DOCUMENT RESUME ED 446 459 HE 033 213 TITLE Report of the International Conference on Higher Education and Research (2nd, Budapest, Hungary, September 23-25, 1999) . INSTITUTION Education International, Brussels (Belgium). PUB DATE 1999-00-00 NOTE 55p. PUB TYPE Collected Works Proceedings (021)-- Speeches/Meeting Papers (150) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC03 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Academic Freedom; Accreditation (Institutions); College Faculty; Developing Nations; Distance Education; Diversity (Institutional); Educational Trends; Foreign Countries; Governance; *Higher Education; Institutional Autonomy; Intellectual Property; *International Education; Researchers; *Unions ABSTRACT One of the major goals of the Second Education International (EI) Conference on Higher Education and Researchwas to strengthen EI's position as the representative global organization of teachersand research workers, and to develop the role of these unions. Papers in thisvolume cover major issues and challenges in the international educationarena for these populations. Highlighted themes throughout the conference includefree access to higher education for those meeting relevant entry criteria;priority of public funding for universities, colleges, and researchinstitutions; institutional autonomy and academic freedom for the aforementioned institutions; and representation of staffon all key decision-making bodies within these institutions. Support for higher education andresearch personnel in developing countries is emphasized. By section, topicscovered are: challenges for developing countries and countries in transition; transnational higher education and faculty unions; universitygovernance, academic freedom, autonomy and social change; salarydetermination and collective bargaining; diversity, discrimination andcareer development paths; research and research funding; higher education andresearch unions and the broader trade union movement; and higher educationand research union strategies in EI. Five appendices are included. (HB) Reproductions supplied by EDRSare the best that can be made from the original document. U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND CENTER (ERIC) -- DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS This document has been reproduced as BEEN GRANTED BY received from the person or organization originating it 0 Minor changes have been made to UZ improve reproduction quality Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES official OERI position or policy INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 1 , ..?1(J'' 1 ,4r1,--.. CO, Alk 1[6 ri I I ' r' a,. Ir:" Itm; Jt 144' y, BEST COPY AVAILABLE s 2 Education International Report of the Second International Conference on Higher Education and Research Budapest, 23 to 25 September 1999 Education International -Bd-du-Roi Albert II, 5 1210 BrusselsBelgium Tel: 32 2 224 06 11 Fax: 32 2 224 06 06 Email: [email protected] Internet: http://www.ei-ie.org 3 El International Conference on Higher Education and Research 2 El has a membership of 296 national unions representing some 24 million teachers and workers in education, from pre-school to university. Reproduction is permitted without authorization. Please cite the source and send us a copy. Conference Internationale sur l'enseignement superieur et la recherche Conferencia Internacional sobre la Ensenanza Superior y la Investigacion Education International 1999 4 El International Conference, on Higher Education and Research 3 Table of Contents Introduction 5 Opening addresses 6 Higher education 2000 6 Partnership 2000 6 Impact of economic transition on higher education 8 Challenges for developing countries and countries in transition.. 10 Challenges in developing countries 10 Malaysia 12 Problems of higher education in countries in transition 13 Steps to overcome the challenges to higher education 14 Trade union action 14 Transnational higher education and faculty unions 15 Distance education and socialisation 15 Accreditation 15 Undermining traditional institutions 16 Export marketsreality in developing countries 16 Intellectual property 17 Trade union action 18 University governance, academic freedom, autonomy and social change 20 Academic freedom and/or autonomy? 20 Influence of international organisations Trade union action 22 Salary determination and collective bargaining 23 Centralised and decentralised bargaining 23 Trade union action 24 Diversity, discrimination and career development paths 25 Discrimination in academic profession 25 Exclusion 26 Unions and discrimination 27 Trade union action 28 Research and research funding 29 Public and private funding sources 29 Working conditions 29 Trade union action 30 Higher education and research unions and the broader trade unionmovement 31 Trade union action 31 Higher education and research union strategies in El 33 Trade union action 33 Conclusion 36 Conference Programme 38 5 Education International 1999 El International Conference on Higher Education and Research 4 Participants' List 40 Annex 1 Speech by Fred van LEEUWEN, General Secretary of Education International 42 Annex 2 Recommendation concerning the WTO Millennium Round 46 Annex 3 Recommendation concerning the implementation of Article 75 of the Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel 48 Annex 4 Recommendation concerning the commercialisation of higher education and public sector research 49 Annex 5 Recommendation on East Timor 50 Annex 6 Recommendation on the situation in Ethiopia 52 6 Education International 1999 El International Conference on Higher Education andResearch 5 Introduction since Education International's(El)foundation in1993, there has been dramatic growth in its higher education and researchunion membership. This is marked by a more comprehensive coverage ofthe sector by El globally. At the time of this report, El represented around 840,000members in 24 higher education or research-specific unions and 54 generalteachers' unions. This development has both built and been helped byEl's growing influence with the international and inter-governmental bodieswith which it co-operates and communicates. This is demonstrated, for example, bythe close involvement of UNESCO in both El's International Conferences on HigherEducation and Research. The Second El International Conference on HigherEducation and Research in Budapest brought together 80 representatives of Elaffiliates in the sector from around the world. One of its fundamental aims was tostrengthen El's position as the representative global organisation of teachersand research workers. It was also designed to develop the role of these higher educationand research unions. The authority with which El can speak as the voice ofhigher education teachers andresearch workers depends on thecapacityforparticipationofits representative affiliates and the level of exchanges betweenaffiliates and El at the national, regional and global levels. The Conferenceplayed an important part in both providing a forum for exchanges on substantiveissues and for examining ways in which dialogue betweenhigher education and research unions and El takes place. It also looked at how to develop this dialogue within El. The 1990s have seen a rapid increase in the pace of developmentof trends such as globatisation, deregulation and decentralisation, accompaniedby the threatened casualisation and de-professionalisation of academic labourin many countries. The exponential development of new technology and itsapplications in higher education and research have formed a backdrop to these trends. Workshop discussions during the Conference explored keythemes with these underlying trends never far from the surface. Indeed, theseissues were raised time and again in a wide range of contexts. Discussionsoffered both suggestions for policy and for concrete strategies for El and its constituentorganisations to defend this key sector and to be proactive in shaping thesemillennial trends to meet the needs of higher education and research workersand the societies they serve. With the approach of the new millennium, more and deeper changeis about to be launched. The growing integration of education in world tradeis a matter of concern-for-education-unions globally and- this- issue was- raised on numerous occasions throughout the conference. The challenges beforethe higher education and research sector,its workers and their representative organisations are considerable.Nevertheless,Conference delegateslaidthe foundationsfor comprehensive strategy and appropriate trade union action totackle these developments, protect the interests of their members and helpguide the development of the higher education and research sector to bestrespond to the needs of a changing society. Education International 1999 El International Conference on Higher Education and Research 6 Opening addresses participants to this key event were welcomed to Budapest by representatives of the host unions: Gabor Borbath of the Hungarian Teachers' Association (SEH) and Gabor Szabo of the Higher Education Teachers' Union (FDSZ). They emphasised the importance of the agenda items in terms of the future overall environment of the higher education sector and called for the full participation of all delegates. The sharing of information between El affiliates at such events is crucial to trade unions in developing appropriate responses to the challenges confronting the sector at the turn of the millennium.