Next Gen News

Moocs a unique opportunity to create a truly European university says

Katsomitros -

and may be the only means of survival for smaller universities

are increasingly in the United States, few things have happened in the world, with the exception of Futurelearn, Open University partnership of 17 universities in the UK, DIVERSITY seat and Berlin. In the European Union, there have been reports of discussions with the European Commission, but little action has been taken so far.

In May 2012, stated that WiredAcademic EU's Erasmus program could soon go online - a good start if you want to see the equivalent of Coursera this side of the Atlantic. But this is not enough.

Higher education is one of the few areas where European integration is perceived positively by most stakeholders, despite occasional problems caused by the Bologna process. The creation of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) has benefited most institutions, enabling them to provide comparable and compatible qualifications, and international competition. Erasmus has also continued its success with a number of students participating in constant growth.

What is missing in the equation is an institution that not only meet various universities in Europe, but is essentially European. Currently, there are no truly pan-European institutions of higher education, with the exception of a few specialized institutions in Warsaw, Florence and Bruges, which specializes in postgraduate research.

a unique opportunity to create a truly European university. But something must be substantially greater than a mere online version of the Erasmus program, and perhaps the most complete and Udacity Coursera.

Europe and the rest of the world

A European Mooc will have its own brand, model contracting authorities enterprise quality and sustainable to attract foreign students, not just in Europe. Students should have the opportunity to combine online and on-campus education, perhaps by splitting their time on campus through two or three countries, two international titles.

Some might see the language barrier is a problem, because 23 languages ??and dialects and even more languages ??are semi-official in the European Union. But as we have said repeatedly by EU officials, the advantage of Europe is its diversity. English and has a leading position in higher education, while other European languages ??dominate in some emerging economies of higher education, such as Latin America. Meanwhile, much of Africa people who speak English, French or Portuguese. In all these areas, there is a growing demand for higher education systems in local higher education can not meet. Thus, a European degree awarding Mooc could facilitate access to quality education to billions of people around the world in their own language.

another advantage of Europe's history and political ties with other regions. Synergies with other parts of the world may come across institutions and programs, and a European Mooc should not exclude non-European institutions. The Union for the Mediterranean, for example, is an international association of 37 countries in Europe, North Africa and Asia. It has been a great success so far, because it does not have a specific mandate. This is an area where you can really work. In Latin America, the Alfa Bridges program has already paved the way for cooperation between universities in Europe and Latin America in areas such as the recognition of qualifications, quality assurance and academic mobility, so that to share content? Why Europe needs a Mooc?

Find best price for : --Mooc----Coursera----Erasmus----WiredAcademic----Moocs--