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VISITING ADVISERS PROJECT (VAP)

Outcomes

Outcomes

Expected Outcomes were defined as follows:

  • Linkages and partnerships between universities in Russian and the Post-Soviet States with their peers in North America and West Europe
  • Knowledge exchange and best practices regarding academic governance, strategic management, development of human and institutional resources, curricular reform, and other key issues of HE renewal
  • Enhanced the leadership capacity of HE institutions in the region
  • Russian and Post-Soviet State universities become more integrated into the international HE community
  • Exposure of North American and West European university administrators to the ongoing reform process in Russian and Post-Soviet State higher education.

VAP Proposal Carnegie Corporation, 2003-2005, 2005-2007 and 2007-2009) The VAP expected the following short-term impacts in its proposal:

  • Curricular improvements: eliminating redundancies, improving quality standards, credit transfer, introduction of new courses, Bologna process adjustments
  • Community relations: interactions with community on local, regional, and national levels, HE legislative reform, relations with media, collaboration with business and industry, social responsibilities of university
  • Institutional collaboration: at the domestic and/or international level
  • Technology improvement: (internet access, development of high-tech training facilities, creation of distance learning capabilities)
  • Improvement of relationship and collaboration between university leadership and CASEs
  • Development of a strategic plan for CASEs/university leadership

Longer-term impacts of the VAP included:

  • Linkages and partnerships between universities in the FSU with their peers from the international academic community
  • Analysis of modernization efforts of higher education systems in the region
  • Bologna process adjustments, particularly, with regards to Russian academic community objectives
  • Knowledge exchange and best practices regarding academic governance, strategic management, development of human and institutional resources, curricular reform, and other key issues of HE renewal
  • Enhancement of the leadership capacity of HE institutions in the region
  • International support for universities in the region in their efforts to become more integrated into the international HE community
  • Exposure of North American and West European university administrators to the ongoing reform process in Russian and Post-Soviet State higher education
  • Positioning CASEs as strategic centers within respective universities
  • Positioning CASEs universities as resource centers for other education institutions in the respective regions.

(VAP Proposal Carnegie Corporation, 2005-2007 and 2007-2009)

An additional rationale for the last grant was:
Now, FSU universities are moving from the implementation of fundamental reforms to strategic development. At a time of transition from an industrial to a knowledge-based society, FSU universities are challenged to build on the VAP recommendations and become effective agents of change for sustainable development and innovation. At this strategic stage, it is especially important to assist FSU universities to develop effective short-term and long-term strategies so that they can effectively contribute to the development of knowledge and innovation regionally, nationally and internationally; establish effective links to external partners in public and private sectors; as well as participate in relevant networks to sustain research and education and effectively contribute to the implementation of the Lisbon strategy for Europe in 2010 that intends “to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustained economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion. The issue is to identify the crucial strategic areas and set priorities for action, particularly regarding effective interaction between universities and the environment in which they function. Since the VAP has accumulated a wealth of hands-on knowledge concerning the key issues and challenges of universities in the region, and because the VAP can engage selective international expertise to provide targeted advice, VAP involvement at this strategic phase is of paramount of importance. (VAP proposal Carnegie Corporation, 2007-2009)