University Management Reform Conference Held in Moscow

The professional opportunity for Eurasian university administrators to convene is a rare event. However, in late September, university administrators and Ministers of Education from across Eurasia were able to gather in Moscow to discuss “Case Studies and Models for Higher Education Reform” at a conference funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State.

Paul L. Gaston, Provost of Kent State University and host for IREX’s University Administration Support Program (UASP), gave the keynote address on “Global Trends in University Reform and Implications for Future US-Eurasian University Cooperation”. This set the stage for more in-depth discussions about educational reform in the region among the Eurasian and US participants, who compared the challenges facing them as well as shared best practices in university reform.

Several case studies of models for higher education were presented by IREX alumni of the University Administration Support Program. Other IREX alumni from the Regional Scholars Exchange Program and the Contemporary Issues Program also participated in the forum. Conference panels addressed key issues in education including the Bologna Process, quality assurance, strategic planning, the integration of research and teaching, and the role of the modern university in the community.

As a follow-up to the conference, participants hope to collaborate more closely in the future in an effort to push forward reform initiatives in their home academic institutions and ministries. As one participant remarked, “Thanks for organizing such a conference. We grow out of one and the same educational system and the challenges we face are very similar. Learning from the experience of other universities is very useful.”