Kaizen for Higher Education

Relevance. There is a need for a systems analysis of the history and current state of the Kharkiv State Academy of Culture (KhSAC), which is considered to be the founder and leader of higher LIS (Library and Information Science) education and higher education in culturology and arts of Ukraine within 90 years of its existence (1929-2019). The aim of this study is to analyze the origins of higher LIS education and higher education in culturology and arts as well as the history and current state of KhSAC on the occasion of its 90 th anniversary. Research methodology. The historical milestones and present-day diverse activities of Kharkiv State Academy of Culture are studied by the means of systems, comparative and historical approaches and a problem analysis. Results. The study deals with the ninety year history and current state of KhSAC, which is considered to be the founder and leader of higher LIS education and higher education in culturology and arts in Ukraine. Particular attention is paid to the significant achievements in educational, scientific, administrative and creative activities. The paper presents information on the organizational transformations of KhSAC, its academic staff. It includes over 75% of Doctors of Science, Candidates of science, people’s artists, honored artists, honored workers of culture of Ukraine. During the years of its existence the Academy has educated about 50,000 specialists, among them over 500 international students from more than 40 countries of Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. The Academy offers degree programmes at Bachelor and Master levels in 16 fields of training and specialties of 7 fields of study, namely Cultural Studies, Museum Studies and Historic Preservation, Management of Socio-Cultural Activities, Audiovisual Arts and Production, Choreography, Music Art, Performing Art, Information, Library and Archive Science, Information Systems and Technologies, Psychology, Social Work, Journalism, Tourism, Management. Postgraduate Studies (PhD Course) and Doctoral Studies offer programmes in 4 specialities. They are as follows: Culturology, Music Art, Information, Library and Archive Science and Social Work. The paper describes the features of KhSAC’s research activities. The structure of the Academy includes Postgraduate Studies and Doctoral Studies; two specialized academic boards authorized to accept for consideration and to conduct the defence of theses competing for an academic degree of Doctor (Candidate) of Science. Two academic journals are published, namely “Kultura Ukrainy (Culture of Ukraine)” covering the current issues of culturology and art criticism, and “Visnyk Kharkivskoi Derzhavnoi Akademii Kulury (Bulletin of Kharkiv State Academy of Culture)” covering the current issues of social communications. About 10 international, all-Ukrainian and regional scientific conferences are held every year. Available to students are a library, an e-material reading room, several computer laboratories, an Internet-centre, an editorial board. The place of the Academy in the European and world professional environment is identified. Novelty. An attempt is made to study the ninety year history and current state of Kharkiv State Academy of Culture, which is considered to be the founder and leader of higher LIS education and higher education in culturology and arts of Ukraine. Particular attention is paid to the significant achievements in educational, scientific, administrative and creative activities. The practical significance. The main results of this study can be used by institutions of higher education in culture and arts of Ukraine for further improving academic, scientific, administrative and creative activities.

To achieve the much needed transformation in higher agricultural education in Africa, Universities have central roles in building an enabling environment. One of such roles that always requires limited attention is that of advocacy for favourable policies. In a contrast where resource attention are short and skills are scarce to service a key sector of the economy (the agricultural sector), the careful shepherding through effective policy decisions that are supportive is Africa’s top talent efforts to contribute to socio-economic transformation. Universities in Africa and their stakeholders are increasingly making significant progres with reference to advocacy and engagement with policy-decision makers. This article is premised on messages shared in a Resolution issued at a convening in Kampala, Uganda that addressed the theme “Strengthening Human and Institutional Capacity for Agricultural Development”. The convening event was organized in November 2010 by the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) as part of activities in the realm of advocacy for higher agricultural education (HAE) in Africa. This event marked a process of engaging policy and decision-makers in efforts to initiate reforms that would revitalize higher education and in particular HAE in Africa and the resolution constituted a key output endorsed by the Ministerial Conference on Higher Education, Finance and Agriculture. The Ministers resolved to address priority issues related to higher education and agricultural development and recognized that human and institutional capacity remains a fundamental and essential component of agricultural development. They agreed that Agricultural development, strategy should give particular attention to the role of higher education, and to facilitating needed changes in higher education policy to address Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) priority issues. The Ministers committed to respond to these challenges and recognized the need for multistakeholder engagements. They thus, made the following requests 1. We ask for the full support and cooperation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme; 2. We call upon Vice Chancellors, Rectors, Governing Boards and Senates of our higher education institutions to facilitate and support the calls for action set out in this resolution; 3. We ask Africa’s development partners, foundations and private firms and investors to support these efforts and the process of carrying out the actions set out in this resolution.”

The purpose of the article is to consider the aim and social functions of higher professional education and to argue that professional competence of a higher level can be obtained if only higher education continues to be quite a certain level in the system of education as a whole and will not be identified with elementary levels of enlightenment or practical skills. In order to argue that higher education is neither a privilege or destiny of the few, nor the sum of elementary knowledge and skills such research questions are considered as: the differences between higher education and enlightenment; the special purpose of higher humanitarian education and its functions in the development of the spiritual culture of university′s graduates; the type of identity formation of which is included in the scope of social responsibility of higher education. It is asserted by the author that higher education is connected with the knowledge of such a level of complexity that requires from a student considerable force, constraints, and persistence to cope with. Higher humanitarian education is associated with significant changes in the level of understanding and in the ability to analyze the information, in the degree of awareness and critical perception of reality. Scientific knowledge, on which formation of specialist with higher education is based, carries in itself universality and intersubjectivity, which are going beyond any social role or type of socio-cultural identity.

Socially significant steps of Ukraine in issue of European integration are measures to reform legislation on higher education in context of Bologna process, namely: adoption of National Qualifications Framework and new edition of Law of Ukraine On Higher Education. The National Qualifications Framework (NQF, 2011) provides for the introduction of European standards and principles to ensure quality of education, taking into account requirements of labor market to competence of specialists. According to formal characteristics, NQF is a matrix with static support elements – descriptors, which determine vector of movement to a specific goal. The legal basis for modernization of educational activities and standards of higher education was new edition of Law of Ukraine On Higher (2014).The purpose of article is a scientific and analytical study of process of forming national standards for higher education, in particular, standards of pharmaceutical higher education.Materials and methods. The study was based on analysis of normative and legal and other normative acts on higher education, issues of standardization of higher education and systematization of qualifications, as well as scientific developments on this issue.Methods of research – bibliographic, linguistic, contextual, substantive-legal, comparative-legal, generalization, description of results.Results. Updating wording of Law of Ukraine On Higher Education, which is basic normative legal act of higher legal action in higher education, adjustment of its basic principles, concepts and approaches, objectively entailed renewal of entire regulatory and legal framework regulating organization of higher education. Equally, this also affected standards of higher education. This issue in Act is reserved Section III: Standards of educational activity and higher education, where terminological concept and general algorithm for formation of standard of higher education is precisely fixed. The draft standard of higher education in specialty 226 Pharmacy (master's degree) is developed as a result of intellectual cooperation of team of high-ranking scientists and teachers of pharmaceutical higher school. It forms basis for modernization of higher professional education on way of integration into European educational space.Conclusions: The draft standard of higher education developed by academic community on specialty 226 Pharmacy (master's degree) is based on relevant provisions of Law of Ukraine On Higher and Methodological Recommendations for its development and creates a basis for modernization of higher professional education on path of integration into European educational space . The question on urgent proper actions of National Agency for Quality Assurance of Higher Education and MES of Ukraine, for its implementation as a legitimate standard of higher education in relevant specialty. The existing draft standard of higher education in specialty 226 Pharmacy has potential for improvement.

The Coronavirus pandemic 2019 (COVID-19) is hastily spreading, bringing pressure and challenges to international students and educators in a higher education institution who were locked down on campus during the COVID-19 outbreak. We sought to explore psychological experiences of international higher education students and educators during the COVID-19 pandemic in Eswatini. A qualitative phenomenological approach was adopted. Participants were 20 conveniently selected international higher education students and educators who were locked down on Campus from March 20 to September 25, 2020. The interviews were conducted face to face. Data were thematically analysed. The study was informed by the ecological systems theory. The psychological experiences of international higher education students and educators during COVID-19 pandemic were categorized in to four themes. Frist negative emotions present in early stages involving discomfort, anxiety and helplessness caused by isolation, fear and concern for safety. Second self-coping strategies included psychological and life adjustments, social distancing, acceptance of wearing of masks, hand sanitizing and online/blended learning. Third we reported growth under the crisis which included affection for family members, peers and self-reflection. Finally, we reported that positive emotions occurred concurrently with negative emotions. During the COVID-19 crisis positive and negative emotions of international higher education students and educators intertwined and co-occurred. Self-coping strategies and psychological growth played a crucial role in maintaining mental health of the students and educators. The international students and educators in a higher education institution appeared to be thriving in coping with the COVID19 crisis and lockdown situation which enhanced their participation in online/blended learning.

This study aims to promote the development of vocational education in our country energetically. The analysis is followed by introducing the course of development on vocational and technical education in Britain and summarizing the successful experience of vocation in our country with strengthening the funding and legislation for the state of vocational education as well as putting forward suggestions for reform and innovation of education to improve the system of certificates.

Non-completion is an ongoing concern in higher education, and even more so in higher online education. One way to address this problem is to take initiatives prior to student enrollment, enabling informed decision making. In line with this, an institution for open higher online education seeks to develop a (non-committal) online self-assessment for prospective students. To identify variables (tests) to be included in this self-assessment, the present study aims at validating variables–previously identified as “predictive of completion in higher education and open to intervention before enrollment”—within the current higher online education context. Results of correlational analyses indicate that the following modifiable variables are relevant to include: hours planned to study, employment hours, study intention, discipline, discipline confidence, basic mathematical skills, and social support. Based on a sensitivity cut-off of 95% (to minimize false negatives) about 13% of the actual non-completers could be identified correctly. Implications for future development of the self-assessment are discussed.

The purpose of this article is to identify the features of the implementation of a pilot project to improve the system of higher legal education on the example of the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University. Methodology: to prepare the article, general scientific and private scientific research methods were used, including analysis, synthesis, system method, formal legal method, modeling method. Conclusions. The article presents the results of the first stage of the pilot project to improve the system of higher legal education, including the development of independently established educational standards and educational programs of basic and specialized higher education. A distinctive feature of the new educational standard is that it establishes requirements for the implementation of educational programs not for one level of education, but for an enlarged group of specialties and areas of training for basic and specialized levels of higher education. The requirements for the terms of education have been changed. The developed educational program of basic higher education assumes a period of study of 5 years. The programs of specialized higher education — Master›s degree are differentiated into applied and research with an appropriate training period of 1 or 2 years. Scientific and practical significance. The paper presents a new approach to the creation and implementation of educational programs of higher education in the field of jurisprudence. The presented conclusions and suggestions can be used by educational organizations of higher education during the development of new educational programs of basic and specialized levels of higher education.

The higher and postsecondary education research literature is replete with considerations of affirmative action and diversity initiatives for African Americans at colleges and universities. However, there have been few statistical analyses with regard to the gains made by African Americans in executive-level administrative positions. To address the void, this study examined two data collection cycles of the National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (1993 and 1999) to perform descriptive and trend analysis of African Americans holding academic administrative positions that traditionally lead to the college presidency. The study of African Americans in college and university administration has traditionally focused on lower to mid-level positions (Ball, 1995; Bower, 1996; Mosley, 1980). There is, for example, a rich literature examining the distribution of African Americans in diversity-related positions (Abney & Richey, 1991; Marcus, 2000; Smith, 1993). More specifically, this literature-base is especially situated within student affairs and student personnel research (Brown & Globetti, 1991; Holmes, 2003; Flowers, 2003; Reason, 2003; Watson, 2001). For the most part, this research has been motivated out of long standing concerns about equity and, more recently, by concerns about the representation of African Americans in executive-level administrative positions that traditionally lead to the college presidency (Harvey, 1999; Slater, 1995). There is a growing interest, both among scholars and practitioners, in the implications for diversity within the ranks of academic administration (Crase, 1994; Drummond, 1995). Recent internal and external pressures have focused not only on the diversity of academic administrators, but specifically with top-level administration, such as Kellogg Leadership Fellows Program sponsored by National Association for Equal Opportunity (Chenoweth, 1998; Harvey, 2001; Hollis, 1999; Wilson, 1996). From an empirical perspective, little is known about what happens to African American administrators once they reach executive-level administrative positions.1 Yet, these position allocation decisions can be as important to the pursuit of equity and administrative diversity as the more thoroughly studied positions at the lower to mid-level (Davis, 1994; Harvey, 1999; Wilson, 1989). In part, this gap in the research base stems from data limitations (Jackson, 2001), and in part, the gap is due to the nascent nature and presence of African Americans in executive-level administrative positions in higher and postsecondary education (Harvey, 2001). Needless to say, this gap in the research literature is a significant challenge for the field of higher and postsecondary education, not the least since diversity at all levels of the educational system is needed in order to meet the needs of the multicultural student population served (Watson et al., 2002; Wilson, 1989). Fortunately, data based reports are available to monitor to some degree the progress of African Americans in executive-level administrative positions. The American Council on Education (ACE) has conducted a college president study series since 1986 that describes the backgrounds, career paths, and experiences at colleges and universities. Moreover, the Office of Minorities in Higher Education within ACE produces an annual status report on minorities in higher education that provides a descriptive analysis of American college presidents by race. Eikewise, the College and University Personnel Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) administer annually an administrative compensation survey that provides insights into the distribution by race of executive-level administrative positions. In addition, researchers have made important contributions to conceptual or empirical aspects of this evolving program of research (Lindsay, 1999; Ramey, 1995; Rolle, Davies, & Banning, 2000; Williams, 1989; Wilson, 1989). How can we ensure that the nation's colleges and universities are staffed by high quality, well-trained African American academic administrators? …

This paper sets out to explore the case for higher education engagement with workforce development with reference to media studies in the light of recent government policy initiatives including the trilogy of White Papers, 14–19 Years, The Skills Strategy, and The Future of Higher Education. It focuses on the problems and potential solutions to establishing an accredited work-based learning route supported by further and higher education as a major contribution to the knowledge economy. It is inevitable in any analysis of higher education and workforce development that consideration has to be given the nature of the qualification framework and the current schizophrenia between the national qualification framework led by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education framework. Until this unconnected and disjointed approach to a national qualification framework is resolved it will not be possible to establish coherent credit accumulation and transfer schemes all encouraging extensive use of accreditation of prior learning and experience in the workplace. Higher education, particularly subject disciplines with a direct interest in occupational sectors such as media have no choice but to engage in workforce development. However, this highlights the difficulties of providing a relevant education with the demands of employers often articulated through sector skills councils such as Skillset. The University Vocational Awards Council which is a consortium of 74 higher education institutions and the largest of the further education colleges devoted to higher level vocational education and training, sets out the general arguments for engagement with workforce development, sketches a way forward and indicates a potential role for the Association of Media Practitioners in Education.

Since the 1980s, the Chilean Higher Education System has been characterized by continuous government policies for marketization (somewhat nuanced after the return to democracy in the 1990s) and a marked, unchallenged hierarchal relationship between vocational and academic qualifications and institutions. Vocational Education and Training (VET), in particular, has relied heavily on human capital theory as its conceptual foundation with a clear focus on preparing students to participate in the labour market by providing them with skills demanded by employers. However, during the 2014–2018 presidential cycle, major reforms were implemented by the government in both K-12 and post-secondary education, intending to establish a system based on quality, equality and free access to education. For VET, this meant the enactment of a series of public policies that attempted to shift its theoretical approach from human capital approach to a rights-based one, aiming to support both educational and labour trajectories of VET students. These efforts reached its tipping point in early 2018 with the enactment of a new Law on Higher Education which formally recognized Vocational Higher Education (Educación Superior Técnico-Profesional) as a distinct subsector of the higher education system, suggesting an epistemological differentiation from universities that contrasted the previous hierarchical distinctions. Hence, previous hierarchical differentiations in Chile’s higher education system (where VET is positioned in the lower stages of vertical structure) coexist with a more horizontal epistemological approach (which focuses on the distinction between VET’s applied knowledge and universities’ academic knowledge). This chapter discusses the implications of recent changes in Chilean educational policies for the relationship between Vocational Higher Education Institutions and universities. In doing so, it uses a theoretical background based on the distinction of different approaches to theoretical foundations of VET (human capital, rights-based education and human capabilities), VET identities (hierarchical, epistemological, teleological and pragmatic) and higher education systems typologies (vertical and horizontal). The analysis is based on a review of public policies for Vocational Higher Education in Chile, identifying major social and political phenomena affecting its development, including an analysis of the implications of various soft and hard laws enacted during the 2014–2018 presidential period and the paradoxes that appear at contrasting them with previous Higher Vocational Education policies (especially with those which are still in force). As a conclusion, it argues that major regulatory changes are needed to reinforce the shift from a hierarchical to an epistemological differentiation between the two sectors of Chilean higher education.

This chapter charts the development of higher education in Malaysia, which has evolved from a focus on nation-building to a preoccupation with international positioning and reputation. From a single autonomous campus to having 1.2 million students enrolled in a vibrant higher education system with public and private institutions, this chapter also discusses issues in higher education in the country. These include pertinent initiatives and their outcomes that are straddling between nation-building and a global concern such as inclusive and equity in terms of gender, ethnicity, financing relating to access. The chapter also highlights key issues on student assessment, curriculum, and quality in a system that has been fast expanding. In addition, key innovative initiatives in Malaysian higher education, such as digital technologies, distance education, and flexible learning pathway, are discussed. Matters relating to the academic profession, training, professional development, and leadership and governance of the system and institutions are among the topics discussed in the chapter. The concluding section relates to the role of higher education for the development of Malaysia and, importantly, postulates trends and critical challenges for the future.KeywordsMalaysia Education Blueprint (Higher Education)Flexible learning pathwaysNational higher education student loanMalaysia MOOCsNational Education Philosophy

Introduction. Higher medical education is one of the most sought-after and elite degrees worldwide. Systems of higher medical education differ from country to country, although they have certain features in common. Core differences are as follows: Training duration at various stages, contents of educational programs, learning technologies, etc. Much attention is paid to physicians training, which is determined by the high social significance of medical education. Aim: To provide an overview of the contemporary global trends in the development of higher medical education in the USA, Great Britain, France, and China. Materials and Methods. World literature was analyzed on trends in the development of higher medical education. Results and Discussion. Development of the healthcare system in the UK requires an integrated approach that considers various aspects in higher medical education, personnel policy, and workplace management. French healthcare system is experiencing various problems, such as the affordability of medical services and staffing shortages in remote regions. The Government of France shall continue to invest in healthcare and address the challenges to ensure universal access to quality medical services, including through its higher education system. US medical education keeps pace with the challenges healthcare systems are facing in the 21st century. To address today’s challenges, US medical education is taking a more interdisciplinary and inclusive approach, focusing on public health, interdisciplinary teamwork, and community-based training. Chinese medical universities pay more attention to practical skills and to integrating various disciplines in training, which allows graduates to be the best medical experts able to solve complex practical problems. Conclusions. Global trends identified herein in the development of higher medical education in the USA, Great Britain, France, and China require reflection, while the best practices should be introduced into the Russian system of higher education. However, approaches to be implemented should be first adapted to the historical, cultural, social, geographical, political, and other realities of Russia.

Unbundling is the process through which products previously sold together are separated into their constituent parts. In higher education, this dynamic has been driven primarily by financial motivations, and spearheaded by the for-profit sector, but also has pedagogical motivations through its emphasis on personalization and employability. This article presents a theoretical analysis of the trend, proposing new conceptual tools with which to map the normative implications. While appearing to offer the prospect of financial viability and increased relevance, unbundling presents some worrying signs for universities: frst, the removal of possible synergies between teaching and research, and between different modes of learning; second, the undermining of the ability of institutions to promote the public good and ensure equality of opportunity; and third, the threat of hyperporosity to the conducting of basic research with long-term benefits.
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\nA desagregação é o processo pelo qual os produtos anteriormente vendidos em conjunto são separados em suas partes constituintes. No ensino superior, esta dinâmica tem sido impulsionada principalmente por motivações financeiras e liderada pelo setor com fins lucrativos, mas também tem motivações pedagógicas através da ênfase na personalização e na empregabilidade. Este artigo apresenta uma análise teórica da tendência, propondo novas ferramentas conceituais para mapear as implicações normativas. Embora pareça oferecer perspectivas de viabilidade financeira e maior relevância, a desagregação apresenta alguns sinais preocupantes para as universidades: primeiro, a remoção de possíveis sinergias entre ensino e pesquisa, e entre diferentes modos de aprendizagem; em segundo lugar, o enfraquecimento da capacidade das instituições de promover o bem público e garantir a igualdade de oportunidades; e, em terceiro lugar, a ameaça de hiperporosidade na realização de pesquisas básicas com benefícios no longo prazo.

Problem formulation. The development of information and computer technologies is quite rapid. The realities of today are that higher education institutions must introduce new and effective teaching methods and technologies that will help to improve the quality of education. The large-scale introduction of online technologies, various models of blended learning is relevant, which leads to fundamental changes in approaches to the organization of education in higher education institutions and in each discipline, especially the role of the audience classes and its effectiveness. Materials and methods. To address this aim, the following theoretical research methods were used in combination: analysis of pedagogical literature, systematization and generalization of research - to compare different approaches to the implementation of models of blended learning for students of higher pedagogical education. Results. The analysis of pedagogical literature and the conducted researches allowed to reveal the concept of "blended learning". Based on the existing domestic and foreign works, the existing models of blended learning are considered. The models of blended learning that are expedient to use when studying pedagogical disciplines in the institution of higher pedagogical education are analyzed, in particular "Flipped Model", "Rotation Model", "Lab Rotation Model". The advantages of using blended learning models, inverted learning models - for teachers and students are determined. Conclusions. The problem of implementing blended learning models is quite relevant and is of interest to many both scholars and practitioners. There is a wide range of models of blended learning, skillful application and combination of which makes the learning process interesting, modern and conscious, and the work of students productive, activates the educational and cognitive activities of higher education, motivates, teaches both independent and teamwork and promotes the development of creative abilities, research skills. It should be noted that the models "Flipped Model", "Rotation Model", "Lab Rotation Model" and others are tested in technical educational institutions, as well as in the teaching of exact sciences ("Physics", "Mathematics"), while in pedagogical institutions of higher education, especially in the training of future teachers of humanities, this problem requires more in-depth study and, possibly, modification of existing models. The prospect of further research involves the study, testing and analysis of various models of blended learning for students of higher pedagogical education, including the humanities.