Recommendations

1
Recommendations Theme 1Qualification
Accreditation

• Thinking about QA still mainly national
• Need to tell our professions institutions
  about what goes on at the European level
• QA only works when all those involved are
  committed to it
• Reduce burocracy by
• Reducing the number of assessments
• Fewer submissions of data
• Gain by focusing on outcomes, skills and
  competences, rather than on course content

2
Qualification and Accreditation (contd)

• Stimulate liaison between QA agencies visiting
  the same institution
• Stimulate exchange of ideas beween label
  committees and identify best practices
• N.B. the Chemistry Eurobachelor was
  identified as an admirable slimline
  procedure
• Separate QA in research and in teaching
• Make excellence in teaching as important as
  excellence in research

3
Recommendations Theme 2Industry / Innovation /
Impact

• How can Universities promote innovation?
• Value industrial funding as equal to funding for
  fundamental research
• Equate patents with publications for review
• (assessing Unis / Depts / promotion)
• Develop short term mechanism for handling
  confidentiality in doctoral theses
• Exposing students to industrial needs practice
• Place a value on innovation in teaching and
  excellence
• Ensure that QA does not stifle innovation

4
Industry / Innovation / Impact (contd)

• With respect to the EIT
• Difficult to comment before proposal is more
  definite
• Uncertain about industrial participation where IP
  matters are crucially involved
• Avoid negative effects on universities of the
  former Eastern-European Academies of Science
• Requirements and burocracy should be far simpler
  than in FP 6 and FP 7
• Question Is this the best way to spend one
  billion Euros in order to promote a
  knowledge-based society?

5
Theme 3How to attract students to scientific
studies

• The Slovenian initiative Science on the buses
  was an outstanding project and gave great value
  for money
• Talent should be recognised as a resource. People
  with specific abilities should be identified
  early
• We have to create a challenging educational
  environment, both inside and outside schools.
• The media often present a negative image of
  engineering. Good practice in training scientific
  journalists (Royal Society of Chemistry) and in
  training and listing potential experts for TV
  interview (several Universities)

6
Theme 3 (contd)How to attract students to
scientific studies

• Target audiences should be teachers and society
  in general (multiplier effect)
• However, events aimed at potential students can
  also be effective
• Single subject teachers are needed to teach
  science in schools
• Teachers in Maths Physics should be stimulated
  to illustrate their theory with examples from
  engineering
• Competitions with simple items (flying beetles,
  powered by elastic) can contribute
• Continuing education for secondary school teachers