CEEPUS Evaluation - Main Findings
9. Mar. 2009
In January 2008 the Centre for Social Innovation has been commissioned by the Central CEEPUS Office to conduct an evaluation of CEEPUS with a focus on the implementation of common degrees. Furthermore, the evaluators were requested to analyse the cross-linking between CEEPUS and research and to identify CEEPUS-specifications.
The evaluation methodology comprised
1. Document research
2. Online focus group discussion
3. Expert telephone-interviews
4. Online questionnaires targeting CEEPUS network coordinators and partners, NCOs and students.
Summary of findings:
CEEPUS is highly appreciated by its target group including both the university staff who is engaged in CEEPUS networks and the students who are the final beneficiaries of CEEPUS. Its USP (Unique Selling Proposition) can be best described by the following characteristics:
- a unique regional focus and country composition
- an innovative non-monetary funding system based on national resources in a variable geometry
- a comparatively easy regulatory framework
- a comparatively easy application procedure fully facilitated by an advanced on-line system
- a thematic openness for advanced networking in all university disciplines.
Although the programme occupies an important and indispensable niche in the overall cooperation portfolio of universities in Central and Southeast Europe, the development of common degrees can still be improved: Despite a high additionality effect generated through CEEPUS, there are weaknesses concerning the sustainability of networks, the quality and structure of knowledge provision concerning the development of common degrees, the awareness about the importance of common degrees in the EHEA, the partially inadequate funding mechanism for an advanced development of common degrees etc.
Moreover, more courses in foreign languages should be offered and eLearning better exploited.
Instead of overloading CEEPUS with a distinct separate research function, more common PhD activities should be promoted and the usability of the CEEPUS-homepage gradually improved further and enlarged with new features.
Johanna Scheck
Klaus Schuch
ZSI - Centre for Social Innovation
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Tags: evaluation