Texts, Pedagogical materials and Educational Political Recommendations for Ministries and Department

European convergente in the training of professionals related to the issues of population, health, poverty and social welfare.

The creation of a common European space concerning education requires to make effective some real measures which contribute to get to know the present situation and to look for coincidences in basic aspects of the university formative systems, as it has been formulated and stated explicitly in successive declarations of the ministers for higher education of the E.U. member countries.

As it is known, in order to achieve the European space of higher education, it is necessary to attain the following objectives in few years:

• The implementation of a qualification system which can be easily read and compared, by means of the introduction of the Diploma Supplement, aiming at favouring the employability of the European citizens and the international competition of the European higher education system.

• The implementation of a system based essentially in two main cycles, one of first and another of second level. The access to the second cycle requires the satisfactory conclusion of the first cycle studies, which lasts a minimum period of three years. The qualification awarded at the end of the first cycle may be used in the European labour market. The second cycle must conduce to a qualification of master or doctorate as it happens in many European countries.

• The establishment of a credit system - as the ECTS model- as a means to promote student mobility. Credits may also be acquired in other contexts, as permanent training, given the assumption that they are recognised by the receiving universities concerned.

• The promotion of mobility by eliminating the obstacles for the full exercise of the free movement paying special attention to the following aspects:

- teachers, researchers and technical-administrative staff: the recognition and valuation of research periods in European contexts related to teaching and training, without prejudice to their acquired rights.

• The promotion of an European collaboration in the guarantee of quality aiming at the design of comparable criteria and methodologies.

• The promotion of the necessary European dimensions in higher education, mainly with regard to the curricular development, interinstitutional cooperation, mobility plans and programs of study, training and research.

Taking into account these objectives, the adoption of the Diploma Supplement and the establishment of the credit system (ECTS) are relatively easy to be implemented, even although in some cases they imply the modification of traditional ways of doing. In different countries, steps are being taken for its putting into service.

The achievement of the remaining objectives, that is, the system of two main cycles in all degrees, the European collaboration in the guarantee of quality and the promotion of the European dimensions in higher education, is more difficult. Nevertheless, initiatives like the ones carried out within the framework of the Phoenix Project may contribute to that achievement.

This task is enormous and requires the cooperative contribution of many people and institutions. The contribution of the professionals that take part in this project may be very valuable because they have a wide experience, since they belong to countries with slightly different traditions. However, at the same time, it is convenient to recognise that, this one being one more aspect of the project, its scope is limited to its objectives and characteristics.

Assuming these conditions, the tasks which could be developed within the Phoenix Project during the academic years 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 are:

• To make up a reduced list of professionals related to the issues of population, health, poverty and social welfare. For example:

• To make an approach to the more important knowledge and skills which should master these professionals. It will be very interesting to check the similarities and differences which appear when comparing the feedback of the different countries.

• To analyse the education plans of the different countries: objectives, contents, methodologies, duration,...

• To make suggestions which may be useful for the convergence of the formation plans design as a provision for the establishment of the system formed by two main cycles.