Seems that BIS has had a re-think and reckons that the UK should still provide some scholarships to the College of Europe in Bruges, as reported in today’s FT. This is an issue that I first covered here on 29th January this year, so the change of heart has also happened rather swiftly. Interestingly today’s FT article makes the same connection between the European Fast Stream scheme and the College of Europe finding as my blog entry did, and they have also this time avoided the branding the College as a bastion of federalism as they did last time. So good news all round!
All that now needs to happen is for the College of Europe to get its act together and make the place a lot better… That, I suspect, will take quite a lot longer than a BIS u-turn.
problem is that it’s not better than anywhere else… overpriced and bad teaching. and i second your point about the assessment.
Perhaps I spoke too soon… I now see that Jörg Monar is a director of studies at Bruges. He’s a tough chap Monar, so I’m hopeful that he’ll help sort things out.
Sounds like an external audit is in order (especially in respect of (2) and (5) ).
(1) Streamline the admin
(2) Get rid of Paul Demaret as Rector
(3) Have proper standards of assessment across all papers
(4) Put the thesis into the summer, as most MAs do
(5) Ask themselves fundamental questions about why the College is any better than anywhere else
That would be a start…
“for the College of Europe to get its act together and make the place a lot better”
Any particular ideas as to how?