European geographers meet in Malta

A group of 11 geographers met in Malta last June to discuss one of the thematic pillars of the recently set up HERODOT European Geography Network, which is funded by the EU.

Geographers from Malta, France, UK, Slovakia, Iceland, Germany and Estonia met to discuss the Europeanisation of geography and to set the groundwork for the Tuning Project for Geography in Higher Education.

The goals of this thematic pillar is to look at the European dimension of geography through courses, staff and student mobility programmes with improved options for exchanges and conduct the Tuning exercise.

The Tuning project aims at defining and updating generic and sectoral competences using the method of the pilot project "Tuning Educational Structures in Europe". A pilot survey is set to be conducted in November of this year with questionnaires being sent to past students, academics and employers of geographers across Europe.

Quality assurance was also discussed in the light of benchmarking exercises being carried out in UK universities. The Commission expects thematic networks to exchange examples of experiences across Europe and undertake the necessary changes to improve quality in higher education.

The group also discusses possibilities of publication of research and projects conducted under the HERODOT network.

The 11 geographers were given a tour around the island, particularly focusing on the areas of high geographic interest. The next meeting of the group is set for Tartu, Estonia, in June where the main issue will focus on the outcome of the Tuning pilot survey.

More information on HERODOT is available at www.herodot.net.