STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT IN STATE UNIVERSITY OF TETOVA TOWARDS EUROPEAN TRENDS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

The desire to be part of the academic Europe requires an all effort of the academic staff to be focused with all possible forces in the integration of the Balkan union, regional and international. The integration process, especially that in Europe have walked long distances, in the direction of the unified sphere which means not only economic integration, political, joint market trade, management, increased understanding for spiritual knowledge, modern global communication but also a unified sphere in the level of education, especially higher education, including scientific research and the creation of the united regional and international academic association. The academic association in Europe has done a lot especially in the years of ‘90s where many obstacles were balanced between the regional countries and those of Balkans. The universities like an institution of higher education should do initiative of these kinds however, we see it that they should be initiated from the ministry of education of these countries but the implementation of the academic work process should be done from the universities like an institution of higher education.
The need for a bigger cooperation in the international level of higher education comes from the joint needs and problems that surpasses the local character, national, and regional but those needs are: financial, equality in enrollment of students to study and those during their study, elevating and securing the quality of education, increased addition of scientific study and their application, employment of students that have graduated etc.
In the second part of the century, internationalization of the higher education comes from the fact of the global character of the need to learn and explore. There does not exist any form of education or scientific research that can be done in the tight national frame therefore, more joint venture should be done at the higher level especially cooperation between universities of different countries need to be elevated in the regional and international level.
For this apparent reason cooperation of the universities of different countries always are added links and networks those of national and international scientific research and other forms of academic teamwork. The academic process is facilitated by the information and communication technology because today we live in the age of world information.
This period of educational transition in general and especially the higher education was followed by many problems. Some of these problems are connected with parts of the massive enlargement of higher education. The politics of higher education we consider it that it must have criteria of control that is compatible with the capacity, economic resources and native technology.
The number of students that are enrolled in the world are six times higher that it was in the first half of the twentieth century. Likewise, the distinction between the higher developed countries, countries in transition and those that are underdeveloped is significant. This is done while taking into an account the means of the enrollment of students and the usefulness of the tools for higher education and research. This dynamic happens frequently even between developed economic countries where the difference in the educational endeavors agrees with the social-economic strata of the society. Higher education and scientific research endeavors therefore, are not equal and are not distributed in an equal manner geographically.
The dimension of the international academic union has it as an insider that tries to find compatible forms of higher education, for efficient functioning and qualitative institutions of higher education, follow-up of studies and international cooperation of this kind that would help in decreasing discrimination between nations and regions of higher education levels like science, technology and increased understanding between people of different nations in the regional level and also in international level.

Today everybody has it clear that without relevant higher education and research institutions that will secure a critical mass of people that will be skilled and educated; no country will be able to secure any development and advancement in education while countries in transition and those that are underdeveloped will not decrease the distinction that separates industrial developed countries. The awareness for materialization of higher education, for economic development and socio-cultural development in advancement of society presents a priority for progress in the new century and the crucial need for a bigger hodgepodge of higher education.
Every approach in the integration process implies that in addition to fulfillment of the economic and political requirements that need to be satisfied also those that are put into education. Entrance into the European Union infers that complementary suitability of all norms and laws that are now into force in the EU, which belong to European nations and those that are regional. This is however, a very complicated work in comparison with the requirements of conformity of higher education in Macedonia with the reform system standards of education in Europe even though Macedonia is a country that has signed an agreement for academic reforms in education. The level of higher education this implies also the laws for higher schools and all other judicial act in general that belong to possible international cooperation in the first order of likelihood of mobility of the students and teachers in the international level.
When we talk about acceptance of the programs of the European Union in higher education, Balkan universities, regional and European, we have to present the desire and preparedness for all collaboration forms of Balkan universities, regional and international. Likewise universities have to be prepared to fulfill the conditions that will get us close in the international academic union that supports the development of higher education, to increase the quality of the national education system in the Balkan, regional, European and beyond.
Universities have to develop the mechanisms and methods that will enable the easy establishment of the regional and international cooperation. For this reason ECT (European credit transfer system) has to be accepted with the application of each system it has to be secured the light mobility of students, people and knowledge in university studies. With the application of the ECTS it will smooth the speedy progress in the integration of higher education system (as a beginning in the local and then national level) academic union, Balkan level, and international level and it will increase the chance of inclusion of new projects of cooperation in Balkans, Europe and beyond. Therefore, let it be universities of Balkan countries that it will initiate cooperation and will serve as a guide to all new reforms of higher education.

 

THE DECLARATION OF BOLOGNA AS A PROMOTER OF ACADEMIC REFORMS IN THE REGION, EUROPE AND WORLDWIDE

            In the past years are done attempts in maximum as far as academic reforms are concerned through different symposiums, seminars, conferences, summits, etc.
Bologna Declaration has awakened interest for reformation of higher education in the regional and also in European level. It is impossible to make an interpretation of all information and discussions that come out from the Bologna Declaration from the month of June of the year 1999.
In European level a string of seminars have been taken as a main objective of the Bologna Declaration, which is led from a group that has been established from the relevant Ministry for application of the Declaration. They have accepted the financial support from the European Commission and have addressed these aspects:

1. Mechanisms of accumulation of credits and their transfers (in Portugal, November 2000);
2. Quality assurance and accreditation (for example certificate for secure standards of required quality) in the European higher education sphere (in Lisbon, January 2001);
3. Models for faculty and study levels (in Helsinki, February 2001)
4. Transnational Education (for example, distributed education from one state in another state which is given from the institute that controls the course program) in general context “above the competition base” or “attraction” of the European Higher Education (in Malme, Sweden on March 2001).

Looking at the tendency of reforms in the higher education in the Balkans, region, Europe, and at the transparency of the process of the reforms in education in the regional and European countries deriving from the Bologna Declaration, having in mind all the doubts and the harmful processes in the change of the educational system in all European countries, the idea for the United academic Europe it happens day after day to be clearer and closer.
Education systems in many countries are rigid, closed systems or conventional however, reforms in European higher education are thoughtful processes and long term will the balkan universities join these reforms like an active participant depends from knowing the reform processes in balkan countries, regional and European.
            Many debates going on recently as far as the higher education is concerned in Macedonia and in the countries around, but also in the Balkans, rise a pique and an optimism should these universities join the academic reforms according to the Bologna as direct participant or continue with an agony and inactivity towards these reforms.
Knowing the European parameters of values of higher education and their application in profession and also their short term implementation or long term in balkan universities, regional and Europe are imperative of the time in the higher education reform system.

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BOLOGNA DECLARATION IN STATE UNIVERSITY OF TETOVA IN THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

            The State University of Tetova has accepted the challenge in which Balkan universities have entered in, European universities and worlwide, and it has joined with higher education trends in Europe. Shortly, I’ll try to present activities going on on behalf of the harmonization of the requirements from the Declaration of Bologna in the State University of Tetova.

            STUDY CYCLES

By the Declaration of Bologna is foreseen that the University must offer at least two study cycles: graduate and postgraduate.
The first study cycle – graduate is foreseen to be at least three years. In the University, up to now are offered three years studies, e.g. In the Politechnical Faculty and combined 4 years studies in other faculties, and since the Academic Year 2005/06 are drafted three years curricula, and in all SUT Faculties the lectures are run conform these curricula.
In each of the Faculties are drafted or are being drafted curriculas for postgraduate studies of two years  Master Degrees and three years of PhDs. According to our prognose, the complition of at least two cycles: graduate and master in all the Departments will be accomplished within four years, so until 2008, on regular basis and time, because the Bologna Declaration foresees the Implementation process until 2010.

            The system of accumulating credits in the State University of tetova

            In the University, it is approved ECTS, which recommends Bologna Declaration. In our University ECTS for the moment is being used for accumulation credits and it is also foreseen to be used as a tool for enabling the transfer of credits in other European Universities.
ECTS credits in universities are numerical values (ranging from 1 to 60) which are determined for each subject and which credits the students gains after completing the particular subject. Here are included: lectures, seminars, exercises, individual work (at the library or at home) and also exams and other evaluating activities.
ECTS credits present relative values, which are determined from respective commitiees of the Faculties and study programs of the State University of Tetova.
According to ECTS, 60 credits present the engagement of the student within a year of studies, normally the devision is made into 30 per semester.

HOW IS DONE THE COUNTING OF ECTS CREDITS IN THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF TETOVA

In cases such non-modular programmes, it is counted the general engagement of the student within the year for all the subjects, and afterwards it is determined on how many points of student’s engagement is worth one credit point. During the calculations we had in mind that the total engagement of the student during the week musn’t pass 40 hours (as long as the working schedule of one employee) covering here: lectures, exercises, seminars, individual work and group work (in the library and at home) also exams and other assesing activities.
In this way, by accounting that during a week the student gets engaged 40 hours and the academic year has got 30 teaching weeks (15+15), we get the total engagement of the student during this perios, as follows:

            Overall engagement = 40

            The student during the academic year must accumulate 60 credits to end with that year, therefore we get as follows:

60
or
1 credits = 20 hours

In this way, we have calculated that the general number of hours per semester to be 600 including here lectures, exercises, seminars, individual and group work (in the libraries and at home) and also exams and other evaluating activities in all the subjects that form the structure of the teaching program per semester, and afterwards are determined separately credits for each subjects carefuly not to go more than 600 hours or 30 credits in general in a semester.

CHANGES IN THE TEACHING PROGRAMS AND CURRICULAS AND WAYS HOW TO HOLD LECTURES AND EXAMS

A full time student is obliged to register all obligatory subjects (around 70%) and some elective subjects (around 30%). All subjects have their credit points, so that the student chooses them by accumulating at least 60 credits within a year, or 30 credits per semester.
Except elective subjects, it also exist the cathegory of optional subjects, which can substitute elective subjects up to 20%. Optional subjects can be every subject that is being offered in SUT as such, or in any other university (e.g. winter or summer university), which parteins to the subject of the study field or respective department.
The student is conducted and evaluated during the whole semester by different tests, mid-term and final exams, seminar works, projects, etc. In this way, the student during the year gains 40%-50 of the grades in the respective subject, and the final decision is taken on the occasion of the final-exam, when the student gets 50%-60% of another part from the final grade. Therefore, the student who is not active during the year, although if will be allowed to enter in the exam (will have a chance to get not more than the grade 6, or eventually 7 only if he does correctly and thoroghly the final exam).

Exams are being given in three forms:

1. Written
2. Written and oral
3. Oral (theoretical subjects)

 

THE GRADING OF THE STUDENTS IN STATE UNIVERSITY AND EQUIVALENCY WITH THE EUROPEAN GRADING SYSTEM RECOMMENDED BY ECTS

The student is graded with the grades from 5-10 (the grade 5 is not a passing grade).
The meaning and the grade equivalency with ECTS is presented in the chart below:

After finishing with the exam in the respective subject, the student gains ECTS credits that are foreseen for the particular subject. ECTS credits shouldn’t be mixed with ECTS grades because grades tell the individual success of the respective student, whereas ECTS credits tell the engagement of every student to accomplish obligations in the respective subject. In the official grade certificates that the State University of Tetova issues, are added colums that represent the grade which is equal with ECTS, close to every grade of the existing system and the number of credits which are griven in the diploma supplement or diploma.

THE COOPERATION AND MOBILITY IN THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF TETOVA

The cooperation among institutions of the higher education is of paramount importance and it enables the Exchange of experiencess, ideas, viewpoints, etc. The State University of Tetova has lots of contacts and at the moment its main activity is focused towards interuniversity cooperation. In the past last years, the SUT has signed many bilateral agreements in the country, Balkans, regjion, Europe, USA and worldwide.

THE STUDY QUALITY IN THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF TETOVA

The University is determined for its teaching mission, scientific research and other services. This institution  attempts to become stable and attractive, with a dense scientific and teaching activity, and in this way achieve these trends. SUT is engaged to offer qualitative teaching, study and research and thus being compatible towards European Standards.

We are fully councious and we expect to face with many challenges in the future, but we are convinced and sure that with a maximum engagement can come to these contemporary trends that the higher education requires in the country, region, Balkans, Europe and worlwide.

 

Tetova, November, 2006

Rector
Prof.Dr.Sadi Bexheti
State University of Tetova