see better support for ranking applicants. Proposals from Bologna Group 2 stress that different quality criteria should be used in the selection process, and the view has been put forward that the University should elucidate what quality criteria should apply. Areas for development: To address the problems the faculties have reported, clear rules for the transition between the basic and advanced levels should be developed, for example, regarding how gliding transitions are to be regarded or strict degree requirements in order to continue, and how various quality criteria should be used in selecting students for the next level. A discussion is also needed concerning whether the transition between bachelor programmes and master programmes should be like a drainpipe, that is, a particular bachelor degree can only lead on to master studies in the same subject area, or whether multiple bachelor degrees can lead to eligibility for several different master programmes that provide specialization. It is more common abroad to have open eligibilities, and representatives of some faculties feel that it is desirable for the University to work to regard bachelor degrees as providing eligibility for various master programmes. However, this view is not shared by all faculties.

3.7.2 The master-to-research-level transition Many faculty representatives state that the boundary between the second year of two-year master programmes and research-level education is diffuse. The possibility of transferring credit for courses and components within each respective level obliterates the boundary between the levels. Both faculty representatives and students want to see a clearer dividing line. A particular problem pointed out by students is that it is important for the University not to permit slippage in admissions to research-level programmes that transfer the costs of the programmes’ first year to the students. With

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generous credit transfers, there is a risk that supervisors will require prospective doctoral students to take courses that can be counted. The Faculty of Theology has taken a stance that entails a sharp borderline between the advanced level and the research level. Decisions have also been made regarding admissions to research-level education to the effect that, for instance, a one-year master student is indeed eligible but a two-year master student has a competitive advantage. The faculties are discussing the problem of those credit transfers that are actually intended to shorten the four-year research-level programmes and those that merely reduce the time for courses and extend the time for dissertation work within the same framework. There is no clear support for the notion that accepting credit automatically entails a shorter period to finance the research student, but there must be continued discussion of these connections, both within and across faculties. All faculties except science and technology currently maintain that credit transfers for courses from the advanced level do entail a shortening of the time for research-level education (TEKNAT 2007/456). Areas for development: The University should investigate the need to support those in charge in their work with the transition from master programmes to research-level programmes and the transfer of credit for courses from the advanced level.

4 The group’s proposals Bologna Group 3 proposes that Uppsala University should address the following issues regarding the analysis and review of ongoing activities, the need for information about the new educational system and about the knowledge and competencies of students, and the creation of criteria, policies, and strategies for future work with quality development at the University.

Analysis and review

Alumni studies and doctoral-student surveys The University should analyze what employers are looking for, with a special emphasis on the new educational levels. This means, among other things, a continuation of the systematic studies of alumns that the Office for Quality and Evaluation (Q&E) within the Planning Division has carried out since 2001 in the form of questionnaires targeting former students with a general degree or a professional degree. In coming alumn studies Bologna-related aspect should be taken into consideration, including the utility of programmes and matters concerning student mobility. Future alumn surveys must furthermore be designed against the background of the national alumn studies that can be a consequence of the National Agency for Higher Education’s proposal for a new evaluation system. Research-level education is being evaluated regularly in the form of a questionnaire directed to active doctoral candidates with questions about their future prospects, etc.

Programme and degree offerings at the advanced level The University should review and analyze its programme offerings at the advanced level, in relation both to the University’s aggregate competence and to programme offerings elsewhere in Sweden. A large number of master programmes have been established in the country, and many of them look rather similar but have different names. It should be discussed whether, and if so in what way, the University should commit to different types of master programmes, such as research masters. Particular consideration should be given to the possibility of various flexible solutions. The manner

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in which master programmes are named and presented is not least important in information for foreign students, and in competition with foreign universities. The analysis of offerings should be grounded in an evaluation of each programme’s utility upon completion. To attain the goals of the master programme’s usefulness for graduates, a common programme structure today is for the first year to prepare students for research, and for the second year’s degree project, normally worth 30 higher-education credits, to provide generic knowledge for enhanced utility outside the academic world. The evaluation should provide a foundation for decisions as to whether this is a suitable form for developing new programmes. Discussions should also address the current division into main areas and specializations and to what extent this division corresponds or should correspond to needs in international marketing. When the Bologna structure was introduced, the University and its faculties chose normally to create general main areas, such as biology, political science, computer science, and history. To meet various educational needs it was then decided to create programmes with multiple specializations. This solution has now proven to entail certain complications and should be reconsidered. It has turned out to be difficult to market different specializations within a programme, not least in an international perspective. Not seldom it is the specializations that offer the unique and attractive educational concept that best reflects the research environment in which the programmes are given. Furthermore, problems arise in cases where one specialization manages to market itself independently. Students then expect a degree denoting the specialization but receive a degree denoting the main area. This has created a need for renewed consideration of in what main areas Uppsala University should offer degrees.

Mobility between levels The University should review transitions and mobility between levels and between higher-education institutions.

The research connection The University should review the research connections of programmes, both in terms of form and structure. The educational form is central to establishing connections with research. The Programme for Teaching and a report from the Office for Quality and Evaluation state that this means that the University must have a sufficient base of professors and teachers pursuing research and that instructional methods and content must be consistent with current research findings. Teachers are responsible for staying abreast of research developments and continuously updating their subject knowledge. Being grounded in science entails a discussion of how the subject is viewed and how this view can change, as well as how knowledge is generated in the subject. Teachers must therefore have the opportunity to pursue research, as one of several ways to ensure links between research and teaching. The University should thus work to provide teachers who participate in instruction adequate academic and teaching competence, to ensure that there are teachers with profession- related competence where relevant, and to see to it that teachers involved in instruction are exposed to modern research on teaching and subject-specific didactics. The University should consider a review and evaluation of programmes similar to the evaluation of all research at Uppsala University, KoF 07. Further development of teaching aspects of the research connection can be incorporated in the implementation of the Programme for Teaching. The question of the structure of the research dimension is partially related to the question above regarding the number and type of master programmes the University should offer. Should master

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programme offerings reflect all research fields or primarily the strongest research fields within the University?

General competencies The importance of good potential for students to develop general competencies, such as critical thinking about their own work and that of others, oral and written communication, and collaboration, is stressed in the Programme for Teaching. The Programme also makes it clear that forms of examination must be chosen to address the knowledge, skills, and competencies stipulated in the objectives. Moreover, clear grading criteria must be developed for all forms of knowledge. In accordance with the programme of measures for quality work at UU, a follow-up must be undertaken of the content and form of examinations in relation to the course goals to be examined. In this connection the existence of course goals and examination forms for general competencies must be addressed in particular. In professional programmes, general competencies can be built into courses, via programme matrices and commissioned assignments for departments, while in general programmes they are often covered in degree projects. A review should be undertaken of how generic competencies are formulated in the various programme statements, what they consist of, and how they are examined.

Progression In its syllabus work, the University should continuously review the progression within and between levels. A clear progression in expected student achievement should be discerned between the basic level and the advanced level, as well as within the respective levels. This should be apparent in syllabi and programme statements, and can be expressed in the form of adding depth or breadth to the subject or subject area and depth in regard to the scientific approach, and, respectively, successively greater competence in relation to a professional field, in parallel with greater depth in regard to the scientific approach and traditional subject knowledge. This means that the University, in line with the Programme for Teaching, should work with the issue of whether any progression can be discerned in the comparison of learning goals at the beginning and at the end of programmes.

Information As part of the promotion of the utility of programmes in and to the job market, information about what students “know” upon graduation must be better known. The University should carry out further information efforts to make the new degree structure and the new bachelor and master degrees known to employers, upper-secondary schools, higher-education institutions, and prospective students in Sweden and abroad. The need for information about the University’s programmes will grow with the introduction of tuition fees for third-country students. Collaboration within “The Swedish Master Project” aims to provide such information jointly. Information from UU should be well thought out, selective, and directed to specific recipients. UU should collaborate with strategic partners, as it already is with SLU, Gävle University College, and Gotland University College, and in the so-called U4 Collaboration with Groningen, Ghent, and Göttingen. Collaborative and informational efforts in this connection should preferably take the form of joint programmes.

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Guidelines

Quality follow-up and quality assurance The University is working deliberately with quality follow-up and quality assurance of its programmes. Active student participation is a key quality-enhancing factor. Alumni contacts and alumni surveys are thus an important component of quality monitoring, for instance to gather information about how graduates are received in the job market, what parts of programmes have been especially useful, and what changes in structure and content might be needed to enhance the utility and attractiveness of programmes when recruiting students. With the exception of course evaluations, alumni studies, and doctoral-candidate surveys, which are carried out systematically, there are no guidelines for how existing programmes should be followed up. On the basis of praxis, the University should devise guidelines for assuring the quality of its programmes. To ensure that the University’s programmes maintain a higher level of quality in national and international terms, collegial collaboration within the University and with other institutions of higher education should be encouraged. It should be considered whether a system of external advisers from other higher-education institutions and relevant stakeholders ought to be set up. The use of external examiners may be suitable for basic- and advanced-level programmes, in assessing degree projects, for example.

Establishment and discontinuation of study programmes The University should set up new guidelines for establishing and discontinuing study programmes. Guidelines for establishing programmes exist. In connection with the decision to adopt new programmes in 2007, boards were tasked with reporting, for each programme, the capabilities in the form of teacher competence, research ties, possibilities for transitioning to the advanced and research level, respectively, links to the future job market, etc. These quality criteria continue to be used in establishing new programmes, but they are too brief, and preparatory procedures need to be made more explicit. A review should be undertaken of the guidelines for establishing study programmes, taking into consideration changes in the surrounding world, internal decisions at the University level that may be of importance for the criteria, and other internal preconditions. One question that has been raised is whether the internationalization aspect should be included among the criteria. The University should also develop guidelines for the establishment of short programmes at the advanced level. The University has profiled itself with two-year master programmes with the option of leaving after one year, but it also offers a number of one-year master programmes. This is partly due to the fact that certain international collaborations involving joint programmes can only function in the form of short programmes, but also the fact that the number of applicants has declined in certain fields as a result of changes in the business cycle and the expansion of basic-level education elsewhere in Sweden. It should be reviewed whether there is a need for guidelines and support for discontinuing programmes and, if so, what they should look like. There are no established criteria for shutting down a programme. However, reasons for termination might include disappointing application numbers, lack of teaching capabilities, or diminished societal need. The introduction of a new Degree Ordinance, questioned accreditation by the National Agency for Higher Education to issue degrees, or internal demands for academic and educational renewal can also constitute grounds for phasing out programmes. If a programme is to be discontinued, the relevant faculty board turns to the Vice Chancellor for a decision. Discontinuation is a long-term process, as there will be students

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still in the programme for several years to come, and they will need to be provided with a high- quality education.

Recruitment, eligibility, and selection for the advanced level The University should develop special guidelines for recruitment, eligibility, and selection to advanced-level studies, targeting a reasonable balance between the need for openness in terms of various basic-level degrees and main subject areas and demands for progression. It is essential that prerequisite demands neither close out students unnecessarily nor lead to instruction winding up on the wrong level. The University’s admissions regulations for being eligible for basic and advanced levels state that the selection for the advanced level must primarily be based on the quality of qualifications in the main subject area for the programme granting eligibility or of its degree project. Grades from upper-secondary school or the higher education examination should normally not be a basis for selection. The Vice Chancellor makes the decision based on proposals from the relevant faculty board regarding the rules for selection to be applied. Some faculties have experienced considerable difficulties with this selection process and would like to see better support for ranking applicants. The University should therefore consider the possibility of making use of using interviews and entrance examinations for selecting and ranking applicants for the advanced level. There should also be a discussion about whether the transition between bachelor and master programmes should be of the drainpipe type, that is, that a certain bachelor programme can only lead to master studies in the same subject area, or whether several bachelor programmes can make students eligible for several master programmes that offer the specialization. It is more common abroad to have open eligibilities. However, this is a point of view that is not shared by all faculties. It has been emphasized by many that the University’s role as a leading research institution requires the University to commit to research masters of high quality, building on knowledge of the subject acquired from bachelor-level education. A further aspect of this issue is that open eligibility facilitates transitions between different subjects and higher-education institutions (in Sweden and abroad). A basic idea behind the new educational structure is that students should be able to transfer between institution in their transition between the various educational levels. Uppsala University is the higher-education institution that receives at its advanced level the largest number of students who have a basic-level degree or the equivalent from another institution in Sweden. It is important for students, collaborative partners, and other institutions to be aware of the demands and regulations that apply. UU finds it important to be the institution that can accept students from other institutions.

Establishment of national graduate schools The University should take a stand on whether we should strive to create more national graduate schools and in what sense we should understand this concept. The concept of the national graduate school can have different meanings, including a course of a few weeks during the summer break for upper-secondary school students who have completed their next-to-last or last year to see what it is like to pursue research (the national graduate school at Södertörn University College, for instance), course packages that prepare students for education at the research level (the national graduate school in medical sciences at Uppsala University, for example), or an organization for structuring education at the research level. It is this last meaning that the National Agency for Higher Education (HSV) uses. HSV has therefore laid down a number of characteristics of national graduate schools, which we associate ourselves with in principle, such as a national graduate school having to constitute a coherent research programme, having a clear organization, making a commitment to supervision, having a syllabus that is systematic, and involving an organized collaboration between

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several subjects and several universities and university colleges. It should be discussed whether it should be possible for graduate schools to be established for research-level subjects/specializations within what are traditionally referred to as “subject” and between, divisions, departments, and faculties within one and the same higher-education institution and whether a graduate school should have a certain minimum volume of students to be able to function well. The issue of who should decide about the establishment of national graduate schools, and about their organization, management, and economy should be investigated. Criteria for graduate schools should be laid down, as the forms for establishment vary and are unclear. Such criteria should include that a national graduate school should be able to add something more for research-level students than can be achieved within an individual programme, that it should follow the regulations and guidelines that are in place for research-level education at the national and local levels, that times for advertising and admission to the national graduate school with national or international advertising of programme places should be synchronized, that there should be a study plan for course activities and syllabi for the individual courses, and that the national graduate school should have a leadership function that is responsible for courses and other joint components (e.g. seminar, summer schools, field trips) being carried out according to plans and in a manner that observes the rights of the doctoral candidates.

Recognition of credit in research-level education The University should develop guidelines for the recognition of credit in education at the research level. It should be investigated whether a two-year master programme gives a competitive advantage over a one-year master programme in admissions to research-level education. There is no support for the claim that recognizing credit transfers is tantamount to a shortened period of financing for research-level students. Nevertheless this needs to be studied further. All faculties except science and technology maintain that recognition of credit for courses from the advanced level constitutes a shortening of the period for research-level education. It is important to point out that this recognition of credit must always be only at the request of the doctoral candidate.

Pan-University education and collaboration Uppsala University is a broad institution that makes it possible for some components of programmes to be studied in another domain or at another faculty and for special courses to be purchased, which is made use of by the Faculty of Science and Technology, where students pursue business studies, for instance, and the Faculty of Medicine, where students can take courses in religious studies, for example. There is great potential for cross-faculty activities within Uppsala University, but it is not fully exploited. Good examples of interdisciplinary education are the Master of Engineering Programme for Systems in Technology and Society, the Master Programme in Sustainable Development, the Language Programme, and the Programme for Cultural Entrepreneurship. The University should review the possibilities and develop guidelines for inter-subject and interdisciplinary education and devise new modes of operation to stimulate contacts across boundaries. Collaboration across borders is desirable and adds value for both students and teachers, and interdisciplinary initiatives can meet varying the needs of society. General problems that arise are economic and structural in nature. Who pays? Who is responsible? Who does the examining? How can funding be arranged for costly planning work? Where does the financing come from for expensive overarching collaborative projects such as the Baltic University Programme? What administrative obstacles are there to students and teachers working across faculty boundaries, and how can these be reduced?

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Collaboration between advanced and research levels The University should produce guidelines for collaboration at the advanced and research levels. Well-functioning cooperation with selected partner universities constitutes the foundation for enhanced mobility among students, researchers, and teachers. Among other things, this involves committing to well-functioning and long-term agreements and joint programmes. As part of efforts to achieve a better balance in student mobility, priority should be given to opportunities for Uppsala students to study elsewhere, and in the process of signing new agreements, there should be more focus on what partner universities have to offer our outgoing students. Administrative support and service for students are of great importance, and relevant courses should be given in the medium of English. The International Office’s list of points to be considered in assessing a potential partner should be observed, in order to make it possible for the agreement to be functional and reciprocal. Aspects to be included in the assessment ahead of the signing of a new agreement include: who is responsible for administrating the exchange, demand among students, reciprocity, subject breadth/course offerings (in English), level breadth, matching (subjects, specializations), potential for development, involvement/communication (good teacher contacts), prominent universities, long- term commitment and anchorage, national priorities and initiatives, regional priorities and initiatives, security in the country. Joint degrees at different levels provide vehicles for both students and teachers to spend time at a partner university. If the joint programme is to lead to a joint degree, there must be a written agreement that elucidates the division of responsibilities, admissions, transfer of credit, level placement, quality assurance, etc. If the programme involves collaboration in research-level education, further issues arise, such as programme length, financing, distribution of supervision between the contracting institutions, length of time at each institution, insurance, examination forms, and the composition of dissertation review panels, etc. Templates for agreements regulating such collaborations should be developed by the Office of Legal Affairs in collaboration with faculty offices and the Office of Student Affairs.

Strategies

Liberal education Liberal-education aspects should be integrated into higher education. It is of great importance for the University to support, encourage, and make it easy for students to take advantage of the opportunities available. It should be investigated what the administrative structure for work with liberal-education issues should look like. The University must continue to work with liberal- education issues on the basis of what has previously been done in the liberal-education project that was initiated by University management. Uppsala University has a rich liberal-education environment, including libraries and a cultural milieu consisting of art collections, museums, and music-making. On top of this, there is a wealth of activities at student social clubs, student unions, and student associations. At all levels the University’s liberal-education settings should be put forward, supported, and developed, and students should be made aware of the liberal education, broad competence, and opportunities for personal development that these settings offer. It should be pointed out that not only students can be expected to benefit from continued work with liberal-education issues. Opportunities should be opened for teachers to collaborated across both departmental and faculty boundaries. Concrete collaboration surrounding a shared idea (e.g. a liberal-education course) is a highly effective way to promote such contacts. The University should develop a description of what we mean by the concept

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of liberal education. One of the fundamental questions in the discussion of liberal education is what is meant by the concept itself and the consequences this has for how this work should be pursued.

Mobility among higher-education institutions The University should develop strategies for enhanced student, teacher, and staff mobility. Mobility is relatively low among the University’s students and employees and should be improved. This is true both for mobility within exchange agreements and for students who choose to study in another country on their own, so-called free movers. There are study programmes and subject areas in which there is a special need for greater mobility. The development of courses and programmes should be monitored and evaluated from the point of view of mobility. The University’s work with internationalization at home should be brought to the fore. A survey should be performed to determine where support is needed in the University’s activities. Students perceive the issue of study financing as an aggravating factor for exchange studies, but it is primarily a structural problem that lies behind the low figures for outgoing students. They feel that they do not have time to go abroad within the short bachelor and master programmes. Students who do go abroad also spend less time outside the country owing the difficulty of planning more than one semester of study abroad in a three-year bachelor programme or a two-year master programme. Semesters in Europe differ in length and moreover cover different periods of the year, which hinders international exchanges. In order to promote mobility, the International Office at the Office of Student Affairs advocates that programmes should be created with open windows (rather than mobility windows), where students themselves combine elective courses under given frameworks. Students know from the outset that a given semester is an open window, and personally takes the responsibility for the content. This might involve courses at home and/or studies abroad. This is predicated upon more generous recognition of credit transfers, whereby liberal-education and breadth concepts are incorporated.

Low teacher mobility is primarily a result of lack of funding, according to a report from the National Agency for Higher Education. The government is committing funds to defray the costs for teachers who travel abroad, but these resources can also be used for salary costs for the person substituting for the teacher who goes away. It is urgent to find forms for greater teacher mobility. One way would be to improve/simplify short-term visits at another institution, both in Sweden and abroad. This can be tied to existing research contacts, where the collaboration can be expanded also to comprehend teacher exchange. The University should also consider the possibility of providing extra economic support to departments that send their teachers abroad. The value of foreign experience as a qualification should also be addressed. International experience should be seen as an added qualification in connection with promotions, appointments, and salary negotiations. An important strategy for enhanced mobility is collaboration with known partner universities, in the form of strategic alliances, exchange agreements, and joint study programmes. The University should strive to establish and develop more cooperation with support from the collaboration programmes offered by the International Programme Office for Education and Training, the EU Commission, and other financiers. The University should investigate what opportunities and what possible problems exist with the collaborative agreements that have been signed with foreign universities, whether there is reason to terminate certain agreements and what measures might need to be taken to further strengthen existing collaborations. As part of efforts to achieve better balance, the opportunities to study abroad should be given priority, and there should be more focus on what partner universities can offer our outgoing students in the process of signing new agreements. Administrative assistance and service for students are of

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major importance, and on the academic plane relevant course should be offered in the medium of English. This facilitates the transfer of credit following exchanges, which will become more and more important in maintaining and preferably increasing the number of outgoing students in future. The University should therefore develop criteria for such collaboration.

In agreements with exchange universities there should be a greater focus on the exchange of doctoral candidates, teachers, and staff in future, not as now where the exchange primarily involves students at lower levels. The “Handbook for Work with Joint Programmes at Uppsala University” from 2004 should be updated.

Readiness for tuition fees Further, the University should develop strategies for preparedness ahead of the introduction of tuition fees. The government proposes that foreign students (from countries outside the EEA) should be required to pay tuition fees for their education as of autumn 2011. The amount of money charged would be determined by the universities and university colleges themselves. The introduction of fees will entail that the number of incoming free movers (that is, students who arrange their studies on their own, outside exchange agreements) will decline. This category of students currently constitutes a significant portion of the University’s students. There is reason not to lose the free movers group, and the University should develop a strategy to this end, such as enhanced marketing, signing agreements with interesting higher-education institutions, committing to better quality and service, and introducing scholarships. The possibility of making use of agents can be discussed. The University Director has appointed a work group to prepare for the introduction of fees for so-called third-country students. A project is currently underway at the University to increase recruitment to the advanced level, with the Office of Student Affairs and the Division for Communication and External Relations as major actors.

5 References

Antagningsordning för tillträde till utbildning på grundnivå och avancerad nivå vid Uppsala universitet. Beslut 2009-12-17. UFV 2009/1900. Att fånga bildning. HSV Rapport 2009:24 R. Att skriva förväntade studieresultat. Stöd för att skriva förväntade studieresultat på kursnivå. nshu 2006-10-11. Betygssystem på grundnivå och avancerad nivå. Beslut 2007-01-16. UFV 2006/1473. Bildningsverksamheten vid UU (UFV 2008/1311). Rapport i två delar av Dag Blanck. The Bologna Process vid Uppsala universitet – del II. Kriterier för nivåindelning. Tillträdesregler. Beslutsprocesser. Slutrapport från Bolognagruppen, del II 2005-09-02.UFV 2004/1675. The Bologna Process vid Uppsala universitet. Delrapport oktober 2003. ECTS betygssystem vid Uppsala universitet – en problematisering. Diskussionsunderlag 2006-05- 10. ECTS Users’ Guide 2009. http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning- policy/doc/ects/guide_en.pdf

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Etableringen på arbetsmarknaden - examinerade 2005/06, HSV Rapport 2009:28R Forskningsanknytning. Ett underlag för diskussion om begreppets innebörd och tillämpning. Kvalitet och utvärdering, rapport 2006-05-15. Gränslös kunskap – högskolan i globaliseringens tid. Regeringens proposition 2008/09:175. Handledning för arbetet med Joint Programmes vid Uppsala universitet. Universitetsledningens kansli och Internationella kansliet, 2004-01-27. Handlingsprogram för internationaliseringsarbetet vid Uppsala universitet 2010-2012 (fastställs våren 2010) UFV 2010/203. Internationell mobilitet i högskolan läsåret 2007/08. Sveriges Officiella statistik, UF 20 SM 0901. Internationella samarbeten och utbyten inom högre utbildning. Internationella programkontoret rapportserie nr 23. Högskoleenhetens årsrapport 2008. Karriär. Finns det ett liv efter examen? Kompendium TekNat 2009. Kvalitetsarbetet vid Uppsala universitet. Självvärdering 2009. UFV 2008/843. Kvalitetsutvärdering för lärande. Högskoleverkets förslag till nya kvalitetsutvärderingar för högskoleutbildningar. HSV Rapport 2009:25 R Mål och strategier för Uppsala universitet. (fastställda av konsistoriet 2008-04-22, UFV 2007/1478). Mål uttryckta som förväntade studieresultat – en vägledning. Fastställd av rektor 2006-01-10. UFV 2005/2130). Ny värld - ny högskola. Regeringens proposition 2004/05:162. Pedagogiskt program för Uppsala universitet. Riktlinjer för pedagogisk verksamhet och utveckling. Fastställt av rektor 2008-05-06. Plan för utveckling av kvalitetssäkring av utbildningen 2006-2008. Lunds universitet Beslut 23 februari 2006. Dnr IG52 1209/2006. Program för internationalisering vid Uppsala universitet. Fastställt av konsistoriet 2009-11-11. UFV 2009/2064 Program för kvalitetsarbetet vid Uppsala universitet. Fastställt av konsistoriet 2008-04-22. UFV 2008/556). Rauhvargers, A, et al. 2009. Bogna Process Stocktaking Report 2009. Report from working groups appointed by the Bologna Follow-up Group to the Ministrial Conference in Leuven/Louvain- la-Neuve, 28-29 April 2009. Rekommendation för användning av ECTS-betygsskalan. Beslut 2001-02-27. UFV 2001/317 Rekommendationer om redovisning av betyg på svenska lärosäten i enlighet med ECTS. SUHF REK 2009:4 STARS (Study Abroad Report System). Uppsalastudenters erfarenhet av utlandsstudier inom Erasmusprogrammet 2004-2006. Enheten för kvalitet och utvärdering, maj 2007. Statistisk analys. Det första året med ny utbildnings- och examensstruktur. 2009-02-12. HSV Analys nr 2009/1. Lena Eriksson. Student Exchange Agreements at Uppsala University. Internationella kansliet, september 2009. Sveriges officiella statistik. Statistiska meddelanden UF 20 SM 0901.

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The Bologna Process 2020 – the European Higher Education Area in the new decade. Communiqué of European Ministers Responsible for Higher Education, Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve, 28- 29 April 2009. Tuning Educational Structures in Europe. http://tuning.unideusto.org/tuningeu/ Uppföljning av den nya examensordningen och av universitetets arbete i The Bologna Process. Beslut 2008-03-04. UFV 2008/268 Uppsala universitets insatser för att främja sina studenters anställningsbarhet. Riksrevisionen 2009. Utvecklad policy med riktlinjer för Uppsala universitets fortsatta arbete med The Bologna Process. Beslut 2006-03-07. UFV 2004/1675. Yorke, M. 2004. Employability: what it is – what it is not. York: The Learning and Teaching Support network. Åtgärdsprogram för kvalitetsarbetet vid Uppsala universitet 2008-2010. (2008-04-29, UFV 2008/577). Det tidigare programmet benämndes: Handlingsprogram för Uppsala universitets kvalitetsutveckling år 2004 (2003-12-16, UFV 2003/2389).

6 Abbreviations List of abbreviations used in the report:

BUP Baltic University Programme, a division of the Uppsala Centre for Sustainable Development CEMUS Centre for Environment and Development Studies, a division of Uppsala Centre for Sustainable Development ECTS European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System EFTA European Free Trade Association EHEA European Higher Education Area EU European Union EUC Erasmus University Charter, a EUC signed by the EU Commission gives the higher- education institution the right to apply for funding for Erasmus collaboration G/U The grades Pass (G = Godkänd) and Fail (U = Underkänd) HSV National Agency for Higher Education IaH Internationalization at Home ICI-ECP Industrialised Countries Instrument for Education Cooperation Programme LLP Lifelong Learning Programme, the EU Commission’s programme for educational collaboration in Europe NOHA Network on Humanitarian Assistance, a consortium that offers a NOHA master programme, among other activities

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Q&E Office for Quality and Evaluation, a section of the Uppsala University Planning Division Q&R 07 Quality and Renewal 2007, Uppsala University’s comprehensive international assessment of the quality of its research (Kvalitet och förnyelse, KoF07) SAIL Sustainability Applied in International Learning, an international summer course at UU SLU Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet) SOU Swedish Government Official Reports (Statens offentliga utredningar) STARS Study Abroad Report System SU Stockholm University SUHF Association of Swedish Higher Education (Sveriges universitets- och högskoleförbund) T&L Division for Development of Teaching and Learning at Uppsala University TUR Council on Tertiary Teaching at the Faculty of Science and Technology (Teknisk- naturvetenskapliga fakultetens universitetspedagogiska råd) U4 Strategic collaboration involving the four universities of Uppsala, Groningen, Ghent, and Göttingen ULLA European university consortium in pharmacy, consisting the universities of Uppsala, London, Leiden, and Amsterdam UU Uppsala University UVC Uppsala Water Centre (Uppsala vattencentrum), a division of the Uppsala Centre for Sustainable Development VFU On-site education (verksamhetsförlagd utbildning)

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DECISION 2008-03-04 Log No. UFV 2008/268 Follow-up of the new Degree Ordinance and of the University’s work in the Bologna Process During preparations for the new Degree Ordinance that took force on 2007-07-01, within the framework of Sweden’s adaptation to the so-called Bologna Process, there were two pan-University workgroups tasked by the Vice Chancellor with coordinating and analyzing educational issues. The first group, headed by the University’s Deputy Vice Chancellor during the period of February 2003 to June 2004, was followed by the second, led by the Councillor to the Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Education during the period of October 2004 to September 2005. The groups jointly addressed a number of issues that the Vice Chancellor had to take a stand on. The groups consisted of representatives from the disciplinary domain boards and from the student body, as well as the planning function and the Office of Student Affairs at the University administration. The new Degree Ordinance is now in effect as of the autumn semester of 2007. At the same time, both locally and nationally, continued work is underway in the Bologna Process, the prime objective of which is for a so-called European Higher Education Area to be characterized by common structures in Europe by 2010. Included here are matters of mobility, so-called general competencies, recognition of credit transferred from other higher-education institutions, employability, broadened admissions, and validation of so-called de facto competence, but also quality development and global intelligence. The Vice Chancellor deems that it is now high time to appoint the next Bologna Group, charged with following up the implementation of the Degree Ordinance and the continuing work in general within the framework of the Bologna Process, and with submitting proposals to University management in matters where the group finds it necessary or suitable for the University as a whole to take action. The group should have the same constituents as before, with the Deputy Vice Chancellor as chair, one representative nominated by each of the three disciplinary domain boards and the faculty board of the Faculty of Educational Sciences, two student representatives, and the Planning Director and the Head of the Office of Student Affairs. The secretariat should be within the Planning Division, but other relevant units within the University administration would be expected to participate in the work. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Vice Chancellor hereby decides to appoint Bologna Group 3 as above for the period 2008-04- 15–2009-12-31. The group is to keep the University management informed of relevant issues as they arise. The decision in this matter was taken by the undersigned Vice Chancellor in the presence of University Director Mats Ola Ottosson, following a presentation by Head of Office Einar Lauritzen. Also present were Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Kerstin Sahlin, Deputy University Director Jan Ivar Mattsson, and Uppsala Student Union Chair Louise Callenberg. Planning Director Kerstin Jacobsson also took part in preparing the matter.

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