Conference on higher education “Mergers in Higher Education – Success or Failure?” preliminary programme:

09.30-10.00   Registration for the conference attendants

10.00-10.15   Opening addresses
Opening of the conference by the Chairman of Estonian Rectors’ Conference of Universities of Applied Sciences Mr Jaan Tamm
Welcome message from the President of the Parliament of Estonia Mrs Ene Ergma

10.15-11.45   Plenary session

10.15-10.45   Current state of affairs in Higher Education: what’s happening? Higher education reform. State of affairs in demographic situation. Estonian competitiveness in relations with neighbours. Minister of Education and Research Mr Jaak Aaviksoo

                      Video clips (by students, politicians etc)

10.45-11.45   Mergers in Higher Education – Success or Failure? Who initiated the mergers? Why merging? The merger process. The outcomes of the mergers by Mr Ole-Jacob Skodvin (Norway)

11.45-12.00   Plenary questioning

12.00-13.00   International experience. Will mergers help? Success stories. Universities versus Universities of Applied Sciences. Prof Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen (Denmark, Aarhus University, rector)

13.00-14.00   Lunch

14.00-15.15   Testimonial / Country experiences
Finnish (Mrs Seija Mahlamäki-Kultanen, Director, HAMK UAS)
Swiss (Mr Thomas Bachofner, Secretary General of the Rectors’ Conference of the Swiss UAS)
Latvian (Mr Dmitrijs Kulšs, Director of Higher Education, Research and Innovation Department, Latvian Ministry of Education and Science)
Lithuanian (Mrs Nerija Putinaité, Vice-minister of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Lithuania)
Estonian (Mr Priit Reiska, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs of Tallinn University) experience

                      Video clips (by international students etc)

15.15-16.15   Panel discussion (rectors)
Prof Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen (Denmark, Aarhus University, rector)
Prof Henrik Wolff (Finland, Arcada UAS, rector)
Prof Krista Tuulik (Estonia, Estonian Entrepreneurship UAS, rector)
Prof Mait Klaassen (Estonia, Estonian University of Life Sciences, rector)

16.15-16.45   Questioning and closing the conference by Prof Alar Karis

16.45-18.30   Reception & excursion at the Kumu Art Museum