Trans European Mobility Programme for University Students

The University of Brighton were involved in three initiatives funded through the TEMPUS project of the European Commission aimed at strengthening the cooperation between European Higher Education Area (EHEA) institutions and the Middle East region by establishing structural measures that facilitate exchange mobilities, joint programmes and mutual recognition of diploma. These were called: TEMPUS CORINTHIAM, TEMPUS IDEA and TEMPUS ESPRIT.

TEMPUS CORINTHIAM

The objectives of the CORINTHIAM project included implementing the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) and establishing centralised offices responsible for interationalisation.

One of the goals of the project was the publication of specific guidelines and handbooks on five distinctive areas. The University of Brighton produced the fifth and final handbook on the implementation of ECTS. Following discussions at the CORINTHIAM workshop held in Brighton in June 2012, the handbook included chapters by the Israeli, Palestinian and European members of the project examining the challenges and benefits of internationalisation and introducing the ECTS system. 

The project stimulated considerable dialogue within Israel and Palestine as well as with European partners. It resulted in many outcomes including enhanced mobility and infrastructural transformations within the third countries through the establishment of international relations offices and by engaging academic colleagues and students in the development of a pedagogic dialogue facilitated by the pilot implementation of a common, student-centred, academic credit framework across a wide range of subjects and institutions, alongside examination of the Diploma Supplement as a means to record holistic student achievement.

Vitally, CORINTHIAM has, through support from Tempus, contributed to ensuring that the significant value and role of higher education internationally, continued to address strategic perspectives, to make a social and cultural difference and to sustain a dialogue that transcends politics and national borders. 

Israeli Partners
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Bezalel Academy of Arts & Design, Jerusalem, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Interdisciplinary Center Horsily

Palestinian Partners
Al Quds University, Hebron University

European Partners
Vrije Universiteit Brussels (Belgium) - Grant Holder and coordinator.
Compostela Group of Universities (Spain)
Lund University (Sweden)
Masaryk University (Czech Republic)
Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano (Italy)
University of Brighton (United Kingdom)
Carl van Ossietzki Universität Oldenburg (Germany)
Utrecht Network (Netherlands)

TEMPUS IDEA (InterDisciplinary Education Agenda)

The TEMPUS IDEA project aimed to improve the exploitation of a new knowledge integration in the interdisciplinary area of Engineering, Design and Business at higher education institutes from an industrial perspective - improving innovation as well as academy‑industry relations.

Global competition leads to a considerable shift in the distribution of the world economic power and the need for innovation as a vital driver for sustainable growth is now evident. Companies realise that the interconnection between the pioneering creativity of designers and engineers complemented by innovative business models has the capacity to set their next competitive advantage.

The strong research-led culture of the academic environment must be attentive to the needs of industry and markets and must promote new knowledge synergies.In this context, the IDEA project (InterDisciplinary Education Agenda, an essential driver for innovation) found its roots.

Its wider objectives were:
> To effectively bridge the gaps within the knowledge triangle and support current efforts of industry to cope with global economic challenges
> To strengthen academy-industry collaboration in the domain of innovation and to emphasise the role of HEIs in the knowledge triangle
> To stimulate innovative integration and knowledge synergies of engineering, design and business disciplines within a wide range of projects and industries.
> To improve student employability and strengthen the capacity of HEIs in meeting labour market demands for innovation

With specific objectives
> To Modernise the multi-disciplinary Innovation Culture in Israeli HEIs through new synergies among the disciplines of engineering, design and business involving industry
> To establish a common framework for educators and students from different disciplines that will equip them with the methods, skills and attributes needed to work in interdisciplinary environments.
> To establish institutional operational mechanism to enhance the knowledge triangle performance and academy/industry collaboration.

The 12 project members represented excellence and reputation in the different knowledge areas required for the IDEA project: Shenkar College of Engineering & Design, Israel; Holon Institute of Technology, Israel; Tel Aviv University, Israel; Sapir Academic College, Israel; The NB School of Design, Israel; Manufacturers Association of Israel; University of Brighton, UK; Politechnico Di Milano, Italy; Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Spain; Mälardalen University, Sweden; Cologne University of Applied Sciences, Germany; Material ConneXion, Italy;
IDEA Covered 4 Main Activities
> Discovery — identifying the needs of Israeli industry and the gaps between industry and the education system.
> Theoretical Basis — introducing best practices from EU HEIs, expanding the perspective of Israeli academia on advanced research culture and innovation.> Pedagogical Program — creating support for interdisciplinary innovation culture in the Israeli HEIs.
> Implementation of Innovation Hubs — creating a sustainable knowledge transfer between industry and academy enhancing research and innovation.

TEMPUS ESPRIT

The TEMPUS ESPRIT project aimed to analyse, map and strengthen the social and public roles of higher education institutions in Israel. The project shed light on the level of social engagement of Israeli students and their institutions, and developed models for the strengthening of their social responsibility.

Higher education institutions have long been understood as fulfilling three roles; teaching, research and service. While the teaching and research missions have generally taken precedence, an increasing emphasis is placed on the societal contribution of higher education, commonly referred to as “academia’s third role”. In recent decades, questions related to the social responsibility of academia have pre-occupied most developed societies.

In Israel, a growing pre-occupation and pro-activism among university and college students has been apparent in recent years.

The University of Brighton’s extensive experience in community and university relations on both institutional, policy and planning level as well as in the practical in field level provided a learning template for the ESPRIT partners. The project was exposed to Brighton’s experience of strategic approaches, planning process, tools and models that were unknown in Israel and which contributed to the projects formulations.

Politics, together with the Department of Politics and Government at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, aimed to analyze, map and strengthen the social and public roles of higher education institutions in Israel. The project shed light on the level of social engagement of Israeli students and their institutions, and developed models for the strengthening of their public responsibility. 

ESPRIT recognised that both students and institutions will inevitably play a central part in promoting the societal role of higher education. The project’s activities were therefore guided by a student-institution alliance intended to redefine and deepen the cooperative relationship between them.

In its initial phase, the project saw the development and execution of a country wide survey, mapping the current state of social engagement in Israeli higher education institutions and outlining needs for improvement. The project also saw the development of a model for the design of curricula with a social engagement component. This model was used to develop a number of pilot courses in the Israeli partner institutions. 

In recent years, Israeli institutions and their faculty had shown increased interest in developing courses which combine theoretical elements with social engagement activities. ESPRIT recognised that these institutions could and should work together towards common goals, and saw great potential in a collaborative effort for the creation of models for “socially involvedˮ modules.

Finally, ESPRIT aimed to develop a mapping and benchmarking tool to compare universities and colleges according to their social missions. Models have been developed to rank higher education institutions academically. These models focused solely on the teaching and research functions of higher education, overlooking the “third roleˮ of academia. ESPRIT aimed to add another dimension to the ranking systems; one which recognised that alongside academic achievements, institutions are also measured by other qualities including social characteristics. 

The developed benchmarking tool was piloted among Israeli institutions and has the potential to eventually be used internationally. Through its various activities, ESPRIT hoped to influence and improve the higher education system in Israel, strengthening the ties of institutions and their students with the society in which they operate. Moreover, ESPRIT aimed to develop models for enhancing social characteristics which could be applied in other higher education systems worldwide.

“Israel is not known for its long-term strategic planning, however the partnership with the University of Brighton has allowed us to learn from their experience in process thinking and in long term strategy…The chance to work with colleagues from the UK has influenced the growth of The Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, but in the wider context, it has been very good for Israel’s higher educational system to be exposed to these kinds of processes.”Dr Eric Zimmerman, Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya

Partners
Masaryk University Brno, Czech Republic, The Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel, Bezalel academy of Arts, Jerusalem, Israel, Center for Higher Education, Berlin, Germany, The European Students’ Union, Brussels, Belgium, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel, Tel Hai Academic College, Upper Galilee, Israel, National Union of Israeli Students, Tel-Aviv, Israe, University of Brighton, Brighton, UK, University of Santiago de Compostella, Santiago de Compostela, Spain