THE UOC, SERVING THE NEW LEARNING SOCIETY 2008-2009 SUMMARY OF THE UOC ANNUAL REPORT UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA MAD BCN MIL PAR LON DUB AMS HAM BRU BRN ZRH ROM BER STO OSL CPH VIE WAW BUH BUD PRG HEL RIX TLL VNO MIN MOW KBP KIV BBU BEG SJJ ATH SKP SOF ZAG LJU IST LIS LQA LUX NIC AND TIA TBS BAK EVN TGD VAD YMO YOW NYC LAX WAS MEX CCS BOG PTY RIO SAO BUE SCL CAS RBA CAI LOS CPT JNB NBO DXB RUH SHA PEK TYO HKG DEL MNL BKK SIN MEL SYD KEF MIA
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Summary of the UOC's 2008-2009 Academic Year Report
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THE UOC, SERVING THE NEWLEARNING SOCIETY
2008-2009SUMMARY OF THE UOC
ANNUAL REPORTUNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA
MAD
BCN
MIL
PAR
LON
DUB
AMS
HAMBRU
BRN
ZRH
ROM
BER
STOOSL
CPH
VIE
WAW
BUH
BUD
PRG
HEL
RIX
TLL
VNO MIN
MOW
KBP
KIV
BBUBEG
SJJ
ATHSKP
SOF
ZAGLJU
IST
LIS
LQA
LUX
NIC
AND
TIA
TBS
BAKEVNTGD
VAD
YMO
YOW
NYC
LAX
WAS
MEX
CCSBOG
PTY
RIOSAO
BUE
SCL
CAS
RBA
CAI
LOS
CPT
JNB
NBO
DXB
RUH
SHA
PEKTYO
HKG
DEL
MNL
BKK
SIN
MEL
SYD
KEF
MIA
“WE NEED TO TEACH LONGER, WE NEED TO TEACHBETTER AND WE NEED TO TEACH MORE PEOPLE AND,TO DO SO, UNIVERSITIES HAVE TO CHANGE.”
THE UOC, SERVING THE NEW
As one of the pioneering internet universities, the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (OpenUniversity of Catalonia, UOC) has had the privilege of conferring an honorary doctorateon Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the web, the virtual space where the 100,000people who make up the UOC community live, work and study together. His investiturecame as the global financial crisis was beginning to wreak havoc on domestic economiesand universities took up positions to deal with the more than likely rush from the unemployedin search of training. Sir Tim then predicted that his web would be the setting for themost opportunities for development thanks to its potential for growth as a tool forcollaboration, “difficult times can be the catalyst for change; things start afresh in a morecompetitive environment.” He was describing the transformation of the web brought onby the new demands of a society caught up in the crisis.
Universities, and especially our own, which forms part of the web space designed byBerners-Lee two decades ago, want to act as a catalyst for this change. Consequently,during this academic year we have sought to strengthen our cooperation agreements withinstitutions, social agents and organisations in developing countries. Examples of thisinclude an agreement with the Catalan Department of Employment for e-learning coursesfor 30,000 unemployed people, a collaboration agreement with Casablanca’s Hassan IIUniversity and the start-up of an online African campus with the African Virtual University.
To construct a new economy, transform society and fight for equality, we need the supportof knowledge and the backing of universities. Change does not usually come from naturalresources. It comes from ideas – and those ideas come from well trained people.
It is a question of being brave and innovative because we are in a society that is changingrapidly and that needs new answers to the challenges of education. We need to teachlonger, we need to teach better and we need to teach more people and, to do so,universities have to change. We cannot respond to the challenges we face if we do notknow how to make the education system an agent for innovation.
Therefore, the objective of higher education is, or should be, to improve citizens’ qualityof life, contributing to the development of people, society and the economy. The leadingeconomic powers will be those that have been able to convert themselves into learningsocieties, making lifelong learning their main aim. To do so, they will need educationalinstitutions that are strong enough and flexible enough to adapt to these new times andnew demands. Universities have to be able to respond to the needs of society, which isnot the same as responding to the needs of the market.
LEARNING SOCIETY
Imma Tubella_ President
SEP-OCT 2008INAUGURAL LECTUREAlfonso Vegara, President of the FundaciónMetrópoli, gives the inaugural lecture forthe academic year entitled Planning andBeyond in the Globalising World.-----------------------------------------------
STUDENTSThe UOC’s academic year 2008-2009begins with almost 35,000 students.-----------------------------------------------
AWARDSA blog on Josep Pla’s Quadern Gris winsthe lletrA 2008 award.-----------------------------------------------
HONORARY DOCTORATESir Timothy Berners-Lee, creator of theWorld Wide Web, receives an honorarydoctorate.-----------------------------------------------
TEACHINGThe Catalan government and the UOCcreate two new training programmes:Prevention and Detection of DomesticViolence, and Management of ResidentialCare Centres for the Elderly.
The Catalan government, the Institute ofHuman Rights and the UOC introduce thefirst master’s degree course in HumanRights and Democracy.-----------------------------------------------
COOPERATIONPilot initiative from the Campus for Peaceand the SER PAZ Foundation for the socialintegration of young gang members inEcuador.http://campusforpeace.uoc.edu-----------------------------------------------
DISSEMINATION OF KNOWLEDGETeachers and experts from the UOCanalyse the financial crisis.-----------------------------------------------
STUDENTSWriter Jaume Cabré talks to students fromthe UOC about his latest book, Les veusdel Pamano.-----------------------------------------------
THE COURSEOF THE YEAR
http://www.uoc.edu/inaugural08/
http://www.youtube.com/uoc
Jaume Cabré
http://www.uoc.edu/hc/berners-lee/
2008-2009
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http://www.debats.cat/
http://net.uoc.edu/
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NOV-DEC 2008
JAN-FEB 2009
STUDENTSGraduation ceremony in Barcelona andMadrid, with around 4,600 students.-----------------------------------------------
CHAIRSInternational experts discuss how tocombat the digital divide through educationat the UOC UNESCO Chair in E-Learningseminar.-----------------------------------------------
COOPERATIONThe UOC sets the groundwork for theEcoUniversity.-----------------------------------------------
DISSEMINATION OF KNOWLEDGEThe Polish sociologist and thinker ZygmuntBauman analyses education in a world ofdiasporas as part of the series of Debateson Education.
A new way of browsing UOC contentunveiled: Networked Knowledge.
Niberta and Cuadernos de Viaje, newcollections from Editorial UOC.http://www.editorialuoc.cat-----------------------------------------------
INSTITUTIONALInaugural summit meeting of the Euro-Mediterranean University, an institution whichaims to promote scientific and academicknowledge in the Mediterranean region.-----------------------------------------------
INNOVATIONThe UOC and Orange join forces to developcontent for e-book readers as aneducational tool.-----------------------------------------------
RESEARCHThe eLearn Center opens. The firste-learning research and innovation centrein Spain, with researchers from all over theworld.http://www.innovauoc.org/elearncenter/-----------------------------------------------
DISSEMINATION OF KNOWLEDGEWalk In, the UOC’s new institutional journal.-----------------------------------------------
MOBILITYThe UOC sends out a total of 42,377 finalsubject marks for the second semesterby SMS.
The UOC now has 500 subjects adaptedto various mobile devices.-----------------------------------------------
TEACHINGThe UOC provides management training toexecutives from the Leche Pascual Group.-----------------------------------------------
http://walkin.uoc.edu
http://lletra.uoc.edu
MARCH-APRIL 2009
http://www.termcat.cat/dicci/talaia/
ALUMNIFirst meeting of the UOC Alumnicommunity in Madrid.-----------------------------------------------
DISSEMINATION OF KNOWLEDGETALAIA: the knowledge society terminologyobservatory, created by the UOC andTermcat.
Roll-out of OffLletra, offering greaterinteractivity through the addition ofmultimedia material and informationby readers.-----------------------------------------------
INSTITUTIONALAlliance with Casablanca’s Hassan IIMohammedia University for the mobility ofcapital and knowledge.
The UOC and “la Caixa” sell off GEC totwo investment funds.-----------------------------------------------
EHEAEHEA experts Guy Haug and Perla Cohenanalyse the new university master’s degreecourses.-----------------------------------------------
INNOVATIONThe UOC implements the first University àla carte television channel.-----------------------------------------------
DISSEMINATION OF KNOWLEDGEPasqual Maragall invited to take part in theTribuna Oberta Vilafranca.
LletrA promotes the TopobioGraphies ofthe Catalan Exile project, which covers thelives and literature of the Catalan exiles of1939, with contributions from users andmashups of online applications includingGoogle Maps and YouTube.-----------------------------------------------
TEACHINGStart up of the National and Identity Studiesarea, directed by the historian AgustíColomines.-----------------------------------------------
Guy Haug
MAY-JULY 2009
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DISSEMINATION OF KNOWLEDGEThe UOC and the NMC publish thetranslation into Catalan and Spanish of the2009 Horizon Report on emergingtechnologies in educational innovation.
Jürgen Habermas, the German thinker andphilosopher, goes over his work at the UOC.-----------------------------------------------
EHEAThe UOC offers five new degree coursesfor the upcoming academic year: SocialEducation, Communication, Informationand Documentation, Catalan Languageand Literature, and Tourism.
The Council of Universities approves theUOC’s new Multimedia degree course.
Fourteen degree courses and six master’sdegrees in the EHEA-adapted academic offer.-----------------------------------------------
RESEARCHThe Integration of the Internet in theSpanish School Curriculum report draftedby faculty and researchers from the UOCat the request of the Fundación Telefónicareveals that ICTs are still hardly used in theclassroom.
Twelve UOC research groups obtainAGAUR recognition.-----------------------------------------------
INSTITUTIONALAppearance of President Imma Tubellabefore the Catalan parliament.
Agreement between the ombudsmen forthe UOC and Catalonia to collaborate inthe defence of the university community.
Ten years of Catalan Language andLiterature studies at the UOC.
The start of celebrations to mark thefifteenth anniversary of the UOC, with thepresentation of the logo which will presideover all the events during the academicyear 2009-2010, the work of painter andillustrator Perico Pastor.-----------------------------------------------
TEACHINGSpain’s first virtual master’s degree in Arabicand Islamic studies, with international experts.
The Catalan Department of Employmentand the FUOC introduce a free e-learningprogramme for 30,000 unemployed peoplein Catalonia.-----------------------------------------------
AWARDSManuel Castells receives the Catalunyaaward in Sociology.
The UOC’s new Virtual Campus is the besteducational portal, according to the IMSGlobal Consortium.
The UOC wins the Alares award forreconciliation of working, family andpersonal life.-----------------------------------------------
COOPERATIONAgreement between the African VirtualUniversity and the UOC to create a campusfor peace for Africa.-----------------------------------------------
ALUMNIGabriel Ferraté plays a leading role in thefirst meeting of UOC graduates.
STUDENTS LIVING ABROAD ON 1st AND 2nd CYCLE STUDIES
up to 20up to 50 up to 10up to 100
Over 35,000 Over 15,000 up to 500
Spainnot including
Catalonia
THE ONLINE UNIVERSITYTHE GLOBAL UNIVERSITY
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...AND ON ALL FIVE CONTINENTS
PRESENT IN 87 COUNTRIES...
Catalonia
GermanyBelgium
Andorra
Switzerland
France
United Kingdom
Netherlands
Italy
Denmark
Portugal
Luxembourg
Sweden
Austria
Morocco
Russia
Poland
Afghanistan
Japan
Norway
Finland
Senegal
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Latvia
South KoreaMoldova
EquatorialGuinea
Philippines
Romania
Ukraine
India
Ethiopia
Bulgaria
Estonia
Greece
Indonesia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Armenia
China
Iran
Liberia
Guinea-Bissau
Ireland
Algeria
Tunisia
Egypt
Mozambique
South Africa
Kazakhstan
Australia
Republicof the Congo
Ghana
SerbiaHungary
Turkey
Czech Rep.
LebanonJordan
Kenya
Malaysia
Mali Oman
Sri LankaThailand
EHEA
DESIGN AND ADAPTATION OF QUALIFICATIONS TO THE EHEAThree EHEA-adapted degree courses were introduced during the academicyear 2008-2009: Law, Humanities and Psychology. To define the process formonitoring official degree and master’s degree qualifications, the UOC decidedto participate in the pilot programme started by AQU: Experimental Monitoringof Degree and Master’s Degree Courses. The two participating programmesare the degree in Law and the master’s degree in Health and Safety.
LAW, HUMANITIES AND PSYCHOLOGYARE THE FIRST THREE ADAPTEDDEGREES, STARTING UP IN THEACADEMIC YEAR 2008-2009.
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QUALITY
- The Internal Quality Assurance System for Law and PoliticalSciences Studies was approved by the AQU in the 2007 call for the AUDIT programme.
The UOC has presented its design of the Internal Quality Assurance System to the AQU. This system is intended to be applied to all the University’s studies in the 2009 call for the AUDIT programme. The systemwill allow the UOC to add processes for the ongoing improvement of allthe processes which directly affect the teaching offered by the University.
For the first time the UOC took part in the study that the AQU performs every three years regarding the employment of Catalan university graduates.295 of the 1,146 UOC graduates of diploma and degree courses from the academic year 2004 took part. The results of the study can be consultedhere: http://www.aqu.cat/activitats/insercio_laboral/estudi_2008_graduats.html.
The UOC’s Teaching Assessment Manual obtained a positive certificationfrom the AQU. This manual describes the process for achieving recognitionfor a consolidated teaching career. The teaching activities of 27 faculty members will be assessed during academic year 2009-2010.
THE AQU CERTIFIES THE UOCTEACHING ASSESSMENT MANUAL.
Approved deegree courses
11 degree courses were approved in the academic year 2008-2009:CommunicationInformation and DocumentationCatalan Language and LiteratureSocial EducationBusiness Administration and ManagementMarketing and Market ResearchTourismMultimedia StudiesComputer EngineeringLabour Relations and OccupationTelecommunications Technologies
Approved masters
2 master’s degree courses were approved in the academic year 2008-2009:Political AnalysisCultural Management, in cooperation with the University of the Balearic Islands
Approval has also been obtained for the master’s degree in Teacher Training coordinated by Pompeu Fabra University, in which the UOC participates.
The following courses have also passed an approvals process to become university master’s degrees:
Master’s degree in Education and ICTs (e-learning)Master’s degree in Health and SafetyMaster’s degree in Free SoftwareMaster’s degree in the Information and Knowledge Society
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Over the academic year 2008-2009, the UOC has worked to foster and consolidateresearch and innovation, while improving the synergies between these two activities.In terms of research, there has been a concerted effort to gain assessment andaccreditation from the Catalan government for the most consolidated researchgroups. Likewise, the University has continued to promote innovation as part of itsculture, encouraging innovative projects and initiatives in a range of areas.
Research and innovation at the UOC is organised into three areas, alongside the workcarried out within the University’s departments and management areas. The InternetInterdisciplinary Institute (IN3) plays home to the interdisciplinary research into theinformation and knowledge society. The Open Innovation Office promotes thedevelopment of projects and practices to improve teaching, technology, organisationand management. The eLearn Center was created in February of 2009 to help driveresearch, innovation and training in e-learning. The University’s departments andmanagement areas, which are involved in the work of these bodies, also developresearch and innovation in the disciplines and fields in which they have expertise.
THE IN3: ANALYSIS OF THE INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE SOCIETYThe IN3, as one of the UOC’s research centres, focuses its work on the interdisciplinaryenvironment of the information and knowledge society and provides support for atotal of thirteen research groups.
THE ELEARN CENTER: RESEARCH, INNOVATION AND TRAINING IN E-LEARNINGThe eLearn Center was opened in February 2009 with the aim of articulating andexpanding research, innovation and training in e-learning at the UOC. Thus, itpromotes the Time in E-Learning research programme; innovation projects to improveteaching practices in terms of the use of ICT, and knowledge transfer through itsown e-learning training programme. Likewise, the centre is working to offer a doctoralprogramme in e-learning from next year, which will encourage the writing of doctoraltheses linked to the centre’s lines of activity and train future researchers in the fieldof e-learning.
The eLC currently has around a hundred members in the research and innovationgroups; faculty, researchers and other UOC professionals who collaborate; its ownstaff, and the professionals from other institutions and fields linked to e-learning.
RESEARCH WITHIN DEPARTMENTSThe remaining research activity which occurs within the departments covers a totalof fourteen research groups, not including faculty developing research projects ontheir own or in collaboration with other institutions.
RESEARCH ACTIVITYIn order to encourage research, four different calls were published over the courseof the academic year:
Call to cover five senior research positions, aimed at visiting researchers and focusing on the field of e-learning.Call for grants so that visiting professors can contribute to the IN3’s linesof research.Call aimed at UOC faculty to add three resident researchers to work full-time ona project relating to the interdisciplinary study of the information and knowledgesociety or information and communication technologies.Call aimed at a UOC research group to create a knowledge community on a competitive basis and associated with outside institutions.
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AGAUR RECOGNITION AND VALIDATION OF THE UOC’S RESEARCHAnother highlight of the year was the official recognition as research groups fortwelve groups from the UOC by the Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i deRecerca (University and Research Grants Management Agency, AGAUR). Nine ofthe groups awarded this distinction are emergent groups. The agency thus recognisesthe teams’ potential for the future and so spurs them on to obtain consolidation inthe next call. Of the other three groups recognised as consolidated, the Catalangovernment stressed, among other things, the work they have done over the lastfour years, the cohesion and convergence of the lines of research, the high qualityof their joint scientific publications and the dissemination of the knowledge theygenerated to society as a whole.
PHD ON THE INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE SOCIETYWith respect to the PhD on the Information and Knowledge Society programme,the year saw the reading of eleven doctoral theses and twenty-one PhD candidatesobtained the Advanced Studies Diploma. A total of twenty-eight research internsreceived grants in the academic year 2008-2009 to enable them to work on theirdoctoral theses.
THE RESEARCH AND PHD SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEEThe Scientific Committee met on 7 and 8 September 2009 at the IN3 headquartersin Castelldefels to assess the PhD programme, the UOC’s scientific policy and theresearch done over the course of the year. The Committee members are: MartinCarnoy, Rosalind Williams, Betty Collis, William Dutton, Jerry Feldman, Miguel ÁngelLagunas, Robin Mansell, Vicente López, Guido Martinotti, Vicenç Navarro, WilliamJ. Mitchell, Charlotte Nirmalani Gunawardena, Marina Subirats and Xavier Vives.
NINE OF THE TWELVE RESEARCHGROUPS RECOGNISED BY THE AGAURARE EMERGENT GROUPS.
RESEARCH AT THE UOC HAS BEEN REORGANISEDINTO THREE AREAS: THE IN3, THE ELEARNCENTER AND THE RESEARCH ACTIVITYCONDUCTED WITHIN THE DEPARTMENTS.
FINANCIAL REPORT
UOC IN3 PROJECTS TOTALFUOC
Financial year results -275,268.71 -237,351.78 545,702.54 33,082.05
President_ Dr. Imma TubellaVice President, Research_ Dr. Eduard AibarVice President, Postgraduate Studies and Lifelong Learning_ Dr. Josep Maria DuartVice President, Innovation_ Dr. Begoña GrosVice President, University Policy and Faculty_ Dr. Josep LladósVice President, Academic Organisation_ Dr. Pere FabraVice President, Technology_ Dr. Llorenç ValverdeGeneral Manager_ Dr. Òscar Aguer
GOVERNING TEAM
PUBLISHED BY_ Communications Department. Internet Publications. DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS_ Eric Hauck.
DIRECTOR OF INTERNET PUBLICATIONS_ Lluís Rius. EDITORIAL COORDINATION_ Maria Boixadera. WRITTEN BY_ Xènia
Bastida, Maria Boixadera, Sílvia Bravo, Nati Cabrera, David Font, Josep Izquierdo, Núria Morales, Mireia Riera, Isabel Solà, Maria
Taulats. PROOFREADING_ UOC Language Service. PHOTOGRAPHY_ David Campos. GRAPHIC DESIGN AND LAYOUT_
Zona. PRINTING_ Alfadir. LEGAL DEPOSIT_ B-8378-2010. POSTAL ADDRESS_ Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Av.
Tibidabo, 39-43, 08035 Barcelona.
Visit the University www.uoc.edu
UOC headquartersAv. Tibidabo, 39-43, 08035 Barcelona