International graduate education leaders sign up to Statement of Principles
A global meeting between higher education leaders has resulted in a Statement of Principles intended to promote and guide international collaboration, and to raise the quality of graduate education across countries and regions. At a time when graduate education institutions are having to compete more fiercely for students, there has been a growing awareness among the institutions that they need to cooperate more. This first global meeting on graduate education, held in Banff, Canada, was intended to initiate a global dialogue. It was attended by representatives from the European University Association (EUA), the US' Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies, the Deans and Directors of Graduate Studies from Australia, and the Association of Chinese Graduate Schools. Participants also included government ministers, embassy officials and academics. The results exceeded the expectations of many participants, according to statements made after the meeting had closed. 'Leadership of the graduate education community in each participating country and region now has a firm basis for acting, locally and globally, in order to improve and advance the graduate education enterprise,' said Debra Stuart, resident of the CGS. The Banff Principles include: respecting and learning from differences between programmes and their modes of delivery; promoting the quality of graduate programmes; developing awareness of global career opportunities in graduates; and encouraging innovation in programmes and graduates. Participants also signed up to: clarify and strengthen the role of the Masters degree; promote high-quality inter-university collaborative programmes across national borders; review the global flow of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows; and to engage all relevant stakeholders, such as employers, policy-makers and universities. The signatories to the Principles also pledged to establish a global platform where best practices in graduate education can be discussed. 'The graduate education environment is changing rapidly to reflect new demands for highly trained professionals in academic, business and governmental and non-governmental sector careers,' said EUA Secretary General Lesley Wilson. 'We are confident this new agreement will enhance the international dimension of graduate education in Europe, through closer dialogue, the exchange of best practice and by encouraging further mobility of both staff and graduates,' said Ms Wilson.