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PIE Annual Meeting 2022 Bratislava, Slovakia Where are we coming from? Where are we going?
12 – 13 May 2022 Hosted by the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava
After two years of virtual gatherings, the PIE community finally met again in-person at the PIE Annual Meeting 2022. Kindly hosted by the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava, the meeting took place on 12 - 13 May.
PIE – Platform for Internationalisation ELIA brings together deans and heads of internationalisation, policymakers, teachers, and other staff members of ELIA member institutions. Those who are researching, advising, creating strategies and policies in
the field of internationalisation.
During the PIE Annual Meeting in Bratislava, we retraced our steps, and re-examined the historic ways we dealt with internationalisation within our institutions in the past. What did we achieve? In which direction are we headed? What are our aims,
hopes and ambitions for the future? The 2022 PIE Meeting in Bratislava was a 2-day in person, peer-to-peer learning experience, aimed to not only inspire higher education professionals but provide a unique networking opportunity.
Registration fee: 60€ for the meeting (incl. two lunches, coffee breaks, materials, event support, networking opportunities) + 40€ for Thursday dinner (optional)
Internationalisation in higher education can be traced back to the fourth century BC. Scholars travelling from one country to another for the purpose of teaching, learning and the sharing of knowledge. Taking some huge leaps, we land in the 1980s. It is during this period that internationalisation in higher education was conceptualised. The Anglo-Saxon world being the forerunner in the field. The commercialisation of internationalisation through student recruitment and the introduction of high tuition fees became the focus.
Internationalisation movement in Europe started with the Bologna process. Later came the Erasmus programmes of exchange, projects, training, and research that gave a tremendous stimulus to the higher education sector. However, the commercialisation of higher education was not the only major incentive for internationalisation in Europe. Continental Europe, with exception of a few northern countries, was more focused on mobility and exchange of knowledge through different Erasmus programmes. Internationalisation was considered important for research, for staff and students to acquire international perspectives in cooperation with other higher education institutions.
In the 20th and 21st centuries the evolution of internationalisation carried on. In the early 21st century, internationalisation in higher arts education became a phenomenon. Art is considered international, but the idea of internationalisation as means to achieving a better quality of education was adopted quite recently. In 2015 the original definition of internationalisation as provided by Jane Knight (1998, 2004) was revised by de Hit et.al. The current definition of internationalisation is: “The intentional process of integrating an international, intercultural, or global dimension into the purpose, functions and delivery of post-secondary education, in order to enhance the quality of education and research for all students and staff, and to make a meaningful contribution to society [authors’ emphasis].” (De Wit et al, 2015).
Thus, one sees a shift in emphasis in internationalisation from quantity to quality of education and research. Internationalisation at home, internationalisation of curriculum (non-western perspective, intercultural and global perspectives), social engagement, diversity and inclusion have become important. International students moving from country to country for better education have other demands and need other services.
The call to internationalise has grown stronger but it is a different call. Internationalisation is no longer implemented in a small office situated somewhere in the building. The concept of internationalisation has become much broader – policies and strategies at central and departmental levels are being made and involve them implementation of various aspects of internationalisation. The institutionalisation of internationalisation has become important.
However, what does this change in the implementation of internationalisation mean? What do new factors which embody diversity, inclusion and equity mean for internationalisation and its implementation? Questions can be raised of the changing external factors – national political situation, European Union rules and regulations and obligations through Erasmus+ programmes, international and global situations (e.g., the Covid-19 pandemic).
Speakers
Michal Fedák Executive Director of SAIA, n. o. (Slovak Academic Information Agency)
Michal Fedák, a graduate of Master programme in philology (German and Slovak languages) at the Comenius University in Bratislava (Faculty of Arts), joined SAIA, n. o. in 2004 as the Head of the Austrian Science and Research Liaison Office (ASO). His main task in this position was to help to improve existing and to support establishing new research co-operations between Austria and Slovakia, also in the multilateral context. After that he was responsible for the implementation of the National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic for the support of mobility of students, PhD students, university teachers and researchers and since 2009 he has also been appointed a Director of the bilateral intergovernmental programme “Action Austria – Slovakia, cooperation in research and education“. From 2009 to 2019 he served as the Deputy Director of SAIA, n. o. and member of the Executive Committee and since May 2019 he has been appointed the Executive Director of SAIA.
In his past, Michal has actively participated in the creation and changes of the currently applicable Higher Education Act and of other policy documents concerning changes in the higher education system of the Slovak Republic in the framework of the Bologna process. In the years 2000 – 2002 he was a member of the national Steering Committee of the EU Leonardo da Vinci II Programme and in 2002 – 2008 member of the Board of Directors of the Foundation of the Youth of Slovakia/Intenda Foundation. From 2004 to 2013 he was also a member of the Academic Ranking and Rating Agency (an independent agency preparing rankings of Slovak universities and research organisations). During the Horizon 2020 period he was appointed national expert for Horizon 2020/Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. Currently he is a member of the Managing committee for priority axis 9 – 12 of the Operational Programme Integrated Infrastructure financed from the EU structural funds (formerly the Monitoring Committee of the Operational Programme Research and Innovation).
Fields of expertise of Michal also include (among others) immigration legislation and practical issues concerning residence permit and visa (with focus on students, university teachers and researchers), transparent and effective selection processes (drafting and implementation) in scholarship programmes and also promotion and internationalisation of Slovak higher education.
Kvet Nguyen (Hoa Nguyen Thi)
Kvet Nguyen (Hoa Nguyen Thi) – born 1995. She completed her master’s degree in photography at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava. Her bachelor’s thesis received the second-place award at the World Biennial of Student Photography in 2019, and in the same year this work was exhibited at the fjúžn Festival. In 2018, she was a finalist in SLOVAK PRESS PHOTO in the category for students and young photographers under the age of 26. She completed study stays at Plymouth College of Art in England and the prestigious Royal Academy of Art in Netherlands. Her works have been exhibited both in Slovakia – OFF Festival (2017, 2020), in the Nitra Gallery (2020), in Banská Štiavnica (2020), in Artapiešťany (2020), and abroad – in the Netherlands as part of a collective exhibition (2020), in Poland in Galeria Promocyjna, Krakow (2017) and at the presentation of photo books in Poznań (2017), in France at LIVRE PARIS (2019), in Belgrade, Serbia at a group exhibition (2019). Kvet Nguyen deals with the themes of otherness and identity not only in her art projects, but also tries to talk about it outright and open a discussion in interviews or other platforms.
Anotation of the lecture:
The word otherness causes goosebumps. The ones that remind us of an unimaginable adventure full of colors, and those that spring up when it suddenly cools down and we look for a quick refuge. Both reactions arise from today's dichotomy: on one hand, us as global consumers of benefits, and on the other hand, us not letting anything in that could be regarding the other.
Practical Informatiom
Venue
The main venue will be Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava, Hviezdoslavovo námestie 175/18, 814 37 Staré Mesto, Slovakia.
Hotels
You can find a large offer of hotels in a walking distance from the main venue, Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava. Check the list of hotels in the vicinity here.
You can arrive to Bratislava by train, bus, car, plane or boat. We encourage you to consider sustainable ways of travel (using public transport, travel by train or bus instead of plane, choosing direct flights if travel by train is not possible).
By train
Bratislava connects to the main lines from Prague, Budapest, Vienna and various regions in Slovakia.
By bus
Bratislava is also conveniently connected with many European cities via a network of bus lines.
By plane
Bratislava Airport
There are direct flights to a number of destinations in Europe and a number of airlines operate their direct routes to Bratislava. Bratislava airport can be reached from the city centre in 15–20 minutes.
Vienna Airport
The airport at Vienna-Schwechat is only 40 kilometres west of Bratislava and Slovaks mainly use it for long-haul flights. It is one of the main gateways to Slovakia. Buses to Bratislava depart at 30 to 60-minute intervals.
