Higher Education Reform 2i04
HERC @ HER 2014, Memorial University, St. John’s, Newfoundland
11th International Workshop on Higher Education Reform
HER 2014, the 11th International Workshop on Higher Education Reform, was held August 25 to 27, 2014 in St. John’s, Newfoundland (Canada) at Memorial University.
Delegates were greeted warmly by both the hosts from the Marine Institute of Memorial University and the community of St. John’s – a unique city on the eastern edge of North America offering breathtaking scenery and friendliness matched only by the western edge of Europe – Ireland! The landscape, traditions and even the similar accent certainly made Irish delegates feel right at home.
Once again stewarded by the Higher Education Reform Advisory Committee, with members hailing from Mexico, Canada, Ireland, Germany, Japan & Slovenia, this year’s workshop focused on issues relating to Higher Education’s MOST important resource – THE STUDENT.
Following a call earlier this year for interested academic researchers and other stakeholders to submit proposals for papers and panels, the HER 2014 Organizing Committee [Memorial University’s Vice President, Glenn Blackwood, Associate Vice President (Academic and Student Affairs, Dr. Rob Shea and Director (Student Affairs), Angie Clarke] compiled an engaging 3-day workshop consisting of keynotes, paper sessions, plenary panels and most importantly plenty of opportunity for discussion. Issues were presented from a truly global perspective with delegates hailing from North & South America, Europe and Asia encompassing roles as varied as PHD candidates, provosts, department heads, professors and researchers in all fields of Higher Education, Student Affairs directors and even a Director from the Conference Board of Canada.
Dublin City University’s direct involvement in HER2014 was highlighted when Director of HERC, Professor Maria Slowey chaired and contributed to a Plenary Panel session entitled “Higher Education and equity of access and experience in European universities: learning, work and engagement.” Ably assisted by panelists Professor Michael Osborne [Professor Mike Osborne, Director, Centre for Research and Development in Adult and Lifelong Learning, University of Glasgow] and Professor Dr. Andrä Wolter [Professor of Higher Education Research, Humboldt University, Berlin], Professor Slowey led a discussion on the shifting landscape of Higher Education. Previously focused solely on preparing full-time students for life, work and civic engagement, Higher Education is now evolving to encompass online learning, modular programs, continuing professional development, lifelong learning, work-based training and part-time students thus becoming an integral part of student’s lives over a longer period of time, perhaps even over their entire life-course.
Professor Slowey drew on analysis from various relevant recent research projects with which HERC is involved, including: ESRALE (European Study and Research in the Education of Adults), COMMIT (Committing to the Social Dimension of Higher Education), PASCAL (universities engaging in regional development activities) and the AFU (the Age Friendly University). Discussion also centred around the insightful writings of Martin Trow [internationally recognized leader in higher education studies] on the concept of a ‘learning society’. He wrote ‘It is only when we can no longer see its boundaries at all, that we shall truly know that we live in a learning society’ (Trow, 1988: 94). It would seem his early theories on the notion are now being realized with the increased blurring of boundaries between higher and adult education.
The following Keynotes were presented at HER2014 and yielded much interesting discussion:
- ‘Challenges Facing Canadian PSE Institutions’ – Dr. Carl G. Amrhein (University of Alberta, Canada)
- ‘European higher education reforms and the role of students’ – Professor Pavel Zgaga (University of Ljubljana, Slovenia)
- ‘Engaging the World: Students, the University and Civic Life – Melonie Fullick (York University, Toronto, Canada)
There were five further fascinating Plenary Panels dispersed throughout the workshop program.
On the opening day, Professor Dr. Andrä Wolter, Professor of Higher Education Research, Humboldt University, Berlin addressed the following question: ‘Has the Massification of Higher Education led to Widening Participation and Elimination of Social Inequity? The Case of Germany’.
German Alvarez-Mendiola from the Department of Educational Studies, Center for Research and Advanced Studies in Mexico City then chaired a panel on ‘Institutional segmentation, labour destiny and meanings of study and job opportunities in Mexico’. Panelists included Wieste de Vries, Mitzi Morales, Rosalba Genoveva Ramírez García & Brenda Yokebed Perez-Colulnga, all representing various higher education institutions in Mexico.
On Day Two, Professor Shinichi Yamamoto, Professor of Higher Education System at J. F. Oberlin University, Tokyo, Japan presented theories and analysis on the ‘Value of Degree and Diploma in Japan’. Maureen McClure, Associate Professor of Administrative and Policy Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, USA followed this panel with an interesting presentation on ‘Morphing MOOC's: How will new purposes, formats and entrants contribute to Higher Education Reform?’
On Day Three, Professor Hans G. Schuetze, Fellow and former Director, Centre for Policy Studies in Higher Education and Training, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada fostered discussion on ‘Politics, Higher Education Policies, and Student Protests - Comparative views and experiences’.
A variety of Paper Sessions also took place throughout the workshop with doctoral students and professors presenting papers and fostering smaller-group discussion on a breadth of specialized topics in the subject areas:
- Changes in higher education policy and pedagogy
- Doctoral education
- Adult learning in higher education
- Higher education issues in Mexico
- Student civic engagement
Following over two days of involved discussions, HER2014 was deemed a great success. HERC looks forward to increased future involvement in research on global Higher Education reform and all delegates eagerly await the 12th Higher Education Reform workshop to take place in 2015 at Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China, and the 13th workshop which is proposed to be hosted by Dublin City University.