Current Changes in Higher Education for the European Wood Industry - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Current Changes in Higher Education for the European Wood Industry

All Division 5 World Conference Forest Products and Environment - A Productive Symbiosis Taipei, 29 Oct. - 2 Nov. 2007

• Dr. Heiko Thoemen
• Prof. Arno Fruehwald

University of Hamburg, Germany

2

Taipei 29.10. - 2.11.2007

Higher Education in the European Wood Industry

Heiko Thoemen Arno Fruehwald

Content Content

• 1. General Trends in Europe
• 2. Situation and needs in the wood sector
• 3. Summary and conclusions

3

Taipei 29.10. - 2.11.2007

Higher Education in the European Wood Industry

Heiko Thoemen Arno Fruehwald

Today's situation Today's situation

y Higher education in Europe currently undergoes the most dramatic changes since the emergence of modern universities. y Driving forces:

Increasing rate of technical development Globalization (harmonization of educational systems) Social changes

y European politics react with two action plans:

Lisbon Agenda (2000) Bologna Declaration (1999)

Content

• 1. General trends
• 2. Wood sector
• 3. Conclusions

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Taipei 29.10. - 2.11.2007

Higher Education in the European Wood Industry

Heiko Thoemen Arno Fruehwald

Lisbon Agenda (I) Lisbon Agenda (I)

y Reaction on the fact that EU (like

• ther regions of the world) has

developed to a knowledge-based economy and society

Within EU: 30% of existing jobs (50% of new jobs) are in the knowledge intensive sectors

y Aim stated in Lisbon Agenda: "Make Europe, by 2010, the most competitive and the most dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world".

Content

• 1. General trends
• 2. Wood sector
• 3. Conclusions

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Taipei 29.10. - 2.11.2007

Higher Education in the European Wood Industry

Heiko Thoemen Arno Fruehwald

Lisbon Agenda (II) Lisbon Agenda (II)

y Universities play a key role in Lisbon process:

Generate and transfer knowledge Education / training Regional and local development

y 34% of European researchers are at Universities (Greece: 70%, Germany: 26%) y Fundamental research: 80% at Universities y 4000 universities/colleges in EU-25 (17 Mio. students) y Organization on national or regional level Heterogeneity of structures, conditions and degrees

Content

• 1. General trends
• 2. Wood sector
• 3. Conclusions

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Taipei 29.10. - 2.11.2007

Higher Education in the European Wood Industry

Heiko Thoemen Arno Fruehwald

Bologna declaration Bologna declaration

y Aim (among others): Make degrees comparable / transferable between countries y Expected effects:

Improve flexibility in designing individual qualifications (B.Sc. in mechanical engineering, M.Sc. in wood technology,

• r vice versa)

Improve mobility within EU Shorten duration of studies for majority Approximate universities and technical colleges

y Transitional problems: Uncertainty among employers y Bologna declaration provides framework, with considerable flexibility on national and regional level.

Content

• 1. General trends
• 2. Wood sector
• 3. Conclusions

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Taipei 29.10. - 2.11.2007

Higher Education in the European Wood Industry

Heiko Thoemen Arno Fruehwald

Challenges (I) Challenges (I) for tomorrow's colleges and universities

for tomorrow's colleges and universities

Content

• 1. General trends
• 2. Wood sector
• 3. Conclusions

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Taipei 29.10. - 2.11.2007

Higher Education in the European Wood Industry

Heiko Thoemen Arno Fruehwald

Challenges (I) Challenges (I)

Increasing demand on tertiary education

Traditional programs (full-time enrollment)

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Finland Sweden UK Poland Italy France Germany Austria Malta EU-25 US Japan

Gross enrolment rates 2002/03 *) Gross enrolment rates 2002/03 *)

*) All students on tertiary level in percent of 20 to 24 year olds. Source: Eurostat 2005

Increase in many countries expected Increase in many countries expected

Content

• 1. General trends
• 2. Wood sector
• 3. Conclusions

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Taipei 29.10. - 2.11.2007

Higher Education in the European Wood Industry

Heiko Thoemen Arno Fruehwald

Challenges (I) Challenges (I)

Increasing demand on tertiary education

Traditional programs (full-time enrollment) Life-long learning (continuing education) But: Limited human and financial recourses But: Limited human and financial recourses 4.9 % 1.8 % 35-39 year olds US EU 25 Enrolment rates Enrolment rates

Source: Winckler 2007

Content

• 1. General trends
• 2. Wood sector
• 3. Conclusions

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Taipei 29.10. - 2.11.2007

Higher Education in the European Wood Industry

Heiko Thoemen Arno Fruehwald

Challenges (II) Challenges (II)

Competition (national level) on ...

Students Excellent scientists Industry partners Public funding

Content

• 1. General trends
• 2. Wood sector
• 3. Conclusions

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Taipei 29.10. - 2.11.2007

Higher Education in the European Wood Industry

Heiko Thoemen Arno Fruehwald

Challenges (III) Challenges (III)

Internationalization of research and education

Competition on international level

Source: Education at a glance - OECD Indicators 2005 (refined)

5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 S w e d e n N e t h e r l a n d s G e r m a n y U K F r a n c e I t a l y S p a i n U S A u s t r a l i a J a p a n

private public

University costs per student 2002 in US-Dollar University costs per student 2002 in US-Dollar

Content

• 1. General trends
• 2. Wood sector
• 3. Conclusions

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Taipei 29.10. - 2.11.2007

Higher Education in the European Wood Industry

Heiko Thoemen Arno Fruehwald

Challenges (IV) Challenges (IV)

Reorganization of knowledge

Diversification and specialization (scientists, programs) Interdisciplinary approaches Softening boundaries between fundamental and applied research ("anwendungsbezogene Grundlagenforschung")

• pposing

developments

Content

• 1. General trends
• 2. Wood sector
• 3. Conclusions

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Taipei 29.10. - 2.11.2007

Higher Education in the European Wood Industry

Heiko Thoemen Arno Fruehwald

Content Content

y General Trends in Europe

y Situation and needs in the wood sector

y Summary and conclusions

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Taipei 29.10. - 2.11.2007

Higher Education in the European Wood Industry

Heiko Thoemen Arno Fruehwald

Profiling of programs (I) Profiling of programs (I)

y Programs have to orient on demand, not on historically grounded structures.

Not all universities have taken this chance when restructuring their programs in recent years.

Content

• 1. General trends
• 2. Wood sector
• 3. Conclusions

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Taipei 29.10. - 2.11.2007

Higher Education in the European Wood Industry

Heiko Thoemen Arno Fruehwald

Profiling of programs (II) Profiling of programs (II)

y Challenge: Programs have to suit a variety of different

• ccupations

Associations Publishing Trading Consulting Wood-Based Panels Others Machine Construction Research and Teaching Building Elements Saw ing & Veneer Industry Chemical Industry

23% 15% 13% 11% 9% 8% 6% 6% 4% 3% 2%

Example: Graduates in Wood Science and Technology from Hamburg University Example: Graduates in Wood Science and Technology from Hamburg University

Source: Bund Deutscher Holzwirte Content

• 1. General trends
• 2. Wood sector
• 3. Conclusions

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Taipei 29.10. - 2.11.2007

Higher Education in the European Wood Industry

Heiko Thoemen Arno Fruehwald

Profiling of programs (III) Profiling of programs (III)

y Diversification:

Wood technology & wood based materials Processes & manufacturing Products & product design Forest products economics & marketing One university cannot cover everything

Content

• 1. General trends
• 2. Wood sector
• 3. Conclusions

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Taipei 29.10. - 2.11.2007

Higher Education in the European Wood Industry

Heiko Thoemen Arno Fruehwald

Life Life-

• long learning (I)

long learning (I)

y Delphi Study on the German wood industry sector 2020

2% 11% 14% 57% 16% v e r y u n l i k e l y u n l i k e l y n

• t

s u r e l i k e l y v e r y l i k e l y

Question: Will life-long learning become an important task for the wood industry? Question: Will life-long learning become an important task for the wood industry?

Source: Knauf and Fruehwald 2004 Method: More than 500 experts 3 stages (questionnaires and interviews)

Content

• 1. General trends
• 2. Wood sector
• 3. Conclusions

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Taipei 29.10. - 2.11.2007

Higher Education in the European Wood Industry

Heiko Thoemen Arno Fruehwald

Life Life-

• long learning (II)

long learning (II)

y Backlog for universities in the wood sector y Types of courses

Short courses (days or weeks) Part-time masters (avocational) Full-time masters

y New financing schemes required (employees, employer, scholarships, loans)

Content

• 1. General trends
• 2. Wood sector
• 3. Conclusions

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Taipei 29.10. - 2.11.2007

Higher Education in the European Wood Industry

Heiko Thoemen Arno Fruehwald

International co International co-

• operations
• perations

y Exchange activities under the Life-Long Learning (ERASMUS) program of the European Commission y Joint programs (Dual master, ERASMUS Mundus)

Motivation: Bundle key competences of several universities, learn from best experts in the field

y Student mobility & teaching mobility

Content

• 1. General trends
• 2. Wood sector
• 3. Conclusions

Options Options

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Taipei 29.10. - 2.11.2007

Higher Education in the European Wood Industry

Heiko Thoemen Arno Fruehwald

Image of wood Image of wood-

• related programs (I)

related programs (I)

y War of talents

EU survey of education, training and skills in and around the wood sector: "European woodworking sector is not attractive for careers." Delphi Study on the German wood industry sector 2020

3% 30% 20% 36% 11% v e r y u n l i k e l y u n l i k e l y n

• t

s u r e l i k e l y v e r y l i k e l y

Question: Do professionally trained people prefer

• ther sectors than the wood industry?

Question: Do professionally trained people prefer

• ther sectors than the wood industry?

Source: Knauf and Fruehwald 2004

Content

• 1. General trends
• 2. Wood sector
• 3. Conclusions

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Taipei 29.10. - 2.11.2007

Higher Education in the European Wood Industry

Heiko Thoemen Arno Fruehwald

Image of wood Image of wood-

• related programs (II)

related programs (II)

y Strategies to improve image

Adapt/improve content of programs Provide state-of-the-art methods and facilities Include mobility elements Excellence programs Professional PR (internet, brochures)

y It is much easier to improve the image of a program than

• f a sector.

Content

• 1. General trends
• 2. Wood sector
• 3. Conclusions

22

Taipei 29.10. - 2.11.2007

Higher Education in the European Wood Industry

Heiko Thoemen Arno Fruehwald

Content Content

y General Trends in Europe y Situation and needs in the wood sector

y Summary and conclusions

23

Taipei 29.10. - 2.11.2007

Higher Education in the European Wood Industry

Heiko Thoemen Arno Fruehwald

Summary and conclusions Summary and conclusions

y Tertiary education in Europe currently undergoes dramatic changes. y There is an increasing demand on college and university education, but limited resources. y Existing and new programs have to be adapted to meet today's and tomorrow's needs. y Life-long learning programs are needed. This requires new ways

• f thinking from ...

Universities and colleges Workers Employers

y Competitiveness has increased on ...

National level International level

y Image of wood-related programs has to be actively improved. y A better EU-wide coordination of programs and activities is required in the wood sector.

Content

• 1. General trends
• 2. Wood sector
• 3. Conclusions