1. Nordic-Russian Cooperation Program. Sponsor: The Nordic Council of Ministers Contract Partner I : Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Education (SiU). Coordinating institution: Sør-Trøndelag University College (HiST) Trondheim Business School (TBS) 1NCM-RU/10032

2. Bridging the gap between the Nordic and the Russian Quality Assurance systems in social sciences Project coordinator: Trondheim Business School (TBS/HiST) Main Russian Partner Institution: Higher School of Economics – National Research University (HSE) (HSE-RU) St.Petersburg. Network Partner: Roskilde University Centre (RUC) Denmark NCM-RU/100322

3. Main objective: to introduce quality awareness, quality consciousness and quality assessment in the HSE “Building quality culture” (QA) in the HSE Descriptors of three-tier structures Creation of self-evaluation mechanism Formation of group of peers from partner universities Establish a “Quality Assurance Club” in HSE NCM-RU/100323

4. Project dissemination activities Broad public dissemination Seeking contact to Nordic networks devoted to QA Dedicated dissemination to the RF Ministry of Education Dedicated dissemination to other Russian universities and stakeholders NCM-RU/100324

5. Disciplines Political Science and Organizational Theory (204) Economics (201) Other social sciences (216) NCM-RU/100325

6. Nordic aspects of cooperation It aims at comparing the Nordic and Russian quality assurance systems(QAS) Facilitate sharing QA experiences between Nordic and Russian universities The need for the project: In spite of introducing BP principles, the universities differ in their QA philosophy and evaluation criteria The Russian educational system practise a “formalistic and bureaucratic QAS” The Nordic Quality Assurance Culture is more oriented into self-evaluation compared to the Russian manner NCM-RU/100326

7. Five principles for the project QA is a turning-wheel for a series of Bologna aspects, lines and actions QA touches a classical governance problem: how to control the subordinates’ performance without strangling. At the same time assure sufficient incentives to improve their conduct QA is a contextual phenomena embedded in the institution’s social construction and culture. One of the aims is to initiate Quality Assurance Culture To transform the BP concepts to concrete and operational. To establish a sustainable network NCM-RU/100327

8. Five outcomes A quality group is formed at each of the partner universities. “Building Quality Culture” Descriptors of three tier structure Doing Self Evaluation at each of the three partner Universities Moving Strategic perspective toward Bologna Process. Establishing group of Peers Establishing “Quality Assurance Club” in the HSE NCM-RU/100328

9. Milestones Seminar in St.Petersburg in November 2013 Seminar in Roskilde in January / February 2014 Seminar in Trondheim in May/June 2014 Workshop in Russia June 2014 Workshop in Trondheim September 2014 Seminar in St.Petersburg October 2014. NCM-RU/100329

10. Long term goals and plans Establish a “Quality Assurance Club” at HSE Dissemination to the “broad public”, to QA networks in the Nordic countries, to other Russian Universities, to the RF Ministry of education NCM-RU/1003210

11. Reports and documentation Annual Progress Report Final Project Report Reports from the working groups Reports from the Quality Assurance Articles and papers NCM-RU/1003211

12. The outcome Developing a quality assurance culture at HSE The Bologna principles will be implemented in higher education in Russia. Russian Universities will participate on equal terms with the rest of Europe. The partnership and cooperation between RUC, HSE TBS and the other participants, will develop further in the years to come, NCM-RU/1003212