Regional associations play an important role in fostering quality in higher education through collaboration and cooperation. CONAHEC is a trinational consortium that advances collaboration among over 140 higher education institutions in North America. It aims to promote mutual understanding through information sharing, research, and collaborative programs. While countries approach quality assurance differently according to their context, international cooperation and student mobility are important as they enhance student learning and prepare graduates for an increasingly globalized world. Regional associations can help higher education institutions form partnerships, exchange best practices, and address common challenges through open dialogue.

1. The Role of Regional Associations in
Fostering Quality in Higher Education
Francisco Marmolejo
http://conahec.org
fmarmole@email.arizona.edu
IAU 2nd. Global Meeting of Associations
Paris
June 1, 2007
Context Analysis
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2. Interdependency: A Reality
Basic characteristics of the New Economy
Global
Highly
competitive
Technology
based
Changing rapidly
Knowledge based
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3. …and the Old Economy
World Population Increase over Time
2050
1999
1927
1800
9
6
2
1 billion people
Courtesy of Paul E. Lingenfelter
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4. What is the impact?
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5. The Asymmetrie s
Diverting futures: Projected population growth
4.75
Developing
countries 8.2
1998
2050
1.18
Developed
countries 1.16
0 2 4 6 8 10
Source: UN 1998 World Population Report
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6. Wealth Distribution
A comparison of some countries’ GINI coefficients
80
70 71
60
60 58 58 59
57
53 55 55
52
50
41
40
30 27 28
24 25 25 25 26 26
21
20 19
10
xic or
0
.
Fin Rep
d
ina
No en
y
nm ry
bia
as
Na ala
n
lva
ay
o
bia
an
A
kia
ay
us
Gu azil
pa
d
ile
a
ed
k
ur
nt
US
lan
rw
lom
h
ng
em
ar
Sa
rm
gu
lar
mi
Ja
va
Ch
ec
nd
ge
Sw
Me
Br
Hu
ra
Ge
Be
El
at
Slo
Co
Cz
Ar
Ho
Pa
De
Source: 2005 World Development Indicators,Table 1.1 Size of the Economy. Retrieved November 15, 2005 in
http://devdata.worldbank.org/wdi2005/Table1_1.htm
Seeing the world with different lenses
http://www.beerkens.info/blog/atom.xml
…Land Distribution
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7. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
%
C an ad a
J ap o n
Corée
N orvège
É tats -U n is
F in lan d e
S uè d e
B e lg ique
E s p ag n e
http://www.beerkens.info/blog/atom.xml
I r lan d e
OCDE. Education at a Glance 2004
F r an ce
A us tr alie
R o yaum e -U n i
D an e m ar k
N o uv e lle -Z é l.
I s lan d e
Pays -B as
S uis s e
G r è ce
L ux e m b o ur g
A lle m ag n e
Po lo g n e
Po r tug al
H o n g r ie
Seeing the world with different lenses
A utr ich e
I talie
Do they have a45 à 54 ans
25 à 34 ans
R ép . tch è que
right?
R é p . s lo v aque
M e x ique
une formation tertiaire
Pourcentage, par groupe d’âge
2002: Population ayant atteint
…Population Distribution
T ur quie
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8. Seeing the world with different lenses
…Investment in Tertiary Education
Seeing the world with different lenses
…Growth in Scientific Production (1990-2001)
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9. The Digital Divide
Number of computers for each 100 inhabitants
30
25 Mexico
20 Canada
USA
15 USA
10 Canada
5
Mexico
0
Source: International Telecommunications Union
Towards a multicutural
global society
http://conahec.org
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10. Globalization is not a
phenomenon. It is not
just some passing trend.
Today it is the
Substantial overarching
Difference international system
shaping the domestic
politics and foreign
relations of virtually
Internationalization every country, and we
is the institutional need to understand it as
such.
response to the
phenomenon of
globalization as
reflected in goals,
programs and
activities
http://conahec.org
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11. “Institutions of higher
education are ideally placed to
use globalization as a tool for
bridging the knowledge gap
and in order to enrich the
dialogue between peoples and
between cultures”
Source: Learning: The Treasure Within. Jacques Delors Report to UNESCO. 1996
The ideal university
of the future
http://conahec.org
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12. The ideal university of the future
Teaching: Teaching is offered considering a global cross-disciplinary
context. Professors are adequately trained for this purpose
Research: New ideas and approaches are developed in
collaboration with peers from other countries. Research highly
related to the needs and opportunities within the regional context
http://conahec.org
The ideal university of the future
Public Service: The university is actively linked to its
“surrounding” community:
Active involvement in promoting regional development
Community development
Preserving and disseminating of knowledge
Lifelong learning programs
Community service of students and professors
http://conahec.org
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13. The ideal university of the future
An increasing number of graduates finish their studies with a major
understanding, awareness and empathy towards other cultures and
individuals.
Graduates are able to compete in an internationally competitive
market
Graduates have a profound social awareness and a sound sense of
global and local responsibility
Does this require?
Preparing students with global awareness and competitiveness
but also with social consciousness and greater sense of social
responsibility?
Strengthening the cooperation among higher education
institutions and their surrounding communities, nationally and
internationally?
Implementing mechanisms for a better understanding,
awareness and respect?
Innovating?
Assuring and enhancing quality?
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14. Rationale for Regional Associations…
Today’s and tomorrow’s realities require greater
and broader academic collaboration
Cooperation through programs that foster
mutual understanding and respect
Help identify common areas of interest
…the case of CONAHEC
What the heck is “CONAHEC”?
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15. A trinational consortium advancing
Collaboration
Cooperation
Community-building
among higher education
institutions in North America
http://conahec.org
140+ Institutions and
Higher Education Organizations
CONAHEC’s
memberships’
total enrollment
represents
2.5+ million
students
On more than
250 campi
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16. Membership
Includes universities and community colleges,
higher education associations
Canada = 20
United States = 55
Mexico = 65
The Main Question: What is best?
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17. Mapping Quality Assurance
Country State Institutional Program Professional
Involvement Q.A. Q.A. Q.A.
U.S. Low Regional Strong State/Prof.
Accreditation Licensure
Canada Low Provincial. Strong State/Prof.
Affiliations Licensure
Mexico High/Low Regulatory Low although State Licensure
growing and increasingly
Professional
A Basic Rule…
There is no better or worst… it is
just different.
Context matters.
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18. Strategic Partnerships
Association of
Canadian
Community
Colleges
GOALS
Liaison among the member institutions in
Identifying
Creating
Promoting
collaborative programs
at binational and trinational levels
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19. GOALS
Information, liaison, research and
promotional center for academic
cooperation in North America
A venue for mutual understanding and
respect
Forum for discussion, analysis and
promotion of educational policies on
academic cooperation in North America
What does CONAHEC do?
Our Programs
North American Higher Education Portal (conahec.org)
North American Student Exchange Program
North American Higher Education Conference
Student Organization of North America (SONA)
Professional Development Program
Publications: “Understanding the Differences”
Chair in International Higher Education
EDUCAMEXUS
Border PACT
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20. What does CONAHEC do?
Our most popular services
Networking. “Dating service”
Exchange of “empty seats”
Promotion / Awareness / Training
Resource center for administrators / faculty / students
Specific partnership arrangements
Technical assistance contracts
Why does international cooperation and
mobility matter?
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21. Outcomes: The perspective from the Project
Directors
Enhanced Student Learning. (91%)
Encouraged International Cooperation (91%)
Developed Student Exchanges Among Higher Education
Institutions. (96 %)
Developed Partnerships Among Higher Education Institutions.
(87 %)
Helped to Prepare Students for Work in an International Context
(96 %)
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22. The voice of the students
Some stories to share
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23. ?
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24. Our learning curve
Come on! It can‘t go
wrong every time...
The “M” Syndrome
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25. 1) Misunderstanding each other
http://conahec.org
Our typical mistakes with limited
understanding
Simplistic assumption about
others
Using our “lenses” to see a
different reality
Which “reality” is better. Ours? or
theirs?
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26. Going global. Be aware of the stereotypes
CLICHES
About Mexico:
Lack of education
Authoritarian
Corruption
Inefficency
Emotional, lazy
About U.S.A.:
Aggresive
Individualistic
Egocentrism
Strictly business oriented
CLICHES
About Mexico:
Lack of education
Authoritarian
Corruption
Inefficency
Emotional, lazy
About U.S.A.:
Aggresive
Individualistic
Egocentrism
Strictly business oriented
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27. CLICHES
About Mexico:
Lack of education
Authoritarian
Corruption
Inefficency
Emotional, lazy
About U.S.A.:
Aggresive
Individualistic
Egocentrism
Strictly business oriented
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28. CLICHES
About Mexico:
Lack of education
Authoritarian
Corruption
Inefficency
About Canada:
Emotional, lazy
About U.S.A.: Americans
They are like
Aggresive
Individualistic
Egocentrism
Strictly business oriented
2) Mismatch of expectations
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29. The “in-famous” case of MOUs
The endless question: What is
first?
What is the purpose? (Symbolic,
legal, promotional, planning,
social).
Useless?
The degree of internationalization of an institution is inversely
proportional to the number of MOUs that the institution has
3) Misunderstanding the proposition
value of the membership
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30. 4) Mismatch-making
Some Lessons Learned
What it may work on one case…
…it may not be the best solution on another case
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31. A basic rule. Finding your niche
Identify your strengths and
weaknesses
Identify your potential partners
Figure their strengths and
weaknesses
Match
Ten basic mistakes… you make in dating
Being too much of a nice partner
Trying to convince your potential partner to like you
Looking always to your potential partner for approval or permission
Trying to buy the affection of your potential partner with food and gifts
Sharing too early how do you feel about the way the partnership is evolving
Not getting how negotiation/relationship is interpreted by the potential partner
Thinking that it will not cost and will happen almost automatically
Giving away all of your power to the other partner
Not knowing EXACTLY what to do in each type of situation
Not getting HELP
Source: Adapted from a junk email from a
“dating” company
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32. 5) Misreading a changing world
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33. 6) Moving in different paths
6) Missing the point
Quality assurance as a goal, or
as a tool?
Quality happens:
Due to our work
Despite our work
Independently of our work
Internationalization
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34. Is there a role for regional associations?
The importance of team-building
..what are you waiting
for?
Go ahead and help
Windows is down him to press
again! Ctrl+Alt+Del !
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35. For every complex problem, there is a
solution that is simple, neat, and wrong.
Henry Louis Mencken
“ The trouble with our times is that
the future is not what it used to be ”
Paul Valéry
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36. My hope..
Let’s us our collective
I.Q. in order to transit
from a Q.A. scope
towards a Q.E.
approach
More information:
Francisco J. Marmolejo
Executive Director
Consortium for North American Higher
Education Collaboration (CONAHEC)
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ 85721-0300 U.S.A.
Tel. (520) 621-9080 / Fax (520) 626-2675
E.mail: fmarmole@email.arizona.edu
WWW: http://conahec.org
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