CC BY
0STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES OF TRANS-EUROPEAN MOBILITY PROGRAMME TEMPUS
Lashchykhina V.
candidate of pedagogical sciences (PhD), associate professor Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine
Abstract
The article focuses on the work of European organizations regarding European integration processes in higher education. The article investigates the strategic objectives of the Trans-European Mobility Programme for University Studies (TEMPUS) and its influence on development of higher education in the global dimension. The article deals with the principles of modern European higher education and conceptual basis for the development of cooperation between higher education institutions in the European Union and the Partner Countries. The reform and modernisation of higher education systems in the EU's surrounding area are considered in the article.
Keywords: lifelong learning programme, Tempus, university studies, trans-European mobility, Trans-European Cooperation, institutional cooperation, European Union, Partner Countries, development, objectives, European dimension, higher education, integration, mobility.
Introduction. In the modern world, in the context of globalization, formation of the European dimension when significant political, social, cultural, scientific and technological transformations of a civilizational scope are taking place, a lot of spheres of society's life, including system of education which plays a leading role as a social institution: promotes scientific, educational, technological progress, disseminates scientific, educational knowledge among population, contributes to the socialization of new generations, forms the elite and leaders of the state, etc.
A number of scientific researches and Internet sources are devoted to integration of higher education into the European space, in particular the works of Bau-demont S., Delors J., Lepesant G., Malkova Z., Mat-vienko O., Mialaret G., Michel A., Nichkalo N., A. Prost, Tost M., Fourastie J., Wulfson B. and others.
It should be noted that the main problem of strategies formation of the European dimension of higher education nowadays focuses on the work of European organizations regarding European integration processes in education. Development of higher education in the global dimension depends on the strategic objectives of the educational programmes, especially the European lifelong learning programmes (LLP). The lifelong learning programme (LLP) is the successor to the Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci, Erasmus, Comenius, Iris, Lingua, Komett and ICT / Open & Distance Learning. It supports learning opportunities from childhood to old age in every single life situation [1, c.334-335; 2; 3;5].
The objective of our research is related with implementation of the first European educational (lifelong learning) programme Tempus and its influence on enlargement opportunities and development of higher education in the countries of the European region.
Materials and Methods. The TEMPUS (Trans-European Mobility Programme for University Studies) programme encourages higher education institutions in the EU Member States and Partner Countries to engage in structured cooperation through the establishment of "consortia". The "consortia" implement Joint European Projects (JEPs) with a clear set of objectives. Such projects may receive financial aid for two or three years. Tempus also provides Individual Mobility
Grants (IMGs) to individuals working in Higher Education sector to help them work on certain specified activities in other countries [8].
Tempus is the European Union's programme which supports the modernisation of higher education in the Partner Countries of Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Western Balkans and the Mediterranean region, mainly through university cooperation projects [4].
Tempus was established in 1990, shortly after the fall of the Berlin wall, to help the countries of Central and Eastern Europe to become modern and prosperous democracies. In the mid-1990s after the Soviet Union ceased to exist, the Tempus Programme was extended to the New Independent States and the countries of the former Yugoslavia.
In 2000, the Programme celebrated its tenth anniversary.
Since then, the programme has been extended further to the 10 Partner Countries in the MEDA region. In addition, 10 of the former Tempus Partner countries, partly due to the success of their reform efforts, have now acceded to become members of the EU themselves.
The following time-line gives a brief overview of the Tempus programme throughout its 20 years.
- 1 July 1990 - the trans-European mobility scheme for university studies (in the future referred to as Tempus) was adopted by the Council, 'within a perspective of five years, for an initial pilot period of three years.' This first period of the Tempus programme was launched to respond to the modernisation needs of the higher education sector in Central and Eastern European countries, following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Countries: Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia (from 1993 as Czech and Slovak Republics).
- In 1991, Bulgaria, Romania and Yugoslavia entered Tempus for 1991 only.
- In 1992, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovenia, Albania were added to the Partner Countries Tempus worked with.
- 29 April 1993 - the second period of the Trans-European Cooperation Scheme for Higher Education, Tempus II, was adopted by the European Council for a phase of 4 years as of 1 July 1994. Partner Countries
included during 1993 were Russian Federation, Ukraine, and Belarus.
40% of Ukrainian universities participate in EU Tempus programme within 20 years [8; 9].
- 1 July 1994 - Tempus II started. Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan became Partner Countries.
- In 1995, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Mongolia entered Tempus.
- In 1996 - Tempus II was extended in 1996 so that activities could continue until 2000. Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan were included in the programme.
- 29 April 1999 - the Council adopted the third period of the Trans-European cooperation scheme for higher education (Tempus III) for the phase from 20002006.
- 1 July 2000 - Tempus III was initiated.
- 5 December 2000 - the Cards Regulation of 5 December 2000 amends the Tempus III Decision to include the participation of Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and sets out the framework for Community assistance to the Western Balkans.
- 27 June 2002 - on the basis of its proven strengths, the geographic scope of the Tempus Programme was formally enlarged by the Council to include the Mediterranean region. In addition, the duration of the Programme was extended until 31 December 2006 to bring it into line with other Community programmes in the sphere of education and training.
- 31 December 2006 - Tempus III comes to an
end.
- January 2008: launching of Tempus IV (20072013). Tempus IV was initiated to cover the 2007 -2013 period and results from a positive impact study which recognised that Tempus was an important and significant instrument for supporting higher education reforms in the Partner Countries.
- In 2008, Israel joined the programme as a new partner country.
- April 2009 - Management of the programme is transferred from the European Commission's Directorate-General for Education and Culture to the Executive Agency for Education, Culture and Audiovisual (EACEA) in Brussels.
- In 2010, Croatia left the programme, but joined again when it became an official Member State of the European Union.
- In 2010, Libya joined the programme as a new partner country [6].
As of 1 January 2014 - Tempus-like activities, namely capacity building activities, have become part of a new cooperation programme called Erasmus+. These activities involve existing Tempus countries, in addition to countries from Latin America, Asia and Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific [8].
The Tempus programme is implemented in coordination with the Erasmus Mundus programme which provides scholarships to third country students allowing them to participate in top-level Master courses and Doctorate programmes outside the EU [7].
Tempus promotes institutional cooperation that involves the European Union and Partner Countries and focuses on the reform and modernisation of higher education systems in the Partner Countries [1; 2; 3].
It also aims to promote voluntary convergence of the higher education systems in the Partner Countries with EU developments in the sphere of higher education. With regards to the Western Balkans, Tempus contributes to preparing the candidate and potential candidate countries for a participation in the integrated Life Long Learning Programme [2; 7].
Tempus promotes cooperation between institutions, and it also encourages a people-to-people approach. This programme provides support to consortia of institutions composed mainly of universities or university associations. Non-academic partners can also be part of a consortium [7].
The Commission considers higher education as an important priority for its cooperation activities with the neighbouring countries and the countries within its wider locality. The Tempus programme, which is the longest-standing EU programme in this sector and which has a strong focus on cooperation between higher education institutions, has entered a new period from 2007 to 2013. Since its inception in 1990, university cooperation under the Tempus programme has contributed successfully to institution building in higher education in the Partner Countries and to sustainable university partnerships, as well as to increasing mutual understanding between the academic worlds of the European Union and the Partner Countries [7].
However in the Partner Countries, higher education institutions are currently facing substantial challenges linked to:
- increasing global competition, leading to a considerable shift in the distribution of the economic power at world level;
- challenges of societies in transition (social cohesion, human rights, etc.);
- considerable demographic changes (number of people potentially having access to higher education, age structure, migration flows);
- changes in science and technology but particularly, the growing importance of organisational and societal innovation rather than purely technological innovation [7].
Nevertheless higher education institutions are key players in the successful transition to a knowledge-based economy and society and they provide the training for a new generation of leaders. They are important for the development of human resources. Higher education institutions are also considerable factors in growth and competitiveness, and play a decisive role in the reform agenda of EU Member States and the Tempus Partner Countries.
The main objective of Tempus is to foster the creation of an area of cooperation in the sphere of higher education between the European Union and the Tempus Partner Countries.
The strategic and specific objectives of Tempus are as follows:
- to promote the reform and modernisation of higher education in the Partner Countries;
- to improve the quality and relevance of higher education to the world of work and society in the Partner Countries;
- to enhance the capacity of higher education institutions in the Partner Countries and the EU, in particular their ability to cooperate internationally and to continually modernise;
- to maintain them in opening up to the world of work and the society at large in order to:
• improve inter-disciplinary thinking and working within and between faculties and universitiesarity and trans-disciplinarity between university faculties;
• increase the employability of university graduates;
• overcome inter-country fragmentation in the area of higher education and inter-institutional fragmentation in the countries themselves;
• make the European Higher Education Area more visible and attractive to the world;
- to foster the reciprocal development of human resources;
- to enhance mutual understanding between the peoples and cultures of the EU and the Partner Countries [7].
Priority themes under Tempus are defined around the main components of the EU's higher education modernisation agenda and are therefore structured in the following three building blocks:
• Curricular Reform
Modernisation of curricula in academic disciplines identified as priorities by the Partner Countries, using the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), the three cycle system and the recognition of degrees.
• Governance Reform:
- equal and transparent access to higher education;
- university management and services for students;
- introduction of quality assurance;
- institutional and financial autonomy and accountability;
- development of international relations.
• Higher Education and Society:
- knowledge triangle education-research-innovation;
- training of non-university teachers;
- training courses for public services (ministries, regional/local authorities);
- development of lifelong learning in society at large;
- qualifications frameworks;
- development of partnerships with enterprises
[7].
National and regional priorities are defined based on these themes [7].
The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) is responsible for the management / implementation of all Tempus Actions and acts under the supervision of Europe Aid (DEVCO) and Directorate-General for Enlargement (DG ELARG of the European Commission) [5; 7].
Conclusion. The Tempus programme, is the longest-standing European Union's programme in the sector of cooperation between higher education institutions. Tempus promotes and supports institutional cooperation that involves the European Union and the Partner Countries and focuses on the reform and modernization of higher education systems in the EU's surrounding area. Tempus contributes to preparing the candidate and potential candidate countries for a participation in the integrated Life Long Learning Programme. In addition to promoting cooperation between institutions, Tempus also assists a people-to-people approach.
The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) is responsible for the management / implementation of all Tempus Actions and acts under powers delegated by the European Commission.
The strategic objective of Tempus is to contribute to the creation of an area of cooperation in the field of higher education between the European Union and the Tempus Partner Countries.
References
1. Lepesant G. Elargissement de l'UE. L'Etat de la France. - Paris, 2005-2006. - pp. 334-335.
2. Магаенко О. В. Багатомовнють у вищш ocbítí краш Свропи // Освгга для сучасносТ = Edukacja dla wspo'lczesnos'ci: зб. наук. пр.: у 2 т. / MÍH-во освгти i науки Украши, НАПН Украши, НПУ ÍMem М. П. Драгоманова, Комгтет педа-гопчних наук Польсько1 академи наук, наукове то-вариство «Польща-Украша», 1нститут педагопчно1 освгти i освгти дорослих НАПН Украши,). - Кшв: Вид-во НПУ iMem М. П. Драгоманова, 2015. - Т. 2. - С. 383 - 390.
3. Tost M. La dimension européenne. -Strasbourg : Editions du Conseil de l'Europe, 2000. -pp. 29-35.
4. Programmes 2017-2013 | EACEA. Access mode : http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/2007-2013_en.php
5. Tempus Programme 2007-2013 | EACEA. Access mode : http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/tempus/index_en.php
6. Tempus @ 20 | EACEA Access mode: http ://eacea.ec. europa.eu/tempus/events/2010/ministe-rial_20birthday.php
7. Tempus IV (2007-2013): Overview of the Programme - EACEA. Access mode : http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/tempus/programme/about_te mpus_en.php#info
8. TEMPUS - Wikipedia Access mode: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TEMPUS
9. Interfax. Access mode : http://www.mter-fax.co.uk/ukraine-news/14 April 2013
