Transcript Joint Degrees Need a Friendly Environment!

MEiCogSci: Middle European
Interdisciplinary Master Programme in
Cognitive Science
Presented at
Spoločné študijné programy – možnosti slovenských vysokých škôl
Pedagogická fakulta UKF, Nitra, Slovakia
13.3.2008
Igor Farkaš, Ján Rybár
Comenius University
in Bratislava
Overview
 Cognitive Science as interdisciplinary field of study
 MEiCogSci project – curriculum development
 special features of the programme
 mobility
 student conference
 accreditation
 Implementation (infrastructure, contractual issues,…)
 Visibility
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Igor Farkaš, Ján Rybár,
Comenius University, Bratislava
Interdisciplinary field of study
• Cognitive Science – study of human mind
• embraces various methodologies known from its „mother“ disciplines
(cognitive psychology, artificial intelligence, neuroscience, linguistics,
philosophy of mind, ...)
• well established as a field of study in US, and quite well in western
Europe
• Our goal – join forces, provide the best for students as a
specialisation
• Our ultimate goal – joint degree
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Igor Farkaš, Ján Rybár,
Comenius University, Bratislava
MEi:CogSci project
28545-1-IC-2004-1-AT-ERASMUS-PROGUC-4
Duration: Oct. 1, 2005 – Sept. 30, 2007
Coordinator – University of Vienna
Project goal - Curriculum development
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Review of existing programmes
Curricular architecture
Definition of learning outcomes (for courses, modules)
Teaching & learning concept
External evaluation (CogSci programme Univ. Amsterdam,
L.Wenting)
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Igor Farkaš, Ján Rybár,
Comenius University, Bratislava
MEi:CogSci consortium
University of Vienna Markus Peschl, Brigitte Römmer Nossek, Elisabeth Zimmermann,
Comenius University in Bratislava - Igor Farkaš, Ján Rybár
Budapest University of Technology and Economics - Csaba Pléh
Loránd Eötvös University in Budapest - László Ropolyi
University of Ljubljana - Urban Kordes, Olga Markic, Andrej Ule
University of Zagreb - Melita Kovacevic, Bojana Dalbelo-Basic
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Igor Farkaš, Ján Rybár,
Comenius University, Bratislava
Exchange of students & teachers
 ERASMUS – bilateral agreements with partner universities
 CEEPUS – network (if Erasmus not possible)
 regular meetings with students from Vienna
 student mobility obligatory
Our mobility:
• 2007/08: all 5 students of Comenius U. to Vienna
• 2008/09: 10 students, most to Vienna, some to Budapest
• so far, we have received two students from Vienna – we will try to
attract more
• teacher mobility within CEEPUS
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Igor Farkaš, Ján Rybár,
Comenius University, Bratislava
Student conference
• feature of MEiCogSci
• purpose:
 get-together for students in consortium
 student presentations (talks, posters) at int’l level
 invited teachers’/researchers’ talks
• It‘s a challenge that can discourage less motivated students
• June 2007 – 1st student conference, held in Vienna
• June 2008 – 2nd will be in Bratislava
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Igor Farkaš, Ján Rybár,
Comenius University, Bratislava
Accreditation
• Different legal frameworks
• No procedures for the accreditation of joint degrees!
• Bratislava & Vienna: Pilot efforts
At Comenius Uni:
• in 2005: programme submitted in parallel to two committees
(psychology, artificial intelligence), as joint effort of two faculties (no
support from rectorate, conservativism of accreditation committee)
• in 2008: we have to go through reaccreditation
• applying in new field of study 9.2.11 - Cognitive Science
• CogSci programme with int‘l flavor, no true joint degree yet
Accreditation on European level?
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Igor Farkaš, Ján Rybár,
Comenius University, Bratislava
Implementation
CogSci at Comenius U.
 runs at one faculty (F. of Math, physics and informatics)
 researchers/teachers from other faculties involved as well
 financing required for those
 only moral support from dean and rector
Rectorate
 we need to push them to sign bilateral contract
international level & recognition helps
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Igor Farkaš, Ján Rybár,
Comenius University, Bratislava
Implementation:
Infrastructure needed to run the program
international level
joint programme
scientific steering
coordinator
committee
Administration
…
rector
university level
local p. coordinator
(module resp.)
faculty(ies)
administration
IT-infrastructure
…
…
IRO
IT-infrastructure
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Igor Farkaš, Ján Rybár,
Comenius University, Bratislava
Implementation:
Infrastructure needed to run the program
International Level
 joint programme coordinator [local programme director]
 scientific steering committee [LPD, module responsible,…]
Link local/international level
IT-resources
administration: clear interfaces & procedures
 web platform created
How to minimize duplicity?
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Igor Farkaš, Ján Rybár,
Comenius University, Bratislava
Visibility
• web platform
 currently at http://univie.ac.at/meicogsci,
http://ii.fmph.uniba.sk/meicogsci
• under construction: http://meicogsci.eu
• advertising
in newspapers
at appropriate ocassions
• we want students with various backgrounds
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Igor Farkaš, Ján Rybár,
Comenius University, Bratislava
Implementation: Contractual issues
Contract
„Legal formalities“
Curriculum
Title awarded
Recognition
Student status
Responsibilities
Procedures for joining & leaving the consortium
Quality
Financial matters
etc.
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Igor Farkaš, Ján Rybár,
Comenius University, Bratislava
THANK YOU for listening !
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Igor Farkaš, Ján Rybár,
Comenius University, Bratislava