Policy Dialog: the Missing Link in the 2008 Romanian Human Papillomavirus (Hpv) Vaccination Program

<p>The model of the traditional decision – making deciding behind the closed doors ofpower is strongly eroded by the new perceptionof democracy, as it is gradually replaced by amodel dominated not by managers, but by themanagement of decision. This article analyzesfrom the social sciences perspective a) why theRomanian 2008 HPV vaccination campaign turnedout to be a failure, b) what generated the strongpublic rejection of a policy that the Ministry of PublicHealth supposed would be easily accepted by thepopulation, and especially by the targeted group– the 10-11 years old girls and their parents. Thearticle also seeks to offer recommendations, fromthe public communication perspective, regardinghow policy dialogue and public participation mightsupport the promotion of large-scale policies byinvolving the stakeholders at all stages of thedecision-making process, and hence, avoidingunfounded social tensions and waste of valuableresources.</p

The European higher education area: between critical reflections and future policies

Bridging the gap between higher education research and policy making was always a challenge, but the recent calls for more evidence-based policies have opened a window of unprecedented opportunity for researchers to bring more contributions to shaping the future of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA)

Re-Thinking an Educational Model Suitable for 21st Century Need

How should learning in higher education best meet the challenges posed by the many changes in society and employment? If graduates are knowledgeable in a particular field of studies and are trained in key generic competences/transferable skills to allow for autonomy and responsibility, is that enough? Is it being achieved? Or are new and diverse sets of learning models (Lifelong Learning or the 60 Year Curriculum) needed? Learners must be empowered to operate as responsible and active citizens in their society and be successful participants in a dynamic labour market. Society will require continuous (re-)training to handle rapid technological and societal changes. To stay relevant as autonomous educational providers, higher education institutions will have to change their formats of learning and teaching. A revised higher education model demands a highly flexible format to cater for individualised learning pathways, based on three key components: (1) a particular field of studies (thematic or disciplinary) – the core - (2) a fully integrated set of transferable skills and (3) a large set of learning units of various sizes covering a flexible curriculum. Can it respond to five societal challenges in each component: interculturalism; processes of information and communication; processes of governance and decision making; ethics, norms, values and professional standards and the impact of climate change? Measuring and Comparing Achievements of Learning Outcomes in Higher Education in Europe (CALOHEE), an EU funded project envisages a new model. The paper is partly based on the (initial) findings of this project. International cooperation in the context of the EHEA is essential to engage all, and make a change

Redefining Internationalization at Home

The term “Internationalization at Home” and its definition were first introduced in 2001 (Crowther et al 2001). Since then, strongly related and overlapping concepts and definitions have emerged, notably Internationalization of the Curriculum and Campus Internationalization, which have led to confusion over terminology and risk distracting attention from the main job of implementing internationalized curricula. This chapter focuses on the concept and definition of Internationalization at Home. It first critically explores three accepted definitions: 1. Internationalization; 2. Comprehensive Internationalization; and 3. Internationalization of the Curriculum. This is followed by a discussion of three notions which are more contested: the distinction between internationalization at home and abroad; the OECD definition of an internationalized curriculum; and Campus Internationalization. Their similarities to and differences from Internationalization at Home (IaH) are discussed. Next, recent developments in conceptualizing Internationalization at Home and in its implementation are presented. It will be argued that, while Internationalization of the Curriculum is the overarching term, the concept of IaH within that is still valuable in certain contexts and for certain purposes. On the basis of these arguments, it is maintained that the current definition of IaH does not provide sufficient support for those with an interest in internationalizing domestic curricula. The authors therefore propose a new working definition and identify challenges that await those who want to implement Internationalization at Home

Performance agreements in higher education: a new approach to higher education funding

Increasingly, governments have introduced elements of performance in the funding mechanisms for their higher education institutions. One particular development is the rise of Performance Agreements (PAs), which are contracts signed between funding authorities and individual universities or colleges. The key characteristics of the PAs in place in several OECD countries are summarized before turning to the Netherlands, where an experiment with PAs was recently (2016) concluded. The question is whether this experiment improved performance in the higher education system, where ‘performance’ is understood in terms of the students’ graduation rates, the quality of teaching and learning and the diversity in the provision of education and research. What has been achieved in these areas? And what can be learned from the Dutch performance agreements experiment in general