Keynote for the 25th EURASHE Conference in Split, May 2013

1. www.efquel.org
Professional Higher Education
in Europe: Towards an
emerging model?!
EURASHE 23rd Annual Conference
Prof. Dr. Ulf-Daniel Ehlers
President EFQUEL (www.efquel.org)
Vicepresident Baden-Wurttemberg Cooperative State University (www.dhbw.de)

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Serendipity and the
prepared mind?!
How can we prepare
professionals for uncertain futures?

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PHE: Preparing professionals for
an uncertain future
„Competences are […] in principle the dispositional skills to act self- organised
in an open, complex and uncertain future.“
Knowing-in-Action
Reflection-in-Action
Reflection on Reflection-in-Action
Learning Environments as Laboratories of Reflection
(Schön 1983, 1986)
Implicit Knowlegde
Ad-Hoc Strategies
Development of own Theories of Action
Professionalism
Competence Responsibility
Actions Adequate
Skills Motivation
Knowledge Applied
Information Networked (Wildt 2006)
(translated from Erpenbeck 2005)

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Are we fit for the PHE challenge?
Transfer Tutor Coach
Factual Knowledge
(„know-that“)
Proceedures, Problems
(„know-how“)
Social Practice
(„knowing-in-action“)
Instruction Dialogue Interaction
Know, Remember Simulate/Train, Problemsolving Reflective Action, invent
Teaching I Teaching II Teaching III
Focus on Theory Focus on
Pratice and Competence
(Baumgartner 2004)
PHE

5. 1. PHE – An
emerging paradigm?

6. www.efquel.org
THE HUMAN
SUCCESS FACTOR
Employability Growth==
Personality, (Multiple-)Specialisation, Interdisciplinary Expertise
Competence: T-Shape
Changed Value Chain
Projet based, Complexity und Specialisation
Broad understanding and deep overarching
competences
© Matthias Landmesser, 2013
Future Scenario

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T-Shaped professionals
Ability to act successfull across disciplins,
contexts and systems
Depthinoneknowledgefield,
depthinonesystem

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Top
Managers
Experts Senior
Managers
ManagersSenior
Specialists
Specialists
Operational, Back Office
Today
© Matthias Landmesser, 2013
Qualification: Today„s Scenario

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Future
Top
Managers
Senior
Managers
Managers
Specialists
Operational, Back
Office
Experts
Senior Specialists
Drivers:
 Globalisation
 Changed Value Chain
 Demographic Change
 Growing Complexity
And therefore …
1. More higher
qualifications
2. New academic job
profiles
3. Cross-Competencies
gain importance
© Matthias Landmesser, 2013
Qualification: Future Scenario
PHE is emerging to meet this new demand

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Advantages:
 Orientation on Needs
 Competent employees
Challenges:
 Terminology
 Typology
– PHE Institutions
– Target groups
– Financing
– Cooperation btw.
Academy and
Practice
 Standards
 Quality Benchmarks
HAPHE Project:
Harmoise
approaches
Characteristics of PHE
 Alternating Phases of academic study and practice phases
 Coherent approach to curriculum design (academic &practice)
 Contract for Training- and Study with partner organisation
 Practice Partner Organisation is selecting the students
Emerging situation: Models from loosely
coupled to fully integrated!
Rise of PHE (German Context)
Training
Integrated
Practice
integrated
Extra
occupational
First
Cycle
Further
Education
Model

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Do you agree that there is a growing demand for well
profiled PHE in your country?
2% 4% 1%
6% 4% 5%
17% 15% 16%
42%
47%
40%
33% 30%
37%
HE Institutions Governm. Institutions Public Organisations
5 - Fully agree
4
3
2
1 - Completely disagree
11
PHE in Europe: Growing demand
N=468

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2. PHE –
A systems‘ challenge!

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Should HE be practice
oriented?
View on practice orientation in academic programms
(percent, categories merged)
makes
sense
maybe
Doesn‘t make
sense
Prof. Uni
(1568)
Researchers
Uni (4909)
Prof. UAS
(1290)
Researchers
UAS (460)
TOT

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Should HE be practice
oriented?
Prof. Uni Prof. UAS
Focus on job relevance 3,1 2,4
• Focus on competencies 2,7 2,1
• Focus on practice orientation 3,1 2,2
• Focus on key qualifications 3 2,5
• Curricula focus on labour market relevance 3,6 2,7
• Stronger focus on direct practice during studies 2,8 2
N 1574 1291
The HE Systems GAP

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http://haphe.eurashe.eu

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In your understanding:
Is the term “Professional Higher Education” clear?
N=468
3% 4% 4%
14% 13% 17%
24%
32% 24%
34%
30%
27%
25% 21%
28%
HE Institutions Governm. Institutions Public Organisations
5 - Very clear
4
3
2
1 - Not clear at all
PHE still unclear?

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An avalanche is coming...
A new European Dialogue of
HE system is needed

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3. PHE –
A successfull example

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„Dual“ Studies – How does it
work at DHBW?
Theoretical knowledge
• 6 x 12 weeks of
intensive studies at
• one of the 12 locations
and
• campuses of the DHBW
Practical experience
• 6 x 12 weeks of practical
qualification
• in one of over 9.000 partner
companies
or social institutions

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Degree after 6 semesters (3 years)
Semester 1+2 3+4 5+6
Each semester (24 weeks) is divided into 2 parts:
12 weeks at DHBW
12 weeks at the partner
organisation
theory
practice
Work phases are embedded within pre- or post-placement lectures
which distinguishes the model from on-the-job training
Organisation of Studies

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Practice
Company
Theory
University
Decisions and regulations:
By law partners are part of the Univeristy
Equal representation in half of all committees
6 Semester
Time: 50%
Credits:150
50%
Credits: 60
Linking Practice and Theory

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 40 years experience
 120.000 graduates
 32.000 students in 2013
 9.000 cooperating organisations
 90 study programmes
 10 % drop out rate
Efficiency:
10% of all 220.000 university students in BW
25% of all university graduates in BW
Partners investment: The private sector contributes
about 900 Mill €/year in student salaries
DHBW - FACTs

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Harmosing Approaches to
PHE
http://haphe.eurashe.eu

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Thank you very
much!
• More about the HAPHE project:
http://eurashe.eu/projects/haphe/, or in our
afternoon workshop today!
• More about DHBW: www.dhbw.de