Portuguese higher education: a view from the outside Presentation of report, 1 Howard Davies February Lisbon

Introductory remarks The team expresses its gratitude to  CNE  A3ES and all other stakeholders  CRUP The dual focus of the report  Restructuring of the higher education system  Rationalisation of the national course portfolio The report sets out the collective (and independent) view of the team, delivered here in a sequence of four presentations …2…

The team Ms Andrea Blättler, former executive committee member, European Students’ Union Professor Dr Jean-Marc Rapp, former Rector, Université de Lausanne, former chair, Swiss Rectors Conference, former president of EUA Professor Dr Carles Solà, former Rector, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, former chair, Spanish Rectors Conference Dr Howard Davies, convener and rapporteur Professor Dr Pedro Teixeira, director of CIPES, national expert and adviser to the team …3…

Methodology (1) High level of public awareness of dual focus Preparatory work  Monitoring of Portuguese press and other sources  A3ES consolidated data on institutions and student numbers  Support from national expert Week-long visit to meet wide range of stakeholders:  Government, Parliament, CNE, A3ES, FCT, FCG  APESP, CCISP, CRUP, international relations and research communities  Student and trade unions …4…

Methodology (2) The report is not:  A formal system-level evaluation  An extensive research-backed foresight exercise  An explicit continuation of previous appraisals (OECD, ENQA, EUA)  A vademecum of Bologna Process and EU higher education policy The report is a contribution to national debate  Record of stakeholder opinion  Observations by the team  Recommendations …5…

A four-part presentation 1 st part  the binary system; regional development 2 nd part  research; Foundations and mergers; funding; re- structuring of the HE system 3rd part  Lifelong learning; learning and teaching; internationalisation; quality assurance; the rationalisation of the course portfolio 4th part  the Conselho Cordenador do Ensino Superior (CCES) …6…

The binary system (1) ‘… not a system, but a landscape…’ The academic / professional distinction exists in law; the binary system is supported by RJIES But the distinction is obscured by:  lack of regulation over the last 40 years  reciprocal mission drift  the employability imperative  regional imbalance in distribution of providers  co-location of university and polytechnic schools  lack of strategic perspective …7…

The binary system (2) A formal distinction, with its substance diluted, but reinforced by disparity of esteem Paradoxically, weak mission distinctiveness does not mean diminished mission loyalty Both sub-sectors wish to thrive with separate identities, but with a more dynamic interface Doctoral education aside, the differentiation should tend towards the horizontal:  measures to reduce funding discrepancies by levelling upwards  measures to increase access and system versatility …8…

Regional development (1) Recommendations 1-5 address the need for a more flexible and versatile binary system… … but not the geographical dimension The team believes that system re-structuring must go hand in hand with regional development Stakeholders suggest:  more cross-border collaboration with Spain  more and better use of EU structural funds  affirmative action in favour of institutions in the interior …9…

Regional development (2) These and other viable options require support:  incentives to institutions to engage in trans-binary curriculum development and knowledge transfer  incentives to individuals to re-locate to the interior  facilitating agencies which will liaise between institutional consortia, CCDRs and the CCES (R6-8) Subsequent slides deal with the CCES, as well as with issues (funding, research, etc) relevant to the fostering of effective interventions All Recommendations are predicated on growth …10…

…11… Thank you for your attention