EU policy development and implementation : The contribution by ESMU www.esmu.be

ESMU European Centre for Strategic Management of Universities 1986 Aims – Promoting good management practices in European universities through Networks (HUMANE, DEAN) Projects & Benchmarking exercices Conferences, seminars Training programmes (Winter School for senior administrators) Target groups - University leadership (heads of administration, deans, other decision-makers) 19 June 2007

Support to the European Commission Since 1987 – Involvement in shaping and implementing education & training programmes (EU level) Technical Assistance COMETT programme – university-enterprise cooperation SOCRATES, LEONARDO and YOUTH programmes As Advisory on policy issues (individual ESMU experts/members) – close links (DGEAC) TEMPUS programme 19 June 2007

Improving university management Has always been “the” ESMU agenda Learning through exchanges of experience and expertise (from « clubs » to networks and training programmes) Identifying good practices through peer work in small groups (benchmarking exercises, projects on university management) Disseminating good practices (conferences, seminars) Reinforcing this agenda – some concrete examples 19 June 2007

European Benchmarking Programme on university management (1) Seventh year (started initially with ACU) Groups of ten universities Identifying good management processes Benchmarking management processes (four topics benchmarked each year) Human Resource Management, Commercialisation of Research results, Students’services, Internal Quality 12-month process Questionnaires, Experts’work, Workshop, Final report 19 June 2007

European Benchmarking Initiative (EBI) (2) Two-year EU-funded project Aim : broaden portfolio of benchmarking activities (needs of universities – “reputation race”, learning, data, etc,…) Four partners : ESMU, CHE, UNESCO-CEPES, Aveiro Handbook on benchmarking approaches, cases studies and standards Testing models on sample groups of universities Dissemination (conferences, workshops) 19 June 2007

Survey – governance & curriculum reforms (3) Six-month EU-project (2006) Partners : CHEPS, ESMU, CHE, NIFU-STEP Producing a major report on reforms in 32 European countries – in preparation of conference of EU ministers of education (2007) Identifying good practices 19 June 2007

European networks DEAN – Deans’European and academics’ Network HUMANE – Heads of University Management and Administrators’Network in Europe 1997 200 members (heads of administration) Seminars, study tours, projects (Research Mgt, HRM, Financial Mgt) DEAN – Deans’European and academics’ Network 1999 140 members (deans, heads of schools) Conferences, seminars (Lisbon Strategy, e-learning, staff retention) 19 June 2007

ESMU-HUMANE Winter School for Senior administrators Fifth edition in 2007 One-week training programme (Barcelona, March) 30 to 35 participants from all over Europe A “mini-MBA” with the following components Five main themes (“The European challenge”, change & strategic management, HRM, financial management, ICT management) Networking and interaction between participants (group work and work on a major project for presentation to a Jury) Strong skill component (ex : communication in multicultural environments) 19 June 2007