Ref. Ares(2020)2128381 - 20/04/2020
Ref. Ares(2020)2292571 - 29/04/2020
Report of the 1st meeting of the EU-China
Higher Education Platform for Cooperation and Exchange (HEPCE)
in the framework of the EU-China HPPD
Thursday 25 April 2013
Bilateral meeting between VMOE Du Yubo and DG Truszczyński (Flagey VIP
Room Diongre/ 08:20 – 08:50 am)
DG Jan Truszczyński and VMOE Du Yubo had a short meeting before the opening of
the HEPCE event. They were both accompanied by delegations of senior officials.
After brief welcome remarks and mutual congratulations on the satisfactory progress
of the EU-China High Level People to People Dialogue (HPPD) – implemented via a
number of joint actions including the EU-China Tuning project, respective scholarship
schemes and the forthcoming language initiative to train Chinese teachers of lesser
spoken EU languages, due to start in July 2013 – DG Truszczyński and VMOE Du
recalled the importance of the HEPCE to increase the compatibility of EU/China HE
systems. The two parts committed to exchange updated data on EU-China student
mobility. The meeting was followed by a short visit to the university exhibition set up
in the entry hall of the Flagey building.
HEPCE Presidents' Dialogue (Flagey, Studio 1/ 09:00 – 15:40)
Some 170 people (approx. 2/3 from Chinese universities and 1/3 from EU
universities, plus Chinese officials from MOE and CSC/China Scholarship Council,
EU officials from DG EAC and EEAS and representatives from EUA and ACA
associations) participated in the meeting.
The
opening session was introduced by Mr H. Hartung with welcome speeches by
DG Truszczyński and VMOE Du. DG Truszczyński referred to the positive results
achieved so far by the HPPD-related actions and recalled the main objectives and
modalities of the HPPD mechanism, which should serve as a guide for the
identification and production of future outcomes. VMOE Du pointed out the need to
move forward in the EU-China dialogue by extending the scope of our higher
education cooperation to cover emerging disciplines and enhance joint studies on
respective education systems with a view to increase mutual understanding.
The
keynote speeches by Prof. <blank>, President of EUA, and <blank> Secretary-
General of CSC provided statistical data and general information on the activities and
achievements of EUA in Europe and CSC in China. The two interventions highlighted
the growing importance of academic international strategies with a global
perspective, the need to further develop platforms for multiple university cooperation
in research education on the basis of disciplines and the need to promote
international students' mobility with particular focus on the mobility from the EU to
China.
The Presidents' Dialogue continued then with three consecutive panel sessions:
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Panel 1: Models for EU-China Joint Higher Education Schools and Institutions:
experiences and challenges
This panel, moderated <blank> (Deputy Secretary-General, CSC) aimed to present
positive experiences and challenges linked to the development of EU-China joint
schools and institutions. Presentations concerned the EU-China schools CESL and
ICARE, the Sino-French Engineering School, the Nottingham Ningbo University and
the Sino-French Institute of Nuclear Energy and Technology. The main
recommendations, which emerged from this panel concerned:
- the need to enhance multidisciplinary training (engineers/managers are in great
need) and soft skills (capacity to interact between cultures) with a view to fostering
graduates' employability;
- the need for long-term and strategically planned cooperation to build mutual trust
and obtain effective and sustainable results;
- the need for more collaboration and less competition, which could translate into
more effective mechanisms for mutual degree recognition.
Panel 2: China-EU Cooperation in degree programmes and joint supervision of
postgraduate students
This panel, moderated <blank>Rector, Université Libre de Bruxelles) aimed to
present concrete examples of China-EU cooperation in degree programmes and joint
supervision of postgraduate students. The following examples were presented:
Double Master degree programme in law with university of Göttingen, China Platform
at the Ghent University, Joint PhD training Program of the East China Normal
University, Queen Mary (University of London), Joint programme with Beijing
University of Posts & Telecommunications, Tongji University joint programme with
European Universities (Germany, France, Italy and Finland) and KHT Royal Institute
of
Technology's
Sino-EU
Engineering
Education
platform.
The
main
recommendations which emerged from this panel concerned:
- the need to continue cooperation, which shall be based on the principles of equality
and joint benefit;
- the need to choose the right partners for cooperation, in order to make sure that
programmes are sustainable, meet the global challenges and bring out the best of
both education systems;
- the need to maintain a strict quality control system and to facilitate credits transfer
and recognition;
- the need to find appropriate financing for present and new initiatives (also involving
the private sector), as well as to make visible existing financing opportunities.
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Panel 3: Current situation and opportunities for China-EU cooperation in the
field of European studies and Chinese studies
The Centres of European Studies of Renmin and Sichuan universities, the Beijing
Foreign Study University Teaching & Research Consortium for EU Language &
Culture, the VUB Centre for Contemporary China Studies and the Sino-German
Research Centre of Göttingen University presented concrete examples of China-EU
cooperation in the field of European studies and Chinese studies. A presentation of
the Jean Monnet programme complemented the previous information with an update
on the latest developments of the EU leading action in the promotion of EU
integration studies. The main recommendations, which emerged from this panel
concerned:
- the need to update present cooperation (through joint academic projects, joint
research teams, joint consulting activities for governments and enterprises…);
- the need to do more than 'occasional cooperation' and to increase areas of
cooperation;
- the need to increase knowledge about China in Europe (there is presently a
cognitive asymmetry: more knowledge in China about Europe than in Europe about
China);
- the need for Chinese Universities to make further use of the possibilities offered by
the Jean Monnet programme/activity.
EU-China TUNING Workshop (Flagey, Studio 2/ 14:00 – 15:30)
The workshop was attended by approximately 15 tuning experts, both from China
and the EU.
<blank>, Director of Undergraduate and Graduate Studies at the Groningen
University and co-coordinator of the consortium that is preparing the joint study EU-
China Tuning on request of the Commission stated that the Tuning Study has been
set-up in close consultation between the EU and the Chinese authorities for a
number of reasons, the most important of which is the strengthening of the
compatibility of the EU and Chinese Higher Education. The approach followed will
allow developing a 'common language' that will facilitate mobility, cooperation and
mutual recognition from China to the EU and vice-versa. The joint study is co-
coordinated by Prof. Xianjin Dou from China.
Three subject areas were chosen for the tuning exercise: Business Administration,
Education Sciences and Civil Engineering. The three groups are coordinated by
three leading Chinese universities:
Business Administration: Xi'an Jiao Tong University, Xi'an; <blank>;
Education Studies (Comparative Education): Beijing Normal University,
Beijing; <blank>;
Civil Engineering: Tong Ji University, Shanghai; <blank>.
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On 23/24 March 2013 a preparatory meeting took place at the Xi'An Jiao Tong
University in Xi'An, in which the Tuning methodology was presented and discussed.
The methodology defined implies that for each subject area a so-called meta-profile
or conceptual framework will be drawn up, which includes the mapping of the
profession, the mapping of each discipline/subject area, the identification of generic
competences and subject specific competences, the consultation of stakeholders on
the basis of questionnaires on specific and generic competences, the identification of
key competences on the basis of the outcomes of the consultation process and the
identification
of
appropriate
teaching,
learning
and
assessment
approaches/strategies on the basis of discussion and reflection.
Presentations were made on the generic and specific competences necessary for the
3 chosen areas of study. <blank> proposed the alignment of the list of generic
competences for the three areas in order to facilitate comparison. This was discussed
and accepted during the learning visit to EU HEIs (Groningen, Ghent and Bilbao) that
followed the workshop. The consultation of stakeholders will start at the end of
May/beginning of June. Results will be analysed in July. The study is expected to be
completed by April 2014.
Bilateral meeting between VMOE Du Yubo and Commissioner Vassiliou
(Berlaymont / 12:00 – 13:00)
The bilateral between Commissioner Vassiliou
and VMOE Du Yubo took place in a
friendly atmosphere. Commissioner Vassiliou referred to the recent appointment of
Madam Liu (her counterpart in the HPPD) as vice-premier and expressed the wish to
continue to interact with her in future. VMOE Du assured that Madam Liu will
continue to be involved in the HPPD and recalled that his visit was in the framework
of the 10th anniversary of the EU-China comprehensive strategic partnership.
Commissioner Vassiliou recalled the recently launched “A new narrative for Europe”
project aiming to propose a new vision and identity for Europe’s culture and cultural
values. The two leaders referred to HEPCE as an important instrument to make EU
and China HE systems more compatible and support collaborative projects. They
also expressed satisfaction on the HPPD's progress and its follow-up actions and
views on future perspectives. The next HPPD meeting is expected to take place in
China in spring (May?) 2014 and on that occasion its frequency (annual or biennial)
will be discussed. Forthcoming activities include the continuation (and possible
broadening) of the EU-China Tuning exercise, the language initiative for Chinese
professors of lesser spoken EU languages and the implementation of the U-Multirank
project. Commissioner Vassiliou informed that a letter was recently sent to the MOE
to stimulate the participation of Chinese universities in the U-Multirank exercise.
HEPCE Policy Dialogue (Flagey, Studio 2/ 16:00 – 18:20)
Approximately 25 people participated in the policy dialogue, in representation of
Chinese MOE and CSC, DG EAC, EEAS, EUA, ACA and a couple of university
representatives. The policy dialogue – co-chaired by MOE DG Zhang Daliang and
DDG Xavier Prats-Monné - started with reports from the Presidents' Dialogue panels
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(by Mr Wächter and Prof Zhu) and from the TUNING Workshop (by Prof. Wagenaar
and Mr Dou). Then four presentations followed, namely by <blank> on international
exchanges and cooperation of Chinese Higher Education, Prof Guo on
Internationalisation of HE – Chinese universities' perspectives, Mr Hartung on the
European HE in the world and <blank> on the U-Multirank initiative. Then the two co-
chairs gave presentations on the reform and development of Chinese higher
education and the modernisation of higher education in the EU.
Conclusions by Chairs
The Policy Dialogue allowed drawing from the multiple inputs received during the day
and within the session to formulate a number of conclusions:
The first
HEPCE meeting was constructive and offered the opportunity to
exchange experiences and good practices. HEPCE meetings should therefore
continue in future;
the
TUNING China exercise is proving to be very effective in its initial phase.
Therefore it should be considered enlarging it in future to further areas of
knowledge;
QA criteria are not yet fully compatible between the EU and China. Further
work and research on this matter could prove important to ensure the quality
of student and staff mobility in future, as well as the development of excellence
in academic teaching. The QA conference (Bxl 25 June) targeted to ASEAN
countries could represent an appropriate forum to discuss these issues.
Importance of having Chinese Universities participating in the
U-Multirank
exercise.
Need to make more
visible the opportunities for mutual student and staff
exchanges between EU and China also to respond to current mobility flow
imbalance.
The
second HPPD meeting could take place in China in spring (May?) 2014.
Its future frequency (annual or biennial) will be discussed on that occasion.
These conclusions will have to be agreed in the next weeks on with the Chinese
MOE.
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