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Written by the dean in the Diari de Tarragona on Sunday, October 5, 2008
The European Higher Education Area.
State quo of Engineering in Spain
The opportunity to fit right the new European Higher Education Area (EHEA) model is being wasted due to the inability of some political leaders. The ingeogamy of some rectors of Spanish universities and the conservative attitude of industrial engineers in the second cycle are the main cause.
The Bologna Declaration (June 19, 1999) and the agreements of Berlin, Prague, Bergen and London mark the pact for the harmonization in Europe of the European Higher Education Area. The Declaration defines the will and decision of the countries of the European Union to create a common space for the development of higher education in Europe in which the quality of training is prioritized, the ease of entry of graduates to the labor market, Homogenization of degrees throughout the EU territory and professional mobility.
Bologna is the desire to change the model of nineteenth-century teaching by the Anglo-Saxon model, which is giving good results to the United States. Modernity, flexibility, transparency and competence are the values that are proposed to enhance the technical, technological and scientific competences of European engineers. In 2005, with Carles Solà at the head of the Department of Universities, Research and the Information Society, the effect that Catalonia would consistently face the unbeatable and unique opportunity to define what should be higher education. At that time, he focused on teaching based on knowledge and continuing education as the mainstays of university reform. At present, however, all of these purposes have become smoke.
On June 16, in the Congress of Deputies, the Minister of Science and Education, Cristina Garmendia, acknowledged that the effort to integrate the university into the EHEA had not been optimal and that it required a reflection to know what and who had failed
The Ministry of Science and Innovation has submitted some documents for the reform of engineering studies prepared by a committee of university rectors, and assumed by the Ministry, that violate the letter of the Bologna Declaration and the current legislation that develops the commitment signed by the Government of the State.
The extremely conservative proposal, reflected in these documents, maintains, under the appearance of change, a regressive situation with respect to the current one: it takes advantage of the situation to reinforce the concept of class engineering while maintaining the status quo, Degree degree and deriving competences towards the Master's degree. This proposal is a real social scam.
The possibility of positioning ourselves to a good level of excellence in science and technology in engineering studies, in accordance with the philosophy and spirit of the Bologna Declaration, is waning due to the fear of making changes in the current model of higher education.
We complain about students' disaffection for technical education careers, the lack of engineers, the difficulties of companies to cover jobs and R & D & I deficits but ... it would not be better to demand bravery to apply the spirit of Bologna?
We defend a single engineering. The university reform that is being asked in Europe must be a structural reform, not a conjunctural one. They can not independently coexist two races. It is brave enough to face the current transient indefinition situation.
The correct definition of the academic contents of the degrees of Degree and Master will mark the professional attributions.
The draft proposal of the Ministry that the Council of Colleges of Technical Engineers of Catalonia (CCETIC) and the General Council of Colleges of Technical Engineers of Spain (COGITI) have on the table tends to consolidate the current model. The degree titles (240 credits? Four years of studies) associate the attributions of the current industrial technical engineers and it is intended that with a parallel degree without attributions and in a denomination not yet established allow access to a Master's degree One or two years, (240 + 60/120 credits - five / six years) associated with the attributions of current industrial engineers.
It is inadmissible that the university reform of engineering relegate the title of Grau and continue defending continuing to maintain two degrees, that is, not change anything - while in Europe have a single degree - with an increase in the social and economic cost Clearly, it does not bring in return any benefits, a reform that can not be assumed, in any way, by society.
Education is basic for society. The technique is vital for a country. If things are not redirected, it will be necessary to act accordingly to prevent the creation of a hybrid without a future.
Santiago Crivillé and Andreu
Dean of the College of Industrial Technical Engineers of Tarragona.
Director of CCETIC
Member of the Executive of COGITI
The European Higher Education Area.
State quo of Engineering in Spain
The opportunity to fit right the new European Higher Education Area (EHEA) model is being wasted due to the inability of some political leaders. The ingeogamy of some rectors of Spanish universities and the conservative attitude of industrial engineers in the second cycle are the main cause.
The Bologna Declaration (June 19, 1999) and the agreements of Berlin, Prague, Bergen and London mark the pact for the harmonization in Europe of the European Higher Education Area. The Declaration defines the will and decision of the countries of the European Union to create a common space for the development of higher education in Europe in which the quality of training is prioritized, the ease of entry of graduates to the labor market, Homogenization of degrees throughout the EU territory and professional mobility.
Bologna is the desire to change the model of nineteenth-century teaching by the Anglo-Saxon model, which is giving good results to the United States. Modernity, flexibility, transparency and competence are the values that are proposed to enhance the technical, technological and scientific competences of European engineers. In 2005, with Carles Solà at the head of the Department of Universities, Research and the Information Society, the effect that Catalonia would consistently face the unbeatable and unique opportunity to define what should be higher education. At that time, he focused on teaching based on knowledge and continuing education as the mainstays of university reform. At present, however, all of these purposes have become smoke.
On June 16, in the Congress of Deputies, the Minister of Science and Education, Cristina Garmendia, acknowledged that the effort to integrate the university into the EHEA had not been optimal and that it required a reflection to know what and who had failed
The Ministry of Science and Innovation has submitted some documents for the reform of engineering studies prepared by a committee of university rectors, and assumed by the Ministry, that violate the letter of the Bologna Declaration and the current legislation that develops the commitment signed by the Government of the State.
The extremely conservative proposal, reflected in these documents, maintains, under the appearance of change, a regressive situation with respect to the current one: it takes advantage of the situation to reinforce the concept of class engineering while maintaining the status quo, Degree degree and deriving competences towards the Master's degree. This proposal is a real social scam.
The possibility of positioning ourselves to a good level of excellence in science and technology in engineering studies, in accordance with the philosophy and spirit of the Bologna Declaration, is waning due to the fear of making changes in the current model of higher education.
We complain about students' disaffection for technical education careers, the lack of engineers, the difficulties of companies to cover jobs and R & D & I deficits but ... it would not be better to demand bravery to apply the spirit of Bologna?
We defend a single engineering. The university reform that is being asked in Europe must be a structural reform, not a conjunctural one. They can not independently coexist two races. It is brave enough to face the current transient indefinition situation.
The correct definition of the academic contents of the degrees of Degree and Master will mark the professional attributions.
The draft proposal of the Ministry that the Council of Colleges of Technical Engineers of Catalonia (CCETIC) and the General Council of Colleges of Technical Engineers of Spain (COGITI) have on the table tends to consolidate the current model. The degree titles (240 credits? Four years of studies) associate the attributions of the current industrial technical engineers and it is intended that with a parallel degree without attributions and in a denomination not yet established allow access to a Master's degree One or two years, (240 + 60/120 credits - five / six years) associated with the attributions of current industrial engineers.
It is inadmissible that the university reform of engineering relegate the title of Grau and continue defending continuing to maintain two degrees, that is, not change anything - while in Europe have a single degree - with an increase in the social and economic cost Clearly, it does not bring in return any benefits, a reform that can not be assumed, in any way, by society.
Education is basic for society. The technique is vital for a country. If things are not redirected, it will be necessary to act accordingly to prevent the creation of a hybrid without a future.
Santiago Crivillé and Andreu
Dean of the College of Industrial Technical Engineers of Tarragona.
Director of CCETIC
Member of the Executive of COGITI