Learning lessons in TNE
Ulf Engel
DAAD “Transnationale Bildung: Ziele und Wirkungen” Berlin, 2 June 2014
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Talking points
1. Leipzig – Addis Ababa cooperation in TNE 2. SWOT analysis
3. Developing E-learning elements 4. Transcultural challenges
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1 Leipzig – Addis Ababa cooperation in TNE
• based on DAAD CfA “German university programmes abroad” (add. BMBF funds)
• granted for 2012/13-2015/16 • finance volume: €400,000 • partner institutions:
Global and European Studies Institute (GESI), UL
Centre for Area Studies (CAS), UL
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Joint Master’s programme since 2012
• “Global Studies1 with a special emphasis on peace and security” (based on EMGS)
• 2 years (2nd term in Leipzig)
• joint curriculum development, admission, supervision = • joint degree
• tuition fee: €3,600 per year
• fee waivers for the best 20% of applicants (reduced rate at €2.500 p.a. – planned)
• additional scholarships acquired to reduce fees (DAAD sur-place & Germany grants, AAU, La Francophonie, employers)
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Joint PhD programme since 2012
• “Global and Area Studies” • 3 years (2nd term in Leipzig)
• joint curriculum development, admissions, supervision = • joint degree
• tuition fee: €5,000 per year
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Enrolment figures
2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 MA applications 34 25 MA plan 10 15 20 25 MA real 13 6 PhD applications 19 28 PhD plan 4 4 6 8 PhD real 6 1Note: Students are from Ethiopia, Cameroon, Djibouti, Germany, Somalia, Tanzania Ukraine and Zambia; age: between 23 and 59 years; gender: 13 F & 13 M; ca. 40% of MAs and 85% of PhDs are working at the same time (or part-time); ca. 50% fully self-paying (rest is “sponsored”).
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Strengths
• Programmes of advanced international standards: students, faculty, curriculum, course literature, joint programmes instead of twinning
• EU-accredited Masters provided by renowned universities in the countries: UL and AAU
• Competitive in terms of thematic focus, mobility options and fees compared to similar programmes offered in US or UK
• High standards in international teaching and research provided by experienced faculty members at UL CAS and IPSS’ pan-African scholarly network
• Integration into Leipzig teaching (second term) and to the well-established MA programme Global Studies and the PhD Graduate School Global and Area Studies
• Masters programme research oriented and interdisciplinary which is an ideal preparation for border transcending PhD programme
• After initial set-up phase consolidation of personnel at Leipzig side
Weaknesses
• Call for applications needs to be professionalized and broadened so as to increase the pool of very good candidates beyond Ethiopia
• Supervision and UL presence needs to be increased; managing mobile faculty members agendas
• Accommodating full term or part time working students in intensive course programmes and helping to accomplish tasks in due time
• Differences in grading cultures between UL and AAU needs to be bridged
• Transfer of earnings from AAU to UL and from UL to AAU for financing of staff has not been entirely solved
• Too little involvement and ownership of IPSS so far
Opportunities
• Becoming a leading university within the IGAD region is a cornerstone of AAU which overlaps with the programme vision of recruiting more outside of Ethiopia and enrolling more students in general
• High visibility due to thematic focus. IPSS signed MoU with World Peace Foundation at Fletcher School, Tufts University and Think Tank for Research of Islam and Muslims in Africa RIMA
• Contributing substantially to capacity-building at IPSS (most of the PhDs are to continue teaching at IPSS) and to the general higher education landscape
• Integration into IPSS activities with African Union offering internship, employment, networking and access to officials
• Politically backed by city partnership and internationalization strategy of UL
• Maintaining a stronghold of humanities in a technology oriented higher education landscape
Threats
• Institutional insecurity and lack of commitment on behalf of AAU: Africa Programme of IPSS might be restructured after recent changes
• Earnings through fees need to be stabilized (basically: commitment of sponsoring institutions, incl. AAU)
• Change in leadership at IPSS
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
Source: Joint GESI/IPSS analysis. Addis Ababa, 6 March 2014.
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Some “Strengths”
• joint programming instead of simple export
• competitive in terms of thematic focus (1st GS in Africa), mobility options and fees compared to similar programmes offered by US or UK
universities
• integration into Leipzig teaching (second term) and to the well-established EU-accredited Master’s
programme and the PhD Graduate School Global and Area Studies
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Some “Weaknesses”
• visibility of the programme; management of call for applications; regional spread suboptimal
• supervision and UL presence
• managing flying faculty members agendas • accommodating full term or part-time working
students in intensive course programmes and help structure to accomplish tasks in due time
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Some “Opportunities”
• becoming a leading university within the IGAD
region is a cornerstone of AAU which overlaps with the programme’s vision of recruiting more outside of Ethiopia and enrolling more students in general
• highly attractive programme due to thematic focus • substantial contribution to capacity-building at IPSS • integration into IPSS activities with the African Union • politically backed by city twinning agreement
(Addis/Leipzig) and internationalization strategy of UL
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Some “Threats”
• institutional insecurity, opaque structures and (partly) lack of commitment on behalf of AAU • instability of income through tuition fees (CfA,
commitment of sponsoring institutions)
• managing (digital) cultures of communication and creating trust
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3 Developing E-learning elements
• DAAD programme “Adaption of E-Learning elements for German university programmes abroad” (funds from Stifterverband der Deutschen Wissenschaft) • volume: €25,000 for 2014
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Aims of E-learning I
• development of a remedial course (Propädeutikum)
“Introduction to scientific working” for the MA programme • to complement the presence course with its E-learning
platform Moodle • features:
• sequenced learning units
• regular tests to check on learning achievements • operated throughout the term
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Aims of E-learning II
• establishment of a virtual classroom (MA & PhD) • supervision by one lecturer of AAU and UL each • previously: communication of drafts per e-mail with
a risk that some communication gets lost in the supervision triangle
• in protected Moodle fora all discussions are available to those concerned
• developing best practice for future cohorts (FAQs) • peer review learning: students jointly to discuss
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Aims of E-learning III
• provision of video sequences on the curriculum for the foundational modules GS 710 Global History
und GS 720 International Studies
• making available different theoretical and political perspectives on controversial issues
• 20 video units on globalization issues
(such as, for instance, the rise of the BRICS, the “Arab Spring”, new regionalisms, etc.)
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4 Transcultural challenges
• programme management (e.g. grading cultures) • expectation management
• students (e.g. learning culture, AAU) • faculty (AAU, UL)
• conceptual, epistemological debate
(post-structuralist, post-colonial “Global Studies” vs. positivist, normative RC “Peace and Security Studies”)