Rigas Starptautiska ekonomikas un biznesa administracijas augstskola

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Designing joint programmes defining academic
and professional competences
Developing Joint Programmes and Degrees in
Session Five Nordic and Baltic
Countries Tampere, December 13-14, 2007
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Education in Latvia
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Standards regulating Professional HE programmes

• National Framework of HE Qualifications
• Standards on Higher Education
• Profession standards
• Latvia aims to make its national HE system
  compliant with European Qualifications Framework
  by 2009

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General Information about RISEBA

• Established in 1992
• Is accredited by the Ministry of Education and
  Science of the Republic of Latvia and is entitled
  to issue state recognised degrees
• Is accredited by Central and East European
  Management Development Association (CEEMAN)
• Has over 4200 students
• Is located in Riga and has a branch in Daugavpils
• Is a member of various international business
  associations
• The mission To Be a Gateway to International
  Careers
• Since 1997 has been affiliated to the University
  of Salford

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The first level of higher education
Business Studies
Labour Safety
Real Estate Administration
Undergraduate programmes
European Business Studies
Electronic Commerce
Business Studies
Postgraduate programmes
Master of Business Administration
Professional Master in Human Resource Management
Professional Master in Business Management
Master of Integrated Public Relations
Professional Master in International Business
Doctoral Studies
Ph.D. in Management

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Awarding degrees and professional qualifications

• 1st level of HE - 3 programmes
• Level four professional standards
• Commercial specialist, real estate administrator,
  work and safety specialist
• 2nd level of HE education or professional
  bachelor - 3 programmes
• Level five professional standards
• Business executive and e-commerce specialist
• Masters level 5 programmes
• Level five professional standards
• Business executive, HR manager, PR manager
• Doctoral level joint programme with two other
  Latvian institutions (BA School of Banking and
  Finance and Ventspils University College)

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RISEBA University of Salford (UK)

joint

MBA programme

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Basis for co-operation Affiliation agreement
(since 1997) and a franchising agreement for MBA
programme signed in March 2001
PEEL BUILDING
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Specific features of the programme

• Joint programme between two institutions UK and
  Latvia
• 50 of the programme taught by Salford
  professors, 50 by RISEBA professors
• Mostly delivered in Riga, but one module in
  Salford
• Joint design and management of the programme
• Two degrees awarded

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Meeting European Guidelines for Collaborative
provisions

• Fully corresponds to the requirements of the Code
  of Good Practice in the Provision of
  Transnational Education (adopted by the Lisbon
  Recognition Convention Committee at its second
  meeting, Riga, 6 June 2001)
• Is in line with EQUAL Guidelines on Collaborative
  Provision (www.efmd.be)
• Upon successful completion of the programme, the
  graduates are entitled to continue their
  education towards a Doctors degree both in
  Latvia and other countries.

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Issues when designing the programme

• Compliance with UK national qualifications
  framework
• Compliance with Latvian regulations concerning
  the content of the Masters programme
• Compliance with the 5th qualification level of
  the standard PS 0070 Business executive
• Compliance with market driven accreditation
  systems (e.g. AMBA, EQUIS)

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Design of the programme

• The study programme has been designed to meet the
  principles of the Bologna Declaration
• Creation of common education area through
• creation of joint programmes leading in future to
  joint degrees,
• teaching in widely spoken European language
  (mainly in English) in order to ensure that
  students of various nationalities can attend the
  course
• inclusion of European aspects in teaching mainly
  through employing European faculty, using study
  materials based on European environment
• Student and faculty mobility
• Strategic aim
• to develop RISEBA within the framework of the
  Latvian higher education system in order to
  ensure both recognition of the degree by the
  European labour market and its validity for
  further studies in other European countries

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Overall aims of the programme

• to improve the quality of management as a
  profession by
• developing an integrated and critically aware
  understanding of management and organisations
  that will equip students to perform an effective
  and strategic role in management
• developing students ability to work on their
  own, and with others, in systematically and
  creatively applying knowledge of theory and
  practice to resolving complex business problems,
  and to improving business and management
  practice
• enhancing students learning skills so that they
  are able to work with self-direction and
  originality.

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Description of the programme aims

• The MBA programme provides an in-depth,
  comprehensive business and management education
  for young potential managers, established
  managers and executives from business and public
  sector. It is designed to utilise and enhance the
  professional experience of participants
• It aims to enable students to acquire and develop
  the knowledge, theory, skills and confidence they
  need to become competent and effective managers
• The intention is that, on completing the MBA
  programme, participants will have a thorough
  grounding in the crucial areas of organisational
  behaviour, business and management and the
  proficiency to apply and develop this new
  learning successfully throughout their careers

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Contents of the programme in compliance with
Latvian regulations

• Courses, providing acquisition of the latest
  achievements in the subject field theory and
  practice - 15 credits (22.5 ECTS) Management in
  Global Context -4 credits (6 ECTS) Markets and
  Marketing - 4 credits (6 ECTS) Strategic Human
  Resource Management - 2 credits (3 ECTS)
  Innovation and Creativity - 4 credits (6 ECTS)
• Research work, innovation management, project
  management and management courses - 15 credits
  (22.5 ECTS) Managing Business Operations 3
  credits (4.5 ECTS) Project Management - 2
  credits (3 ECTS) Research Methodology and Design
  1 credit (1.5 ECTS) Essentials of Management
  Studies 1 credit (1.5 ECTS) Strategic
  Management 4 credits (6 ECTS)
• Pedagogy and psychology courses - 6 credits (9
  ECTS) Managing Organisations 4 credits (6
  ECTS), Organisational Psychology- 2 credits (3
  ECTS)
• Work placement/ group project - 6 credits (9
  ECTS)
• Dissertation preparation and presentation - 20
  credits (30 ECTS).

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Compliance with the Latvian regulations
concerning the the compulsory contents of the
programme
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5th qualification level of the standard PS 0070
Business executive defines

• Duties and tasks to be performed
• Skills
• Common professional skills
• General skills
• Specific professional skills
• Knowledge at the level of notion, understanding
  and application
• Functional knowledge
• Theoretical economics and management knolwdge
• Integrative knowledge and skills
• General knowledge

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Tuning methodology at the core of the programme

• learning outcomes are defined in terms of skills
  and competences to be acquired by the students
• the students work is based on the credit point
  system
• all graduates receive a Diploma Supplement in
  Latvian and English languages free of charge

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The programmes objective is to ensure
achievement of the following learning outcomes

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Knowledge and understandingOn successful
completion of the core and elective modules
students will be able to

• use a range of economic and behavioural theories
  to interpret individual and group behaviour in
  markets and organisations
• critically evaluate the impact of the external
  context on organisational structure and
  management practice
• analyse and accurately interpret financial and
  operational data on business performance
• design and develop a comprehensive performance
  management system
• critically analyse the contribution of different
  management functions to the successful management
  and control of a business

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Knowledge and understandingOn successful
completion of the core and elective modules
students will be able to

• develop a coherent plan for the profitable
  management of a business
• research and investigate the different approaches
  to strategic analysis and strategy formation in
  organisations
• evaluate and develop the resource-based view of
  the firm, and identify critical firm-specific
  resources
• critically evaluate and analyse the global
  context in which contemporary organisations
  operate, and its impact on management practices
  across the range of functional activities
• design, apply and develop key issues in selected
  areas of management study.

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Knowledge and understandingOn successful
completion of the core and elective modules
students will be able to

• develop an individual learning plan for their
  programme of study
• analyse and compare the benefits of a number of
  strategies and techniques for solving business
  problems
• compare and contrast a range of management
  approaches to training, development and
  creativity in organisations
• research and develop aspects of operations
  management with the view to improve
  organisational performance
• critically evaluate a range of alternative ways
  of conceptualising the management and structure
  of organisations

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Knowledge and understanding On successful
completion of the team and individual projects
students will additionally be able to

• critically discuss the requirements for a
  successful consultancy project
• critically review the literature on a business
  management issue
• defend and justify a research design in relation
  to the investigation of a defined research
  question

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Transferable skillsOn completion of the core and
elective modules students will have had the
opportunity to

• manage their own time and learning
• work with others in applying analytical and
  creative approaches to a range of organisational
  problems
• present and defend interpretations of
  organisational behaviour and proposals for future
  action
• interpret and utilise financial and operational
  data on business performance
• create and implement an operational plan for a
  business
• use a range of tools for the analysis of a firms
  strategy and resource capabilities

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Transferable skillsOn completion of the team and
individual projects students will additionally
have had the opportunity to

• work with others in analysing an organisational
  situation and presenting an action plan for
  change
• collect and analyse data relevant to a defined
  research question
• draw conclusions from investigation and present a
  persuasive report of their findings
• manage their own time on a substantial research
  project

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Ensuring consistency between intended learning
outcomes and teaching, learning and assessment
strategies

• Post experience programme
• Emphasis on students contributing, sharing and
  managing their own learning
• Case method as a tool for developing
  understanding of the application of theory to
  practical problems with much use of team working
• Research based approach to dealing with
  management problems
• Different types of assessments
• Integrating of management into a holistic view of
  organisational management

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Programme management and control structure
MBA programme directors from SU and RISEBA
RISEBA staff
Solford University staff
MBA Programme students
Feedback on all aspects of the programme
Student - staff committee
SU Examination board
RISEBA examination board
The board of studies
Programme working group committees
Annual programme review
Joint SU and RISEBA committee meeting
Module reviews
Faculty
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External quality assurance

• Programme has to comply with both Latvian and UK
  quality standards
• Programme is a subject to Institutional audit by
  Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
  (UK)
• March 2004, next audit 2008
• Accredited by the Ministry of Education and
  Science of the Republic of Latvia
• December 2006 for 6years

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Institutional audit assessment

• The collaborative delivery of the MBA through
  the partnership with RISEBA, Riga, Latvia
  illustrated careful and constructive management
  of quality and standard in overseas provision
  through joint teaching and assessment.

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Issues to be considered

• Subject to national qualifications framework, not
  always consistent
• Additional challenges imposed by other
  accreditation agencies (e.g. AMBA)
• Designing teaching and assessment methods
  ensuring learning outcomes are achieved
• Faster adoption of common European qualification
  framework

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Benefits for the organisations

• Supports internationalisation of the institutions
• Encourages knowledge transfer
• Fosters staff development and training
• Serves as a benchmark of good practice within the
  school
• Supports the development of the whole institution
  and allows to transform quality standards to
  other programmes
• Makes transition to European qualifications
  framework easier

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Thank you

• irina_at_rsebaa.lv
• Tel. [phone]
• www.riseba.lv