International Cooperation

Implementing institutional internationalisation strategy: problems and solutionsLisa Kärp, 26.09.2011 12:59, E-mail to author, Print

Universities operate on the national and global stage while engaging with their local and regional communities. Estonia in EU context is a small country operating with small financial and human resource. We are still proud that we have one national technical university.

The MISSION of Tallinn University of Technology (TUT) is to provide educational, research and innovation services in the fields of engineering and entrepreneurship, which are internationally competitive and significant for Estonia's sustained development.

TUT is the only university in engineering and technology in Estonia. This fact contributes to the University's strategic positioning. Secondly, through its development (founded in 1918), TUT has established a well-rooted engineering education tradition. Thirdly, TUT's ALUMNI compose a large portion of decision makers in Estonian businesses. According to statistics, in each economic sector - be it power engineering, information technology, banking or entrepreneurship – TUT's graduates are most successful. ALUMNI members take active part in strategic planning and university positioning. Our geographical position, the heart of the Nordic-Baltic on the coast of the Baltic Sea, provides a good exposure to advanced technology markets. Therefore we need effective participation in European HE area and effective participation in European Research Area, contribution to realisation of national goals and realisation of institutional goals.

To increase programs taught in English (13 full master programs), geographic distributions of partners like USA, Mediterranean, Japan, Russia, Ukraine, China, Australia, and other countries, better positioning in organisations like EUA, UNICA, SEFI, EAIE, WITEC, CESAER, BALTECH, and international programs like the Framework, Lifelong learning ERASMUS, Leonardo da Vinci, Grundvig, TEMPUS and others.

The Universities have complementary strengths that reflect a wide range of expertise, as well as a multiplicity of international links not only in engineering but also in economics, social science and biomedical research areas.
The implementation of internationalisation at TUT has provided a unique forum, the possibilities in cooperation with Europe’s universities, other higher education institutions and partners to discuss the increasingly important role of institutions and students in implementing Bologna and in making the knowledge society a reality for Europe’s citizens everywhere.

Student Union, BEST, IAESTE, AIESEC international student organisations represented by TUT national units are the strongest allies at present.

TUT has an open-public university status and therefore accountability, autonomy and university corporate leadership issues have approached different tasks and risks.
The internationalisation process in Estonia in 2010 offers an excellent platform for the discussion of current trends and future direction in higher education in Europe, and an important opportunity to be partners in transnational projects and networks on expert level in the field contributing to issues of common importance.
Actually in 2010 TUT started seriously the positioning and also work on international strategy as the will of all the staff and student body, academic and administrative units recognize the need.

Keywords: internationalisation, Lifelong learning quality education, transnational multicultural networking, recruitment criteria’s, autonomy, accountability, HRM and corporate leadership as one of the priorities of institutional accreditation and regional cooperation