Joint Master Research Articles

Opportunities of MOOCs and flipping micro-learning models in international joint academic degree programs

This research paper investigates the readiness of students to opt for MOOC courses in universities offering a joint master degree international program. A study is conducted on two joint academic study programs offered by the University of Hasselt in Belgium and Princess Sumaya University for Technology in Jordan. The study examines the readiness of students to take MOOC courses and their acceptance by universities' management staff and professors. The study reveals promising results as they suggest that such virtual study programs are readily accepted in both universities by professors and students, though management staff and some professors expressed concerns on the approval of the equivalence of a MOOC onto courses. A flipping microlearning class-learning model is proposed as the future excellent educational model, creating the flexibility for the students to study courses or on distance or on campus. MOOCs have been found a suitable option for delivering learning content online.

Education in crop protection: Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree – European Master Degree in Plant Health in Sustainable Cropping Systems

Education in crop protection: Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree – European Master Degree in Plant Health in Sustainable Cropping Systems

シンポジウムII「共同大学院の学びからおりなす放射線看護学——災害被ばく医療科学共同専攻修了生の将来へのビジョン——」

シンポジウムII「共同大学院の学びからおりなす放射線看護学——災害被ばく医療科学共同専攻修了生の将来へのビジョン——」

Student feedback channels in Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees: insights for international joint programmes

ABSTRACTThis article explores the status of student feedback channels and the role of student representatives in the quality assurance and enhancement of Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree (EMJMD) programmes. It provides an analysis of 1941 open-ended survey responses, covering 87 EMJMD programmes and involving respondents of 129 nationalities. The findings indicate that students and alumni feel that they should be involved in shaping key aspects of their programmes. The results suggest that organisational culture, national policies and regulations bear little relevance to students, as their needs transcend borders and contexts. The study suggests that further harmonisation in internal quality assurance processes would be welcomed by students as they recognise good practice in eliciting student feedback. The empirical findings can be useful in providing policy makers and researchers with a snapshot of prevailing issues in student engagement in quality assurance in the context of international joint programmes.

QUALITY DRIVEN BY EXCELLENCE PROJECTS WHAT CAN A BULGARIAN UNIVERSITY LEARN FROM A RUSSIAN BENEFICIARY OF PROJECT 5-100

As a result of an outgoing mobility funded by the Erasmus+ program Key Action 107 for partner countries, staff members of Medical University – Plovdiv, Bulgaria bring back impressions of many successful practices adopted by Tomsk State University, Russia. Undoubtedly, some of the most impressive such practices have to do with Project 5-100. In the present article we offer a brief review of this governmental project, and examine the ramifications for Russian universities in general and for Tomsk State University in particular. We argue that it is thanks both to the desire to become a beneficiary of the project and to the benefits stemming from becoming such a beneficiary that Tomsk State University has dramatically improved the quality of the education that it offers to its students. We identify several key areas of discernible quality enhancement: a greater diversity of the majors offered, more joint master’s degrees, augmented internationalization of the student body. All this is clearly evidenced by the overall improved rating of the university: from Rank QS Word 551+ in 2013 to Word 227 in 2018. We conclude that even though at present the Bulgarian government does not fund a project of close resemblance to the Russian Project 5-100, a Bulgarian university such as Medical University – Plovdiv can surely learn from the experience of Tomsk State University. In particular, we can find inspiration in the quality improvement of the Russian university, which could not only serve as preparation for future projects, but is also valuable in its own right.

ACTIVATION OF ACADEMIC MOBILITY OF STUDENTS OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS AS A MEANS OF ENHANCING THEIR COMPETITIVENESS: HOME AND GREEK EXPERIENCE

The article is devoted to the coverage of home and Greek experience in providing the academic mobility of students of higher education institutions. It’s found out that several factors contributed to its development in Ukraine, such as: improving the legislative base, signing an agreement on a visa-free regime with Ukraine, improving and applying the mutual recognition procedure for education documents, and Ukraine's accession to the Erasmus + program. It has been stated that the following negative internal processes hinder the activation of academic mobility: the country economic characteristics (the difference between the standard of living in Ukraine and the countries of the European Union), the quality and cost of studying and living, the availability of household services, compliance with European educational standards, insufficient level of foreign language skills, lack of information students get concerning exchange programs, etc. The peculiarities of the realization of the right of Greek universities students to academic mobility are analyzed basing on the example of law faculties of Democritus University of Thrace and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. It has been established that students of Greek universities can take part in the following programs: for studying in foreign partner universities; for participating in various types of practical programs in foreign partner universities. The procedure of students’ participation in practical programs is described in detail, namely the length of practical training, the categories of people who can participate in the relevant programs, the list of documents to be submitted for participation in the program, the criteria for selecting applicants, the size of the scholarship are found out. The emphasis is on the important innovation of relevant programs, which consists in the fact that Erasmus + provides students with free language Internet-support in the study of the appropriate foreign language before and during their stay abroad. The article analyzes the peculiarities of the organization of the master's degree programs in Greek universities together with foreign universities giving the identic diploma of a master's degree. In particular, the master’s program “Specialized Public Law”, organized by the legal department of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens together with the University of Montesquieu-Bordeaux IV (France), is described. Taking into account the experience of the Greek universities, the range of issues that need to be resolved in the national system of higher education is highlighted. These include improving of state financing of exchange programs; comprehensive informing of students about such programs; organization of joint master’s degree programs of home and foreign universities; increasing the level of foreign language communicative competence of students.

Application of the Microsoft Excel Solver tool in the solution of optimization problems of heat exchanger network systems

Optimization of heat exchanger networks (HENS) is a field of interest in Chemical Engineering. The aim is to use the residual heat of process streams to raise the temperature of other process streams which are cold, thus minimizing the use of hot and cold utilities. The usual way to deal with this task is to pose a linear programming problem according to a transshipment model in order to minimize either the general services consumptions or the number of hot and cold stream matchings required. This optimization is subjected to several restrictions given by the energy balances corresponding to each heat exchange.The high number of variables and equations obliges the use of specific software to solve these problems, e.g. GAMS (General Algebraic Modelling System). However, this software is not intuitive and requires a long time of training and a certain level of practice for the students to adequately use it.This work describes the use of Microsoft Excel-Solver for the sequential solving of HENS optimization problems according to the transshipment model. Solver is a much simpler, intuitive and easily available tool for the students who, besides, usually learn how to use it in the first years of their degree, in Informatics or similar subjects. Thus, it is not necessary to spend extra time in the teaching of the software, time that may be devoted to other contents.This paper presents an example of HENS problem proposed in the subject Simulation and Optimization of Chemical Processes corresponding to the Joint Master in Chemical Engineering of the Rey Juan Carlos University and the Autónoma University of Madrid and solved by the students using Excel-Solver.

A practical learning environment for sustainability and sustainable tourism

PurposeThis paper aims to review the current joint master’s program between two international institutions in the USA and Costa Rica; to identify students’ perceptions and experiences with the sustainability house (SH); and to apply these experiences in an effort to improve the practical learning environment for future students.Design/methodology/approachIn an effort to understand student outcomes provided by the SH, an in-depth literature review on practical learning environments and interview methods were applied. The following open-ended questions were asked in an effort to gather and consolidate student experiences with the SH. What are your experiences in/with SH? Please tell us briefly about your experiences. The language has been adjusted and interviewers answered questions and made clarifications if asked to. Master’s in international sustainable tourism (MIST) program students were selected for this study. Participants’ responses were recorded using the computer-assisted personal interviewing technique.FindingsThe most important characteristic students recognized about the SH is that it “provided us a safe place to fail”. One student described SH as “[…] a safe space where students can gain experiences of learning new processes firsthand without external pressures (e.g., on-the-job training, eventuation, and financial analysis)”. The safety attribute of the SH environment is considered as a comfortable place to learn from other classmates or visitors (mostly volunteers and interns). It is a “real” hospitality and tourism business-learning center, which is a great benefit to the students not only because of its environment but also because of the diversity among student’s educational and professional backgrounds.Research limitations/implicationsThe primary limitations of this study need to be addressed. The number of interviews was very limited with one year data which could affect the generalizability of this study. In addition, it was not clearly explained to the student what rubrics and standardized metrics were used during interview process; after interview, students were asked to provide a better way to improve the research outcomes. For further studies, it is strongly recommended to provide the direction to make sure it applies to the conditions that are prevalent in the existing site to be examined.Practical implicationsBoth strategies that link the SH to this MIST program have significant merit. Students implementing best practices in the courses have clearly identified the challenges of implementation, but all agree that there is tremendous value in the experiences they have received during their studies. Furthermore, using the SH as an engagement tool has motivated students to consciously interactive and collaborative in a more proactive manner.Originality/valueThis unique experience and operational competency at the SH provides participants with an in-depth understanding of the context and challenges of sustainability but needs to be detailed and promoted more in the future. The SH is facilitating a learning environment among not only students but also faculty and staff. The results clearly indicated that the SH has influenced sustainable behaviors by promoting interactive engagement.

Intercultural competence for students in international joint master programmes

The paper reports on the study focused on the identification of intercultural competence (IC) related learning needs of students enrolled in Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees. International joint master programmes pose multiple intercultural challenges for students (and those working with them). Such programmes, therefore, present a unique opportunity for IC development, given appropriate pedagogical support. Limited research on the students’ learning needs specifically related to IC in this context has been undertaken prior to the current study. 42 semi-structured interviews were conducted with students, graduates, academics and administrative staff from four Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees. Data on the context and nature of intercultural challenges faced by students was analysed and synthesised using thematic analysis. The main findings reported are intercultural challenges faced (their nature and context) and the IC elements. IC elements identified were structured around the IC building blocks (knowledge, awareness, skills and attitudes – KASA elements), and emerging elements of (1) supporting capacities (intercultural critical reflection and intercultural emotional intelligence) and (2) meta-capacity (developing IC). The paper proposes an IC theoretical model for this particular target group. The study contributes to the theoretical understanding of IC through confirming the KASA perspective from previous research and further developing the understanding of the complex and multifaceted nature of IC by linking the supporting and meta-capacities as relevant considerations. The findings contribute to the practice of developing IC and related training and support for students, firstly in the joint degrees context but also for other educational programs involving international mobility.The study reported formed a part of the Erasmus Mundus Intercultural Competence (EMIC) project funded by the European Commission.

Endangered Scholars Worldwide

Endangered Scholars Worldwide Ebby Abramson and Dolunay Bulut The information in this quarterly print report is current as of December 5, 2017. The situation of scholars and students around the world changes on a daily basis. For the most up-to-date information and ways in which you can be involved in calling for the freedom of endangered scholars and students, please visit us online at www.endangeredscholarsworldwide.net or follow us at www.facebook.com/endangeredscholars. In these pages we introduce new cases that have come to our attention over the past three months and provide basic information about continuing cases—a description of charges and potential or actual reported sentences. If you are aware of a scholar or student whose case you believe we should investigate, please contact us at esw@newschool.edu. PETITION TO IRAN TO OVERTURN PROFESSOR AHMADREZA DJALALI'S DEATH SENTENCE We the undersigned are compelled to express our outrage at the arrest, conviction, and sentencing of Iranian professor Ahmadreza Djalali, who has been detained since April 2016 by the Islamic Republic of Iran. He was accused of espionage and, following a closed trial, sentenced to death on October 20, 2017. The 45-year-old professor, who taught at the European Master in Disaster Medicine (EMDM) in Italy—a joint master's program of the Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel—was arrested in April 2016 in Tehran on charges of "collaboration with a hostile government" while he was visiting his family. Djalali was later accused of providing information to Israel to help it assassinate several senior nuclear scientists. Amnesty International reports [End Page v] that Djalali's lawyers were told on Saturday, December 9, 2017, that the Supreme Court had considered his case and upheld his October 24 sentence in a secret process without allowing them to file defense submissions. We at Endangered Scholars Worldwide and the undersigned consider this arbitrary sentence a flagrant and unjust violation of the freedom, security, and safety of an academic who is clearly a victim of a political witch hunt—arrested without cause, held for months in solitary confinement and without access to a lawyer, and subjected to physical mistreatment and psychological abuse. Endangered Scholars Worldwide and the undersigned deplore this unjustified verdict in the strongest terms and ask all international organizations, academic and professional associations, and other groups and individuals devoted to the promotion and defense of human rights, to strongly protest and condemn this arbitrary sentence, to call for Professor Djalali's immediate and unconditional release, and to urge the officials of the Iranian government to respect, guarantee, and implement the provisions and principles of human rights as specified in international conventions and treaties. Signed: Talal Asad, Etienne R. Balibar, Jose Casanova, Nancy Fraser, Ira Katznelson, Janos Kis, Arien Mack, Steven Pinker, and more than 100 others from Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, and the United States. Please add your signature at: https://tinyurl.com/esw-djalali-petition. NEW AND CONTINUING CASES BAHRAIN Scholars and Researchers: abdul-jalil al-singace, the former head of the department of engineering at the University of Bahrain, has been in Jau [End Page vi] prison since 2011 on a life sentence for allegedly "plotting to overthrow the government" during the Arab Spring protests. Al-Singace, who has long campaigned for political reform and an end to torture, was himself tortured at the time of his detention. Recent reports suggest that he has repeatedly been denied medical treatment as he refused to wear the prison uniform and handcuffs. ESW calls for Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace to be granted access to all necessary medical care as a matter of urgency, and continues to call for his immediate and unconditional release, as well as all those detained in Bahrain in violation of Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Bahrain is a state party. Students: ali mohamed hakeem al-arab, 23, was arrested on February 9, 2017. On March 7, he was moved to Dry Dock Prison. Ali al-Arab has allegedly been tortured during interrogation, including having his toenails pulled off, given electric shocks, and beaten...

The added value of transnational and intercultural training. The example of Europubhealth – Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in Public Health

The added value of transnational and intercultural training. The example of Europubhealth – Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in Public Health

China–Sri Lanka Joint Center for Education and Research for the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road

The China–Sri Lanka Joint Center for Education and Research for the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (CSL-CER) was established in August 2015. The Joint Center is an overseas science and education platform established by Chinese Academy of Sciences. CSL-CER has conducted a series of research activities, including an annual scientific expedition to the eastern Indian Ocean, with many kinds of instruments installed for monsoon and ocean observation. The ‘Numerical Forecast System for the Surrounding Area of Sri Lanka,’ which was developed by the Joint Center, can provide rapid mapping on multiple scales and at multiple resolutions for numerical forecast products serving local society. The annual China–Sri Lanka Joint Workshop on Monsoon Climate and Ocean Environment was successfully held in 2015 and 2016. According to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on joint Master’s degrees, 15 new Master’s students were accepted by University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) in 2015.

Remote Evaluation of Software Engineering Competences

The paper focuses on and examines the issues and problems related to remote evaluation of software engineering competences using progressive competence representation model. Authors suggested original approach for Master Program in Software Engineering competence evaluation as a combination academic competences and professional competences from European Competence model (e-CF). Examples of competence description for 16 subjects from proposed a Joint Master Program in Software Engineering are developed. Several types of scoring rubrics for Software Engineering competences evaluation are reviewed and rubrics’ templates created. The developed models and templates can be used by universities and IT enterprises for training results evaluation as well as for competence evaluation for Software Engineering Master program's graduates.

Der Europäische Master für Lexikographie im Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree Programm

Abstract The following report reflects on the activities and changes of EMLex concerning the implementation of the programme as an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree and gives a short overview over the international summer term which took place 2016 at the Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary (Budapest).

A Web-Based Distance Learning Joint Master Programme on ICT in Education for Sustainable Development

This paper deals with a M.Sc. joint programme in the field of ICT in Education for Sustainable Development. The UNESCO and European Union Strategy for the worldwide implementation of ESD require numerous key elements, which appear to be indispensable for the success of the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD). These elements include partnerships, network developments, capacity building, development and innovation, and monitoring and evaluation. In this context, the UNESCO Chair of ICT in Education for Sustainable Development established at the University of Crete in cooperation with the RCE Crete took the initiative to jointly develop a M.Sc. programme on ICT in Education for Sustainable Development to be delivered online through a virtual learning environment. This project was approved by the European Commission and was financially supported (Project Number: 510212-LLP-1-2010-1-GR-ERASMUS-EVC and agreement number 2010-3494/001-001). This paper starts with an overview of the rationale and context for such a programme, continues with the main concepts involved in its course curriculum design and development. It ends with a description of the programme and a discussion for its potential contribution to education for sustainability.

After Amarin v FDA: What Will the Future Hold for Off-label Promotion Regulation?

From the Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA (T.K.M.); Joint Masters Program in Health Policy and Law, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and California Western School of Law, San Diego, CA (T.K.M.); and Global Health Policy Institute, La Jolla, CA (T.K.M., B.A.L.). O n August 7, 2015, the US District Court in Amarin v FDA handed down a ruling that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lacked the authority to prohibit nonmisleading forms of off-label speech. When a drug is approved by the FDA for a specific indication, licensed clinicians are nevertheless free to prescribe it for any clinical use they see fit. In fact, offlabel drug use (ie, prescribing medications for a different disease or medical condition, different route of administration, and/or different dosage than that approved by the FDA) is relatively common, with a 2006 study estimating that 21% of commonly used drugs are prescribed off-label. Despite regular off-label use of prescription drugs (including high rates in certain patient populations and conditions such as pediatrics, cancer, and psychotic disorders), manufacturers are only allowed to engage in product promotion for the indication approved on the label. When manufacturers engage in promotion for any indication, dosage, or administration outside the FDA approval, they engage in illegal off-label promotion. However, the lines between illegal and permitted off-label promotion are now being blurred in the wake of the Amarin decision, which is likely to have a lasting impact on future drug promotion practices, regulatory and enforcement activities, and the role of the physician in patient care.

Reframing European doctoral training for the new ERA

ABSTRACTIn 2014 the institutionalization of European higher education and training, as well as research and innovation, policy entered a new phase: a number of financial instruments were simplified and merged. The Erasmus Mundus programme, wherein consortia of European and overseas universities built joint master's or doctoral degrees, was split into two parts: joint master's degrees now belong to education policy, and joint doctorates became a minor part of the Horizon 2020 programme for research and innovation. The programme illustrates how supranational institutions use ‘soft power' to harmonize policies. Using data from interim evaluations of two funding instruments, this article argues that the policy change marks the institutionalization of emerging concepts of European master and European doctorate as two distinct areas, not only different cycles of education. The master is constituted as individual investment, and the doctorate becomes a means to Lisbon (innovation and economy) more than Bologna (streamlining education systems) objectives.

Student Experience: A New Approach to Evaluate the Quality of Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees through Survey Research

Student perspectives and quality assurance have been prominent policy topics in the European policy landscape. Student surveys conducted by tertiary education institutions, national agencies or independent student organizations have systematically provided feedback to stakeholders about numerous aspects that need improvement. Adding to the existing literature, the Course Quality Advisory Board (CQAB) of the Erasmus Mundus Student and Alumni Association (EMA) has launched the Course Quality Student Services (CQSS) survey in the fall of 2013. Unlike existing data collection mechanisms, the CQSS survey focuses on capturing the comparative experience that students undergoing an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree (EMJMD) are excellently positioned to provide. This paper reports on the methodology and aggregated descriptive results of the second wave of the CQSS survey, with data collected between the 1st of June and the 20th of July 2015. CQSS amassed 2131 responses from students of 193 programs and 128 countries. Seventy-one programs managed to obtain 10 or more respondents. Information produced with the CQSS survey can be used to improve students’ experiences and enhance quality of programmes in Erasmus Mundus umbrella. Lessons learned can be also used to enhance provision of educational services in other internationally focused programs.

Establishing a Master׳s for Europe – A transnational model for higher education

Background and contextOver the last 50 years leading international organisations have been emphasising the key role that midwives play in the provision of quality care for women and babies throughout the pregnancy continuum. Midwifery education, however, generally remained at pre-university level until recently when Bachelors’ programmes were developed. In Europe this development was taken further with the awarding of a European Union Lifelong Learning Programme grant to a consortium of five universities in four countries to develop a joint Master’s degree in midwifery. The first students, drawn not only from the countries of the partner institutions but also from other European countries and from countries outside of Europe, commenced their studies in 2009. Does the programme meet its objectives and those set out in the Lancet series?The objectives of the programme were in line with the requirements for effective midwifery care and evidence based practice as discussed in the Lancet series. Threats and challenges to sustainabilityAs an EU funded project all the goals were met. However, in terms of its long-term sustainability problems arose due to the need for universities to rationalise programmes. The number of students has remained steady but low with the projected growth not taking place thus it has been impossible to perceive an impact on midwifery practice and the health of women and children where graduates are working. ConclusionDespite limitations, the programme serves as an exemplary model of how a Master’s programme in midwifery can be successfully built through a collaboration of interested parties from different countries, and can be applied at a global level in other regions of the world, with sufficient political and economic support.

SWOT analysis to evaluate the programme of a joint online/onsite master's degree in environmental education through the students’ perceptions

This study shows the use of SWOT to analyse students’ perceptions of an environmental education joint master's programme in order to determine if it runs as originally planned. The open answers given by students highlight the inter-university nature of the master's, the technological innovation used as major points, and the weaknesses in the management coordination or the duplicate contents as minor points. The external analysis is closely linked with the students’ future jobs, their labour opportunities available to them after graduation. The innovative treatment of the data is exportable to the evaluation of programmes of other degrees because it allows the description linked to its characteristics and its design through the students’ point of view.