International conference

The White Paper and Beyond: Tertiary Education Reform in the Czech Republic

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic, in cooperation with the OECD Directorate for Education, is holding an international conference entitled “The White Paper and Beyond: Tertiary Education Reform in the Czech Republic.”

The conference, which will be held in Prague on October 16-17, 2009, builds upon a three-year OECD review of tertiary education policies in 24 countries: the OECD Thematic Review of Tertiary Education. The conference will focus particularly on the Czech tertiary education reform launched after the presentation of the country review (the Country Note) prepared by a team of OECD experts who undertook a case study visit to the Czech Republic in March 2006.

Through the auspices of the Czech government, the Ministry has invited an OECD expert team and leading European and international experts on tertiary education reform to Prague in order to critically discuss and evaluate the reform proposals put forward in the Czech White Paper on Tertiary Education. The White Paper is a strategic document that outlines key proposals for transforming the Czech tertiary sector, addressing its structure and further diversification; funding and governance of universities and other institutions of tertiary education; access and equity; student financial aid; cooperation of universities with business, employers and regions; and strategies for achieving excellence in research, development and innovation.

The conference also aims to foster opportunities for dialogue among policy makers, researchers, tertiary education practitioners, professional associations, representatives of the academic staff and students, employers, and other stakeholders.

The conference is sponsored by the EU Operational Programme “Education and Competitiveness,” through the Tertiary Education Reform national project.

Conference programme

	16. October 2009
8:15 - 8:45	Welcome adress (Minister of Education Miroslava Kopicová)
9:00 - 9:30	Registration
9:30 - 10:00	Paulo Santiago: The OECD Thematic Review of Tertiary Education. The main policy directions
10:00 - 10:30	Petr Matějů: Tertiary Education Reform in the Czech Republic. Policy Response to the OECD Review of Tertiary Education
10:30 - 11:00	Coffee Break
11:00 - 13:00	OECD review of the Czech Tertiary Education Reform Proposal (Gregory Wurzburg, Thomas Weko, Richard Yelland, Anita Lehikoinen)
13:00 - 14:00	Nicholas Barr: Financing higher education for quality access. Key note speech and debate.
14:00 - 15:00	Lunch
15:00 - 15:30	Tertiary Education Reform. Position of the Czech Rectors Conference (CRC). Presented by Jiří Málek, Vice-president for public relations and foreign affairs.
15:30 - 16:00	White Paper on Tertiary Education - problems and short comings. Position of the Council of Higher Education Institutions of the Czech Republic (CHE). Presented by Jiří Zlatuška, Vice-chair of the Council of Higher Education Institutions.
16:00 - 16:30	Coffee Break
16:30 - 17:00	Alex Usher: The Future is More: Trends in Higher Education Across the EU and North America and the Immplications for Institutional Governance. A key note speech.
17:00 - 18:00	Bruce Johnstone: Czech Republic White Paper: Comments on Tuition Fees and Loans. A key note speech and debate.
18:00 - 18:30	Jan Mühlfeit: Tertiary Education in 21st century. The view of a top CEO
19:00 - 22:00	Buffet dinner in Olympia restaurant

	17. October 2009
9:00 - 9:30	Jens Peter Jacobsen: Creating Research Universities in Europe. The Danish experience.
9:30 - 9:50	Pamela Marcucci: Student Finance and Accessibility in an International Perspective.
9:50 - 10:10	Jerzy Woznicki: Higher Education Reforms in Poland.
10:10 - 10:30	Gábor Halasz: Higher Education Reform in Hungary.
10:30 - 11:00	Coffee Break
11:00 - 11:20	Peter Mederly: Higher Education Reform in Slovak Republic.
11:20 - 11:50	Rudolf Haňka: Comments on White Paper, OECD, CRC, and CHE positions. The view of university executive.
11:50 - 12:20	Jan Švejnar: White Paper, OECD, CRC, and CHE Positions. The View of an Academic Economist and Policy-maker.
12:20 - 13:30	Lunch
13:30 - 16:00	Panel and moderated general discussion on higher education reforms in the Czech Republic and other East-Central European countries. Moderated by Jana Matesová and Alex Usher. Panelists: Rudolf Haňka, Jan Švejnar, Bruce Johnstone, Jakub Fischer, Václav Hampl, Jiří Zlatuška, Miroslav Jašurek, Thomas Weko.
16:00 - 16:30	Coffee Break
16:30 - 17:00	Paulo Santiago: Wrapping up and the main conference message.
17:00 - 17:30	Minister of Education: Closing reception.