Rector of HES-SO and president of swissuniversities, Dr Luciana Vaccaro, introduced her priorities within the evolving larger schooling panorama and checked out methods of strengthening the collaboration with EHL at this vital second in time. Against the backdrop of world challenges, tech developments and altering paradigms in instructing and studying, three overarching themes emerge because the vital pillars supporting the strategic trajectory of contemporary larger schooling for each HES-SO and EHL: internationalization, digitalization and continued studying – Welcome to the way forward for larger schooling!
Dr Luciana Vaccaro’s spectacular function within the Swiss larger schooling system dates again over 10 years. In reality, at her current convention at EHL Lausanne campus, she was launched by CEO Markus Venzin as the nation’s second highest tutorial authority after the Swiss minister of Education and Research
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And rightly so. Since 2013, Luciana Vaccaro has been main the biggest University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland (HES-SO), the third largest college in Switzerland with round 21,000 college students and 28 establishments energetic in six fields of instructing and utilized analysis. In her function as Rector, she is chargeable for guiding the establishment in fulfilling its two elementary missions: analysis and schooling.
Since February 2023, Dr. Vaccaro is President of swissuniversities, in addition to member of EHL Board of Directors. Comparing her function to that of a CEO of a big firm, Dr. Vaccaro describes herself as “an academic entrepreneur” working to search out world, modern options to maintain the scholar expertise on the coronary heart of the tutorial journey in as we speak’s accelerated world.
HES-SO and EHL historical past
The connection between the 2 establishments is longstanding. Since 1998, EHL has been a member college of the HES-SO, permitting EHL to be the one hospitality larger schooling coaching college in Western Switzerland with acknowledged packages at nationwide and worldwide stage.
Praising the way in which that HES-SO and EHL work with “collective engagement”, Dr. Vaccaro was proud to state that round 5’800 college students graduate every year and are subsequently outfitted find a job and a spot in society – “thanks to us giving them a passport to the future.” For this passport to stay legitimate, a deeper stage of flexibility within the strategy of knowledge-acquisition have to be carried out.
Internationalization: A world of alternatives
I imagine that each pupil ought to have a world expertise as a part of their studying journey. Dr Luciana Vaccaro
Dr Vaccaro acknowledged EHL’s spectacular “natural inclination” in the direction of internationalization with campuses in Passugg and Singapore, a worldwide affiliation of licensed colleges and VET partnerships. EHL’s vastly blended pupil physique made up of over 120 nationalities is warmly inspired to utilize this worldwide perspective, both by learning or doing internships overseas – a function typically cited by EHL college students as being one of the enriching elements of this system, which additionally provides to EHL graduates seeing the world as their oyster.
Dr Vaccaro’s imaginative and prescient is obvious: in her best world, every HES-SO pupil ought to be uncovered to exchanges with worldwide academics, programs overseas and initiatives with overseas college students – to find communalities and variations. This ought to be relevant throughout the board, whether or not a HES-SO pupil nurse, engineer, researcher or trainer. For now, 18% of HES-SO college students research overseas, which is barely under the 20% purpose fastened within the Bologna Process. In this regard, Dr Vaccaro is working in the direction of an additional extension of worldwide alternatives, notably via the affiliation of Switzerland to Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe packages.
To make this occur, higher hyperlinks to European and worldwide universities would naturally be the start line. Dr Vaccaro’s imaginative and prescient comes with budgetary and geopolitical challenges: a) public fundings are underneath strain, b) the nation has been in “purgatory” inside the EU framework which has impacted adhesion to initiatives similar to Erasmus+, and, c) the present worldwide local weather is extraordinarily difficult.
The UNITA – European University Alliance
With a view to overcoming a few of these challenges, Dr Vaccaro championed for HES-SO to hitch UNITA – “Universitas Montium” – an alliance of twelve universities unfold throughout seven European international locations, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Romania, Ukraine and Switzerland. The collaborating universities share a number of traits primarily based on the Romance language, native socio-economic roots, and have as their intention to determine shut cooperation in all areas of educational exercise: coaching, analysis, innovation and companies to society.
The HES-SO joined UNITA in June 2022 and have become an related member in November 2023. Dr Vaccaro described how the affiliation with UNITA will assist to encourage mobility and cooperation, significantly inside the analysis and innovation hubs initiated by UNITA on the themes of renewable energies, round financial system and cultural heritage. Not solely will the hubs create a devoted area for creating new joint analysis initiatives, however due to the creation of a real inter-university campus, this affiliation will even provide modern worldwide coaching alternatives for HES-SO college students and, above all, guarantee a foothold in Europe.
Digitalization: Dive into the way forward for schooling
Undeniably the largest set off of latest alternatives in schooling, Dr Vaccaro described the arrival of digitalization as “good for the futurologists” however suggested in opposition to being ‘techno’ only for the sake of it; the place there’s potential there are additionally limitations.
Using expertise correctly to boost the educational course of is important since schooling should match as we speak’s college students’ new strategies of sourcing info. What stays intact is the transmissional function of the trainer – a key aspect that college students are nonetheless in search of as we speak in keeping with Dr Vaccaro. Also, selling extra energetic project-based work that’s evaluated on the identical stage as theoretical work is vital for retaining the twin system of sensible vs. theoretical in steadiness in a closely digital atmosphere.
HES-SO’s strategy towards digitalization is to combine digital instruments in an correct pedagogical state of affairs. It is used to revisit classes, develop hybrid studying types, personalize the educational tempo, implement immersive and interactive instructing strategies.
When requested about how the HES-SO may take a extra energetic function in serving to scale the usage of digitalization, Dr Vaccaro’s reply was ‘communities of practice’ – in different phrases, creating collaborative studying environments to share data, construct experience, and collectively drive the adoption and implementation of digital applied sciences to boost pupil studying experiences. An instance of that is at the moment underway with a collaborative effort between an HES-SO and EHL taskforce to plot ChatGPT pointers for academics and college students.
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Taking inspiration from EHL the place digitalization has been used as a foremost strategic axis, Dr Vaccaro applauded the blended Master program, in addition to a big portfolio of EHL quick programs out there on-line, profitable asynchronous lessons and the prize-winning use of augmented actuality within the preparatory 12 months. All this whereas nonetheless selling common teamwork and hands-on initiatives. The steadiness between sensible and theoretical ordigital and human-facing studying stays considered one of EHL’s strongest fortes that may be thought of as a supply of inspiration.
Continued studying: Evolving with excellence
An idea that has lengthy been shared by EHL and HES-SO is that of lifelong studying (LLL). Linked to the necessity for flexibilization on this more and more aggressive and altering atmosphere the place upskilling {and professional} progress have gotten a part of our longer working lives, continued studying should as we speak function as an intrinsic side of the tutorial portfolio.
Dr Vaccaro defined that innovation in schooling and lifelong studying go hand in hand, certainly, versatile practices are depending on digitalized supply types. For instance, the usage of gamification, VR, blended and hybrid studying, (all efficiently carried out at EHL because the pandemic) ought to be matched alongside new types of micro-certification primarily based on quick programs and particular modules. Using a decidedly Swiss metaphor, Dr Vaccaro prompt a ‘carte à points’ choice the place micro-certifications are likened a ski carry go the place skiers pay a small quantity every time they use the carry as an alternative of shopping for a go for the complete season. Equally, work expertise ought to be valued and accredited as a type of data and expertise acquisition.
Executive schooling is very ripe for growth into LLL, with advantages for each professionals and their employers when it comes to productiveness, private progress and firm loyalty. A great instance is EHL’s tailored government packages which embrace gives such because the Executive Fellowship Teaching Program with a mix of on-line and on-campus studying, tailor-made suggestions, and hands-on follow delivered on an element time foundation over 13 weeks.
Flexibilization and the long run
For Dr Vaccaro, larger schooling is now not certain by processes linked to a hard and fast time, area and even enrollment. Today’s strategies of data and expertise acquisition have been prolonged to a a lot wider taking part in discipline and have to be catered to. Internationalization, digitalization and lifelong studying are deeply interconnected axes that influence the amount and high quality of gives geared to a modern-day pupil expertise more and more primarily based on flexibility.
Within UNITA’s framework, the scholar journey is made up of assorted moveable and stackable parts: asynchronous studying, mobility gives, blended intensive packages (BIPs), internship alternatives, and pupil involvement in joint participatory our bodies similar to pupil assemblies. Currently, micro-certifications (notably to develop language expertise) are underneath development, together with concepts for attainable double diplomas and à la carte modules, enabling college students to comply with a part of their curriculum by distance studying or face-to-face.
Dr Vaccaro’s want for Europe’s tutorial future? To at some point have a acknowledged European diploma. Even if it occurs after my tenure, HES-SO should be a part of this prepare and contribute to its development!
she said with nice enthusiasm. Even although the European structure has not but accepted such a proposal, it stays an inspiring North Star price following as the tutorial universe turns into ever extra linked.
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