EURASHE invites all stakeholders to its second one-day Seminar on higher education short cycle (HESC) in Blois France on the theme: "Short cycle higher education in the EHEA and beyond."

HESC is in constant evolution in Europe, following the recommendation of integrating it in the first cycle, now that the 2-cycle system is being implemented in the Bologna Process. However, this integration happens at a different pace, with varying enthusiasm and results, depending on the country involved.

It may be interesting to look at how some of these evolutions are taking place in a representative number of countries, and to hear what others are planning to do.

Now that the principle appears to be agreed upon, further issues arise. How can Quality Assurance be guaranteed in HESC, with different accreditation arrangements in the participating countries?

What are the expectations of the labour market? How can HESC be implemented in the National Qualifications Frameworks? Who are now and will be in the future the providers of short cycle HE?

The above planned seminar is a follow-up of the seminar on HESC, which took place at the HES Amsterdam School of Business on 24th January 2005.

However, we also wanted to bring in a new dimension in this second seminar: the Bologna Process, of which HE short-cycle is now an integrated part, also has a policy towards other regions in the world. HESC is important not only on a European level, but also, in a globalised world, on an international level as well.

The themes that concern us in Europe appear to be universal: employability of young graduates, including early access to the labour market, pathways to further studies through articulation with HE, life long learning creating opportunities for both adults and youngsters that are so far excluded from formal higher education.

With keynote speakers from the European Commission, the World Bank, and the corporate world; workshops with contributions from France, Ireland, the Netherlands and the German speaking countries, and from Central and Eastern Europe (Hungary and the Russian Federation) and a concluding panel discussion with all stakeholders.