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RECOMMENDATIONSBASEDONTHE31STEUROPEANSTUDENT

CONVENTION

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Dearreader,

Afterthreeinterestingdaysofdiscussingdigitalisation,internationalisationandcurriculumdesign,thestudentrepresentativesofEuropewouldliketopresenttheirmainconclusionsandthoughtsonthemodernisationofhighereducation.Theseconclusionshavebeenputtogetherduringthe31stEuropeanStudents’ConventioninAmsterdam.

Wehopetocontributetothediscussionsonthetopicsofthemodernisationofhighereducation.Theserecommendationscanbeusedtostimulateandimprovehighereducationand,aboveall,canbeaguidelineforthenationalandinternationaldebate.

EuropeanStudentsUnion

InterstedelijkStudentenOverleg

LandelijkeStudentenvakbond

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RECOMMENDATIONS

Digitalisation

• ESUcallsuponHEIstoexploredigitalisationpolicies,withrespecttothemissionoftheinstitutionandneedsofitsstudents,butmostimportantlyfollowingtheoveralleducationalmission.

• ESUcallsforcontinuousprofessionaldevelopmentofteachers,whichincludestraininginbothpedagogicalanddigitalskills.Staffandadministrationshouldobtainthesamedigitalcompetenceinordertosupportdigitalisationpoliciesthroughouttheinstitution.

• HEIsshouldoffersufficientdigitalsupportandtrainingforallstudentsduringthewholelearningexperience.

• Digitallearningshouldbeusedasasupplement,andnotbeseenasawaytoreplaceorreducetheavailabilityoftraditionallearning

• ESUwantsdigitalisationpolicytorelyoninteractiveness,adaptiveandopenplatforms,maximisingutilityofdigitalprocessesandnotreplicatingtheconventionalteachingprocess.

• Sustainablefundingtobeprovidedinordertosupportimplementationofdigitalisationstrategiesandallowflexibility.Adequateinfrastructureshouldhavesufficientfundingtosupportcontinuousimplementationandimprovementofdigitalisationstrategy.DigitalisationshouldneverbeusedasanexcuseforbudgetcutstoHEnorimposeextracostsforstudents.

• Samequalityassurancestandards(ESG)shouldapplytodigitallearningmethodsasforconventionallearning,beingadaptiveto

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thedigitaltoolsused.ESUcallsforthedevelopmentofguidelinesthatwillsupplementexistingESGwithfocusondigitalisation.

• DigitalassessmentprocessesareefficienttoolstoexploreotherfieldsofqualityinLearningOutcomes.However,theapplicabilityisnotuniversal.ThereforeESUcallsforappropriateuseandimplementationofdigitaltoolsofassessment.

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Internationalisation

ESUcallsfor:

• Makingrecognitionofpriorlearningarealitybydevelopingconcretetools,includingrefugees,displacedpersonsandpersonsinarefugee-likesituation.ThereshouldbeaEU-leveloverviewoftheprocessestakingsubsidiarityintoaccount.

• AglobalrecognitionconventionaswellasthefullcompliancewithLisbonRecognitionConventionespeciallySection7article7–Recognitionofqualificationsheldbyrefugees,displacedpersonsandpersonsinarefugeelikesituation.

• ESUcallsfortheproperimplementationoftheEuropeanQualificationsFrameworkandthreecyclestructurenationallyinordertoimprovebothinternationalandinter-systemmobility.

• ESUcallsforconnectingideasattheEUleveltochangeprejudicedattitudesandtoeasethelivesofrefugees,displacedpersonsandpersonsinarefugee-likesituationintheEuropeanUnion,includingbysharingbestpractices.

• ESUcallsfortheglobalisationofbestpracticesofmobilityschemes,e.g.inordertoimprovetheaccessibilityofoutwardmobilityandinternationalisationathomeandpayspecialattentiontoincomingmobilityfromthirdcountries.

• ESUcallsforthepromotionandrecognitionofprofessionalandshort-termmobilityschemesalsooutsidetheprogrammestructures.

• ESUcallsforharnessingopeneducationforthepurposeofinternationalisation.Inordertodoso,publicallyfundedresearchshouldbeaccessibletoall,alsotopersonsfromdevelopingcountries.

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• ESUcallsfortheinternationalisationofcurricula,theinclusionof

exchangeprogrammeswithinthecurricula,aswellasformorejointdegreesandmorecooperationwithnon-Europeanhighereducationinstitutionsinparticularuniversitiesfromtheglobalsouth.

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CurriculumDesign

• ESU considers that it is highly important that students areinvolvedintheprocessofcurriculumdesignatallstagesandtheiropinions shouldbeconsideredwhenshapingordevelopingnewstudycourses.

• Students should be trained and supported to have the neededexpertisetocontributeinaneffectiveway.

• Curricula should be continuously assessed anddevelopedbasedon a feedback loop where all key stakeholders like teachers,students,stafforalumniareinvolved.

• Curriculum should be based on learning outcomes and the bestpedagogicalmethodsusedinordertoachievethem.

• Curriculumneedstobeflexibleintermsofworkloadandofferingdifferent learning paths. It should take into consideration thedifferent learning styles and the fact that students may havedifferentinterestsandneeds.

• Transferable skills should be an important part of curriculumdesign and learningoutcomes shouldnot bedesigned in such away to meet only the short-time expectations of the labourmarket, but to develop active, critical citizens and promotedemocraticvalues.

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ESU

TheEuropeanStudents’Union(ESU)istheumbrellaorganisationof45NationalUnionsofStudents(NUS)from38countries,beingpresentin27outofthe28EUmemberstates.Throughitsmembers,ESUrepresentsover15millionhighereducationstudentsinEurope.TheNUSesareopentoallstudentsintheirrespectivecountryregardlessofpoliticalpersuasion,religion,ethnicorculturalorigin,sexualorientationorsocialstanding.Ourmembersarestudent-run,autonomous,representativeandoperateaccordingtodemocraticprinciples.ESUisestablishedasaninternationalnon-profitnon-governmentalor-ganisationregisteredinBelgium.

MissionESU’smissionistorepresent,defendandstrengthenstudents’educational,cultural,politicalandsocialrights.Weadvocateforsustainable,accessibleandhighqualityhighereducationinEurope.

VisionEqualeducationalandsocialopportunitiesinanopenanddemocraticEuropewherestudentsshapeasustainablefuture.

Values

• ESUisdiverse,democraticandopen-minded.• WerepresentallstudentsinEurope,understandingthediversity

ofstudents.ESUisinclusiveandstrivesforsolidaritywithinthestu-dents’movement.

• Weareindependent.ESUstructuresfacilitatetheaccountabilityoftheelectedrepresentatives,workswithrespecttowardsall

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membersandtheirdifferentopinionsandfunctionstransparently.

• Weareunconventionalandopenfornewthoughts.We,asexpertsofhighereducationbringincourageousandsmartideasthroughafreshandspontaneous,butprofessionalattitude.

ActivitiesESUrepresentsandpromotestheinterestsofstudentsattheEuropeanleveltowardsallrelevantbodiesandinparticulartheEuropeanUnion,BolognaFollowUpGroup,CouncilofEuropeandUNESCO.

• Webringtogether,resource,trainandinformnationalstudentrepresentativesonpolicydevelopmentsinhighereducationattheEuropeanlevel;

• Weorganiseseminars,training,campaignsandconferencesrelevanttostudents;

• WeconductEuropean-wideresearch,partnershipprojectsandcampaigns;

• Weproduceavarietyofpublicationsforstudents,policy-makersandhighereducationprofessionals.

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Dearparticipants,

Itismypleasuretowelcomeyoutothe31stEuropeanStudents’Convention.WearedelightedtobeabletoorganisetogetherwithLSVbandISOthreedaysofworkanddebatesfocussedonsomeofthetopicsputonthespotlightnowadaysatEuropeanlevel.

ItisnotacasualtythattheESC31isbeinghostedinAmsterdamduringtheDutchpresidencyoftheCounciloftheEUandwhenTheNetherlandsisco-chairingtheBolognaFollow-UpGroup(BFUG).DuringthisweekAmsterdamwillbetheepicenterofEuropeanhighereducationpolicydebates:hostingthegeneralassemblyoftheEuropeanQualityAssuranceRegisterforhighereducation(EQAR),theBFUGmeeting,anEUpresidencyconferenceonthefutureofhighereducationandtheEuropeanStudents’Convention.AlltheseeventsbringtoAmsterdamlotofhighereducationpolicy-makers,practitionersandstakeholdersintimeswhereveryimportantdiscussionsarebeingheldintheBolognaProcessandtheEuropeanUnion.

Moreover,collidingwiththekick-offoftheworkoftheBFUGworkinggroupsandthediscussionsonthefutureoftheBolognaProcess(corevaluesandcommitments,implementation,governanceandnewgoals)theEuropeanCommissionisreviewingitsModernisationAgendaforhighereducation,asafollow-upofthenewEducationandTraining2020newprioritiesfor2016-2020.

Duringthesethreedayswilldiscusssomeaboutdigitisation,internationalisationandcurriculumdesign;threeofareasbeingtackledbothonthediscussionsofthenewgoalsfortheEuropeanHigherEducationArea(EHEA)andonthereviewoftheModernisationAgenda.WeareconfidenttheconclusionsofourjointworkwillbeofgreatuseforESUinfuturediscussion.

Lastbutnotleast,wewouldliketothankonceagainLSVbandISOfortheirgreatworkandallthedifferentbodiesthatsupportingthem.Ourmostsincerethanksgoalsotoallgreatspeakersandfacilitatorsthatagreedto

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behere,theESUhacksteamandofcourseallofyouthattravelledallthewaytoAmsterdam.

Wewishyouaconstructiveandfruitfulencounter,

FernandoGalanChairpersonoftheEuropeanStudents’Union

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Dearstudentrepresentatives,

Welcometothe31stEuropeanStudentConventioninAmsterdam,theNetherlands.Agreatcitywithmarvellousbars,enchantingcanals,exquisiterestaurantsandcoolplacestoparty.Butthatis,ofcourse,nottheonlyreasonyouarehere.

Thethemeofthisconventionis‘Modernisationofhighereducation’,withthreesubthemes:‘digitalisation’,‘internationalisation’,and‘curriculumdesign’Severalexpertsonthesesubthemeswillelaborateonthesesubjectsthroughouttheconventioninplenarysessionsandworkshops.

Currently,theDutchStudentUnion(LSVb)hasthesesubthemeshighontheagenda.Firstly,digitalisation,ourunioniscurrentlyfocusingontheimplementationofcoursestoeducateteachersinhighereducationonthenewestdigitalisationtechnologies,sotheycanusethesenewtechnologiesintheirownclasses.Secondly,internationalisationintheNetherlandsisfocussedonoutgoingmobility,and,sadly,thesenumbersarefallingbehind.Lessstudentsaregoingabroad.Butbesidesthat,thereisanewfocusontheInternationalclassroom,togivestudentsaninternationalexperienceathome.Finally,thelastsubthemeofthe31stEuropeanStudentConvention,curriculumdesign.OverthecourseofthelastyearwehavehadquitethepoliticaldebateabouttheamountofinfluencestudentrepresentativesshouldhaveonthecurriculaintheNetherlands.Ofcoursethethemeofcurriculumdesignishighlyinterconnectedwiththeothersubthemesoftheconvention,whenteachingmethodsbecomemoredigitalisedorinternationalisedthecurriculumchangesaswell.

IamlookingforwardtothisEuropeanStudentConvention.Tohearyourinput,getnewinsightsfromthespeakersanddevelopsomenewideas.Iamalsolookingforwardtodrinksomebeersorjenever,ournationalspirit,withyouandsingsomekaraoke.

SaraSpanoVicePresidentofLSVb

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Dearfriends,dearboard,

OnbehalfofISO(InterstedelijkStudentenOverleg),theDutchNationalStudents’Association,itismypleasuretocordiallyinviteyoutoAmsterdamatthe31stEuropeanStudents’Convention.HavingthisconferenceinTheNetherlandsisagreatopportunitytodiscussnewideas,andaboveall,haveyourideasblendedwithourswithinourowncountry.

Thethemeofthisconferenceismodernisationofhighereducation.Whenspeakingofmodernisinghighereducation,weseekforimprovementwithinhighereducationwhileexploringwaystoinnovatethestatusquo.Indiscussingwhatoureducationsystemsmustlooklike,weessentiallycontributetoshapingourfuturegeneration-Europe’sfuturegeneration.AsAbeLincolnoncesaid:‘thephilosophyoftheschoolroominonegenerationwillbethephilosophyofthegovernmentinthenext’.AsrepresentativesofEuropeancountriesinchallengingtimes,weareallintheuniquepositiontocontribute.Contributetothehighereducationsystemwithinourcountries,withinEurope-today,tomorrow,andthedaysafter.

WearehappytopresenttheConference’sprogramwehaveputtogetherforyou.Therewillbevarioussessionsondigitallearning,blendedlearning,thedigitalcommunityandotherformsofinnovation.Othersessionswillbeonnewformsofassessmentandfeedback,aswellasonprivacyconcerns.Inaddition,consideringthechallengesEuropeisfacing,wewillbuildonpreviousdiscussionsonthehumanitarianrefugeemigrationcrisis,anddiscusssocio-economicdiversityandstudentmobility.Adiverseprogramcanbeguaranteed,andwelookforwardtolearningfromyourexperiencesandinsightspertainingtovariousfacetsofhighereducation.Inadditiontotheprogram,wehopeyouwillalsoparticipateinthesocialeventsthathavebeenarrangedforyou.ThiswillbetheuniqueopportunitytogettoseeAmsterdamanditscanals,culture,andpeople.Yourparticipationwillcontributeimmenselytothesuccessofthe2016EuropeanStudents’Convention.

WelookforwardtowelcomingyoutoTheNetherlands,tohavebothconstructivediscussionsandopportunitiestosharenewideas,asan

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examplefortheinternationalcommunityandcooperationwewishtoseeinEurope.Duringconferencesliketheseweoughttoseizetheopportunitiestomakethesecontributionstogether,andshapetheeducationsystemthewaywewanttosee.

LindedeNiePresidentofISO

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Colofon.DesignedbyLeonieDamink

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