Pro.Mo.Austria 2016 – 2018

"Pro.Mo.Austria+ Promoting Mobility. Fostering EHEA Commitments in Austria" is a project of the Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy (BMWFW), dept. IV/10.

It was submitted within the framework of the key action 3 – Erasmus+ “Support to the implementation of EHEA reforms 2016-18” (call EACEA 49/2015).

It is important that the Bologna Process does not only exist on paper but actively contributes to the creation of a European Higher Education Area. The Bologna associated objectives are currently in different implementation stages and are “lived” with different intensity.

Multi-annual working programmes advance the implementation and provide room for critical reflexion. In cooperation with the Bologna Service Point a work programme for the period of June 1st, 2016 to May 31st, 2018 was developed, which continues the activities of the former Bologna experts team and offers a broad spectrum of guidance, training and information for the Austrian higher education institutions. In addition to the annual Bologna Day thematic seminars will also be held and printed materials will be published.

As far as content is concerned priority topics and priority activities were specified in the call. When creating the work programme the ECTS Guide 2015, the results and conclusions of the Bologna Implementation Report 2015 as well as the priorities from the Yerevan Communiqué 2015 had to be taken into account in order to support the Austrian higher education strategy.

The work programme thus covers the following topics:

• quality in mobility and recognition of prior learning
• promoting “good teaching practice”
• accompanying measures to implement the national strategy on “Social Dimension”
• (inter)national peer learning activities and advisory visits for higher education institutions

The external monitoring by the AQ Austria – Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria has been a very successful accompanying support in the current project and will therefore be continued.

The European Commission, the Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy (BMWFW) and the National Agency Erasmus+ support the Bologna Process in Austria by means of a whole series of activities. A team of eight national experts for the European higher education area will be at the service of all higher education institutions until June 2018 for strategic and practical guidance for the implementation of the Bologna goals.

Short profiles of the experts for the period 2016-18:

• Gabriele Abermann: Higher education institution: FH Salzburg. Function: lecturer for English, former vice-rector. Expertise in the areas of: curriculum development; learning outcomes; mobility; ECTS & Diploma Supplement; quality assurance; Joint & Double Degrees CV (PDF)
• Regine Bolter: Higher education institution: Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences. Function: head of the degree programme Computer Sciences, former vice-rector. Expertise in the areas of: curriculum development, ECTS & Diploma Supplement, learning outcomes, study architecture, recognition of prior learning, mobility CV (PDF)
• Berta Leeb: Higher education institution: Private University College of Teacher Education of the Diocese of Linz. Function: vice-rector. Expertise in the areas of: study architecture; learning outcomes; mobility; ECTS & Diploma Supplement; quality assurance CV (PDF)
• Susanne Linhofer: Higher education institution: University College of Teacher Education Styria. Function: Head of the Centre for International Cooperation in Education. Expertise in the areas of: recognition; quality assurance; mobility; LLL CV (PDF)
• Andreas Potucek: Higher education institution: Austrian Student Union at the Vienna University of Technology CV (PDF)
• Christina Raab: Higher education institution: University of Innsbruck. Function: Head of the Special Department for the Bologna Process and Teaching Development. Expertise in the areas of: recognition of prior learning; curriculum development; learning outcomes; mobility; ECTS & Diploma Supplement; quality assurance CV (PDF)
• Günter Wageneder: Higher education institution: University of Salzburg. Function: Head of quality management. Expertise in the areas of: curriculum development, learning outcomes, Joint & Double Degrees, ECTS & Diploma Supplement, student-centred teaching and learning, quality assurance, mobility CV (PDF)
• Christian Werner: Higher education institution: Private University Schloss Seeburg. Function: managing director. Expertise in the areas of: curriculum development, ECTS, Double/Multiple/Joint Degree programmes, recognition of prior learning, student-centred teaching, quality assurance, mobility CV (PDF)

The team, which has worked together for many years, provides a broad spectrum of guidance, training, peer learning and information for the higher education institutions.

In coordination with seven relevant departements of the Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy (BMWFW) and considering national higher education agendas, strategies and recommendations we offer the following initiatives:

• Advisory visits at your higher education institution (offered on an ongoing basis) More information (PDF)
  
• International peer-learning activity on mainstreaming of the social dimension (2017)
• Bologna Day on the Social Dimension (2017)
• Survey: mobility obstacles at Austrian higher education institutions (2017)
• Publication and event on quality in mobility (2017)
• Bologna Day on Recognition of Prior Learning (2018)
• Four events to promote “good teaching practice” (2017-18)

The experts provide individual advice and information for up to six higher education institutions by means of advisory visits. This includes systematic assistance in the implementation of the Bologna objectives with regard to specific requirements of a whole higher education institution and individual organisational units.

The ECTS Guide 2015 increases awareness in Austria for the European credit system as a transparency instrument and the necessaryconnection with the learning outcome descriptions.

As members of the steering committees for thematic seminars and the annual Bologna Day the national experts for the European higher education area prepare current Bologna Process topics for discussion in order to develop further approaches and recommendations and to communicate them to a broad public.

Moreover, they act as facilitator or workshop leaders. The transnational dialogue of the experts as well as international networking are promoted and supported by systematic training on the part of the European Commission. A peer learning activity on quality assured formulation via examination of learning outcomes promotes the exchange with the Netherlands and ten other countries.

As a major information interface the EHEA experts are members of the Austrian Bologna Follow-Up Group and are actively involved due to their reporting function. In this function they work on national accompanying recommendations on the ECTS Guide 2015.

The national experts’ activities are part of the Erasmus+ key action 3 "Policy Support to the national Higher Education Authority". The Austrian work programme is entitled “Pro.Mo.Austria+ // Promoting Mobility. Fostering EHEA Commitments in Austria“.