Staff programme

This interactive presentation aims to familiarize participants with the components of intercultural competence and ways of developing these components for successful intercultural communication. A short presentation based on recent publications and research results will be complemented by activities and discussions in an interactive session. Concepts and theories of intercultural competence will be introduced and exemplified in learning activities. A recently developed intercultural assessment tool (ICC Tool) will be tried out and analyzed, helping participants to learn how to recognize and keep track of their development. In addition, possible uses of the ICC Tool and other resources related to intercultural learning activities inside and outside the classroom will be introduced and discussed. Finally, participants will be invited to reflect on ways to incorporate the development of intercultural competence in their own educational practice.

In COHEHRE conference there is a tradition to present COHEHRE Academy activities of the previous year and to share the possibilities for the next year. In 2015 all members are invited to present their courses in COHEHRE conference on Wednesday 22th April as part of Academy activity. This possibility is offered for those courses, which are open to participate for students from other HEI´s joined via COHEHRE network. Also COHEHRE capacity building workshops for staff members will be presented. Courses and workshops will be presented in a format of a market place, where 6 projects will have their own place at the same time to present their course for 15 minutes. Every course and workshop will have possibility to do their 15 min. presentation twice. All presenters should bring with them all equipment and materials they need for their presentations. Those member institutions who want to have this opportunity to market and inform the others about their courses are asked to send the title of the course and the name of the presenter(-s) to Filip (filip.dejonckheere@arteveldehs.be ) and Ulla-Maija (ulla-maija.seppanen@oamk.fi) before 1.4.2015.

This keynote will be presented in two parts. The first part will describe a series of key innovative teaching methods and argue that many current practices which are considered innovative in fact draw upon a rich conceptual history of teaching development. Looking back provides keys to understanding which direction education and training will continue to evolve into the future, not only in health and social care education, but in post-secondary education in general. Approaches such as multi-professionalism, problem-based learning, visual methods and entrepreneurship education will be discussed in connection with other well-established processes in the health and social care field such as simulation, applied research and student practice. This discussion will further outline key factors that point to how teaching can support high levels of motivation and strong connections to working life. The second part of the keynote will focus on summarizing the LAB model, as developed at the Oulu University of Applied Sciences in Finland, as an example of a recently established training program using innovative methods such as prototype development, concept design and business-university connections. Two of the key distinguishing features of this permanent post-secondary program, in contrast to other programs using similar approaches, are: 1. LAB studies bring together fully integrated multi-professional groups of students from diverse fields to work on prototype product design in a range of fields; and 2. LAB studies offer the opportunity for students to work on new product design that can lead directly to their ownership over the ideas and to the possible establishment of viable start-up businesses. Specific examples and outcomes from this program will be covered and applied to the health and social care context. Furthermore, the methods and approaches used in this program will be defined and connected to the conceptual discussion outlined in the first part of this keynote.

Since 1987, the European Union, and especially DG Education and Culture, has busied itself with organising mobility for students, pupils, staff, teachers, trainers, etc. The target of 3 million students on the move was reached already in 2012. Erasmus+ builds on this legacy by offering to 4 million people to study, train, teach or volunteer abroad by 2020…An increase of 40% of the budget is foreseen. But Erasmus+ has to cope with the consequences of the economic and financial crisis which has had a profound impact on society. Unemployment has reached unacceptably high levels in many parts of the EU, particularly among Europe’s youth. This is certainly the number one concern of the new Commission under its President Juncker and especially for the new Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth, Sport, Tibor Navracsics. He is also involved with Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness and the Digital Single Market. Inevitably these aspects are already reflected in the priorities of the Call and will be reinforced in the Call 2016! There is a strong economic and social case for investing in education. Education contributes to productivity, competitiveness and innovation, while levelling the playing field and breaking cycles of disadvantage. But Education is facing its own structural challenges. Population ageing means that Member States will have to exploit fully the pool of talent amongst the school-age population. Productivity, competitiveness and innovation will have to grow, with relatively fewer people to rely on. Education in many Member States is, at the same time, out of touch, as systems are still struggling to meet 21st century expectations. These challenges pre-date the crisis, but are now aggravated by a consolidation of public finance. The deadlines for the Call 2015 are behind us, the new applications will have tried to do better than in 2014, knowing what worked and what did not work. Erasmus+ will continue to support transnational partnerships among Education, Training, and Youth institutions and organisations to foster cooperation and bridge the worlds of Education and work in order to tackle the skills gaps we are facing in Europe. It is also the precondition to stay competitive in the global arena with its knowledge-based economy. In reviewing the Europe 2020 strategy and following the results of the European Semester, the new call will probably put emphasis through its priorities on how our education systems can grasp the huge opportunities of digitisation for better and more accessible teaching and learning, and how digital tools can increase youth participation, helping this way European universities to be among the best in the world.

In a day-to-day reality of all societies, there are many different individuals and communities with diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds who need social and/or health care. According to the historic experiences of the past several centuries (at least in the European culture), these caring activities cannot be separated in a theoretical manner. Social needs if unmet end up in ill health and ill health terminates in social misery. In high and middle income countries (HMICs), social and health services are financed either publicly or privately and they are provided by public institutions or private business corporations. Cross-financing occurs in all HMICs primarily in the health care, thus private business corporations may receive public financing or they may operate entirely on a not-for-profit principle. The way around, public facilities may serve people also on private financing. Equity does not mean equality nevertheless it is based on equality. Namely, equity is prevailing only if the population concerned has for equal needs equal options in accessing and utilising the equally affordable services. Provided that options for access, utilization, affordability and technical performance of the medical staff are the same for the whole population only the human factor namely health behaviour determines the health status of the population. By turning around the statement above, if the population’s health behaviour were uniform in a specific health system, differences of general or specific health status should be traced back only to the uneven distribution of human and material resources of the health service. Theoretical approach of equity is discussed by the real propagative health status of pregnant women in Hungary’s North-eastern counties while testing the equity on the non-Roma majority and Roma minority sample in 2009-2012. Related to the target population (N=22,235) the response rate of our questionnaire based data collecting was 73.47%. With no significant differences of availability and affordability of out and in-patient services, obstetrical outcomes were influenced by a number of biological (as life years, BMI-values) cultural and socioeconomic factors (as cultural traditions of Roma communities, education, income, settlement type, tobacco smoking). While maintaining equal preconditions of equity in healthcare programmes and investments, comprehensive and specifically tailored socioeconomic and cultural improvements of minority populations must also be concerned in the health policy planning.