UK-Bulgarian Transnational Education (TNE) Forum held on 24–25 October 2023 in Sofia
Updates: July 2024 - September 2024
As part of the next steps within the UK-Bulgarian Transnational Education Programme the British Council in Bulgaria is partnering and supporting the side and complementary events to the high-level international conference under the START project (18 – 19 September 2024 in Sofia) funded by the Erasmus Plus programme and led by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science and with partners: National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency of Bulgaria (NEAA), Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ARACIS) and Bulgarian Council on Refugees and Migrants.
Main topics of the international conference include: (1) Social inclusion in the context of higher education and (2) Microcredentials and the European approach, including a session on evaluation of TNE programmes.
Main participants invited to the conference include ministers and deputy ministers from the Bulgarian and Romanian ministries of education; Chairpersons of national accreditation agencies for higher education, Director of UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC), Director of EQAR - The European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education, European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, Chair of Council of Rectors, Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association, Director for Youth, Education and Erasmus+, DG EAC, European Commission, The Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO) and etc. Attendees include rectors of Bulgarian HEIs, deputy rectors, deans and vice-deans of faculties, civil society and NGO representatives, as well as representatives from students organisations on EU level and regional level. Almost 100 guests register for the conference with around 70 attendees participating at the various sessions.
With the support of the British Council and in partnership with NEAA we were pleased to invite as panellists in the main conference and side event - representatives from the UK – Quality and Accreditation Agency (QAA) and Education Insight.
The events – international conference and two side events – shall build on each other, benefiting from the convening effect of the START project conference to bring stakeholders to UK-Bulgaria focused discussions.
Side event: Describing and assessing the Global Transnational Education landscape. Readiness of local institutions for TNE partnerships and evaluation of transnational programmes. Discussion and Q&A sessions.
19 September 2024 at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
Includes sessions on:
- Benefits of TNE for host countries and learners: Global TNE framework and assessment tool. Role of TNE in widening access to higher education and international higher education. Led by Janet Ilieva, PhD - Education Insight
- Opportunities and challenges for TNE in Bulgaria and Romania. Discussion with University representatives led by NEAA & ARACIS
- Findings from QAA’s Quality Evaluation and Enhancement of UK TNE (QE-TNE) Scheme. Led by: Eduardo Ramos, Director of International & Professional Services and Shannon Stowers, International Relations Manager at UK Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA)
We are happy that colleagues from British Council Romania, Romanian Accreditation Agency (ARACIS) and few Romanian HEIs take part in the discussions as well. Around 40 attendees register for the side-event.
Joint Workshop supported by the British Council for Joint and Double-degree programmes accreditation in the context of UK-BG TNE programmes. Perspectives from QAA, NEAA, ARACIS
20 September 2024 at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
Except getting to know each other, especially in the in the context of the signed MoUs from the side of the Bulgarian and Romanian agencies with QAA, the workshop aimed for the agencies to start working on the development of a work plan for next steps regarding joint activities and interventions. The workshop explored the application of accreditation processes in Joint Programmes including presentations and Q&A from all the three agencies – NEAA, ARACIS, QAA. The discussions included comparisons of Bulgarian, Romanian and UK case and aimed at exploring practical and cost-effective ways of moving towards joint accreditation in TNE
NEAA Accreditation Council, Standing Committees and staff members also join the workshop which included around 25 attendees.
April-June 2024
- Enhancing the partnership relations with evaluation and accreditation agencies from Bulgaria and the UK (NEAA and QAA) in the light of the signed MoU; Continuing the cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science, especially regarding the START project funded under Erasmus Plus programme
- Supporting the process of capacity building of evaluation experts with focus on TNE programmes, as well as supporting the networking and building the trust between evaluation and accreditation agencies:
- Supporting the participation of a Bulgarian representative at the International Quality Assurance Programme 2024 (24-28 June 2024). The programme includes university visits to Regent’s University London and University of London, including discussions around TNE programmes and UK experience.
- Fostering possibilities for universities to enhance their capacities with the support of the British Council Exams and Teaching teams – with focus on University of National and World Economy in the light of the two TNE master, double-degree programmes starting in October 2024 and Medical University Sofia; Held meetings and online exchange (April-May 2024)
- Supporting possible partnerships between UK and Bulgarian universities
***
Reinforcing the multi-agency approach and facilitating partnerships between higher education institutions was the focus of the two-day TNE forum held in Sofia on 24–25 October 2023.
The TNE forum was opened by Elizabeth Chapman, Deputy Chief of Mission of the British Embassy; Professor Genka Petrova, Deputy Minister of Education and Science in Bulgaria; and Andrew Glass, Country Director of the British Council in Bulgaria and Romania.
Moderated by Janet Ilieva from Education Insight UK and Dobryana Petkova, TNE programme manager at the British Council, the forum brought together over 45 representatives of agencies, governmental institutions, higher education institutions and science academies, including the Bulgarian Higher Education Directorate, the National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency, ENIC-NARIC members from Bulgaria and the UK, UUKi, UK Quality Assurance Agency. They participated in thematic sessions covering topics related to quality assurance, evaluation and accreditation of HEI programmes in the context of TNE collaborations, as well as the recognition of diplomas and the regulation of professions. Higher education institutions also attended small-scale match-making opportunities and Q&A sessions.
The British Council and the British Embassy in Bulgaria, in co-operation with the Ministry of Education and Science, have been working for more than a year on the strategic UK-Bulgarian TNE programme. The aim is to encourage and foster TNE partnerships in the higher education sector, as well as facilitate co-operation between relevant agencies for more inclusive, more international and more connected tertiary education. Enhancing knowledge exchange between faculties, researchers and policy makers from the UK and Bulgaria is one of the key objectives.
Parallel to the event in Sofia – and connected to the objectives of TNE programmes – two strategic Bulgarian-UK agreements were signed, which will have a significant impact on TNE possibilities:
- A joint declaration of strategic partnership between Bulgaria and the UK was signed on 24 October 2023 in London by Bulgaria’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mariya Gabriel and UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly. The declaration is an expression of the two countries’ strong ambition for closer co-operation in key spheres including technology, science and education.
- A memorandum of understanding was signed by the Bulgarian National Agency for Evaluation and Accreditation and the UK Quality Assurance Agency at the 2023 ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) General Assembly, which took place on 26–27 October in Dublin, Ireland.
Background
According to the study Local impact of transnational education. A pilot study in selected European Union countries [1], TNE provides top educational knowledge from the best professionals in the market, providing networking and good skill sets for career growth.
According to the main findings and recommendations of the pilot study, transnational education programmes and partnerships:
- TNE programmes and partnerhips address local labour market needs.
- UK TNE is seen as having an ‘internationalising’ role that helps to build prosperity for local areas and facilitates local authorities’ ambitions to attract international businesses.
- For partner higher education institutions (HEIs), the relationship with quality UK providers develops and positions them as critical local providers in the talent supply chain.
- English-language taught programmes are a critical factor in attracting and retaining international businesses.
- TNE programmes are perceived as contributing to the local development, circulation and transfer of knowledge.
- TNE programmes have an immediate and positive impact on local economies.
- For students, the impact is related to fulfilling their career aspirations and equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to be successfully employed in the labour market.
Goal and objectives
The main goal of the strategic partnership programme for UK & BG – transnational education (TNE) engagement is the overall support regarding policy development, institutional partnerships and knowledge exchange between the United Kingdom (UK) and Bulgaria (BG) for more inclusive, more international, and more connected tertiary education.
The objectives include:
- Increasing the scale and effectiveness of UK Transnational Education (TNE) and Joint Teaching Programmes by fostering the existing and encouraging and assisting new TNE collaborations.
- Enhancing knowledge exchange between faculties, researchers and policy makers from the UK and BG.
Implementing agents and leading partners
British Embassy, the British Council, UK Science and Innovation Network
Invited partnering institutions and organisations
Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science, Universities UK (UUK), Bulgarian Council of Rectors, UK and BG Universities, National agency for Information and Documentation, National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency (NEAA), Business Organisations, Study in Bulgaria Foundation, NGO Tuk-Tam.
Target audience
- Main target audience: UK and BG universities, educational stakeholders in higher education (HE) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)
- Secondary target audience: Representatives from the business sector/ potential employers, chambers, HR agencies, science academies/institutes, media
The TNE project in Bulgaria consists of three main execution phases implemented in 2021–23:
- Preparation phase, including research and data gathering (2021–22).
- Three research papers were commissioned: two exploring the interests of TNE collaboration between BG-UK HEIs (one consisting of 52 HEIs – respondents from BG, and one exploring the interests of 15 representatives of UK HEIs). The third research is a sociological analysis from conducted national survey among young people aged 16–35 (30 May 2022) exploring Bulgarian young people’s attitudes towards higher education in British-Bulgarian transnational study programmes with representation in Bulgaria.
- Execution Phase 1 (Q3, 2022): Launch and First Webinar – presentation of and introduction to the TNE framework, answering why BG-UK TNE co-operation is successful, including institutional and legal background in Bulgaria and why it is convenient for TNE partnerships establishments; research data and analysis regarding the readiness of universities in the two countries to partner, as well as perceptions and attitudes of beneficiaries (young people and students); Case studies of TNE partnerships with good practices and challenges included.
- Execution Phase 2 (Q4, 2022): Exploring the market – the role of businesses and subjects of interest for TNE partners; labour market gaps and how the interests of employers, students and HEIs can meet and counteract; emerging professions.
- Execution Phase 3 (Q1–Q2, 2023): Match-making sessions and possibilities for collaborations.
- Evaluation and review (Q3): Possible scaling into bilateral agreement in HE.