Elizabeth Colucci Senior Officer, ACA Academic Cooperation Association Projects, Publications, and Policy debate on internationalising European Higher Education 27 November 2007

ACA: Overview Small Brussels based NGO/’think tank’ Membership organistion: DAAD, Nuffic, British Council, CampusFrance, CIMO, SIU, SI, ÖAD, Non European members: IIE, IDP Australia, Australian Rectors Conference

ACA Activities Mobilizing our members around European Projects, tender, calls for proposals in higher education and research European Policy seminars, Annual conference Publications ACA Newsletter

Recent ACA focus: Support of Bologna and Lisbon reform Student mobility statistics Student services and university competition ‘Externalisation’ of European higher education Promotion of Europe as an attractive destination for higher education English-language taught programmes in Europe

Bologna and externalising European higher education London Communiqué 2007: ‘The European Higher Education Area in a Global Setting’ (ACA contributed to BFUG) ‘improving information on, and promoting the attractiveness and competitiveness of the EHEA’

Promoting Europe as a study destination: current efforts National marketing campaigns carried out by CampusFrance, DAAD, BC, Nuffic,and others Joint European education fairs (Commission funded vs organic), for example, EHEFs in Southeast Asia and Latin America External EU programmes: Erasmus Mundus Improving recognition between Europe and third countries: Tuning projects....

Promoting Europe…. but what are we promoting? ACA study on perceptions of Europe and its higher education in third countries, November 2004 to December 2005 in response to a call for tender issued by the European Commission’s Directorate for Education and Culture

Perceptions of European higher education Two overriding aims: –Acquire an in-depth understanding of the perception of European higher education in third countries –Advise the European Commission regarding a possible European higher education brand and promotion strategy

Does Europe exist on the students’ mental map? Europe is perceived as –an economic and political union but as –individualised countries for higher education and culture Dominance of “core Europe” Perceived discrepancies regarding quality, cost-related issues, student support

Europe and its competitors In general: –“traditional Europe vs dynamic US” –“cultural Europe” Clear regional preference pattern (Six target countries: China, India, Mexico, Brazil, Russia, and Thailand) –Asian target countries: US/AUS –Russia/Latin American countries: Europe

Myths, reality, and confusion Free/low tuition: asset, but Europe not seen as particularly affordable Diversity of cultures and languages –mainly seen as attractive, (especially Brazilians/Mexicans) – “abundance” a problem for significant group of Asians (barrier to communication, confusing) Europe’s single major disadvantage in Asia is that English is not the mother tongue.

How to make Europe more attractive? Most essential that are lacking: –information portal –Europe-wide rankings –financial support for non-European students

Where next? Erasmus Mundus Global Promotion Project European Commission tender (Autumn 2006): First integrated attempt to bolster the attractiveness and accessibility of Europe as destination of study Policy response to Perceptions study and general progression of EM programme

Global Promotion Project: Aims Develop European ‘key messages’ and design a study in Europe website Asses prospect of overseas European promoters and info offices Organise two European study fairs Design a media campaign Produce a ‘tool kit’ of promotion techniques for institutions Build capacities

Questions and challenges Consent and support of national promotion organisations/ institutions Ensuring ‘added value’ with such a brand/promotion network Building capacities of some countries (‘Gap filling’) Balancing commercialisation and internationalisation

Europe going English? Foreign Language taught programme survey and database Marketing English courses in Europe Data collection? A fast-evolving lanscape

Other ACA projects- related New book: The Future of the University: Lisbon in Practice New book: Support for international students in Higher Education Foreign language taught programmes in Europe- Is Europe going English?

Upcoming events ACA European Policy Seminars *What’s New in Brussels? (January 2008) *International Rankings: What they tell us and what they don’ t (April 2008) *Exporting Education: TNE and Europe (MAy 2008) * ACA Annual Conference ‘Beyond 2010’ Tallinn, June

Thank you for your attention!!!