Eurasian Silk Road Universities Consortium (ESRUC)

Executive Committee Meeting Agenda

 Erzurum, February 23, 2012.

 

1.                  Formulating Faculty Recruitment Strategies so that member universities can benefit from the existing resources of ESRUC universities And Preparing Human Resource Database of ESRUC that can be shared for the benefit of all member universities

 

A specialist pool should be composed from ESRUC member countries. While doing this, certain standards for human resources should be determined .Also, there should be a place in the ESRUC Web page for the advertisements. Member countries may give advertisements in the fields they are deficient. Thanks to this specialist pool, member countries invite faculty members that they need.

Besides, salaries should be more to attract these invited specialists. Member countries should pay competitive salaries to motivate invited scholars.

 

2. Preparing a Standard Format for MoUs that member universities can sign among themselves.

 

All ESRUC member countries should be ready to take part in preparing and signing of Standard Format of MOUs. Member institutions should make something different in financial items. The reason for that is: there must be evident for members if they apply for grants and this must be stated in financial items in details.

 

3.                  Initiating programs for faculty and students exchange between member universities And
Establishing a system of degrees accreditation and equivalence between member universities so that students taking courses in one member university can transfer credits to other member universities.

 

Some mechanisms should be established like Exchange of Faculty Members among ESRUC members for  one or two semesters. In this system, students taking courses in one member university can transfer credits to other member universities.

Common subjects should be determined and new cirriculums might be developed. Also, in case of need, we should collaborate with other networks.

Subcommittees should be established. The first step in collaboration will be:

 

-Business and Economics

-Tourism

 

Also, to learn the difficulties, experts must me invited for the next meeting.

4. Assigning a token annual membership fee for member universities in order to (1) give them a sense of "ownership" and (2) to offset some expenses of the Secretariat of ESRUC at Ataturk University.

 

Membership fee will be  800 USD for all member institutions. Due amount will be paid by the end of this year including the October 2012-October 2013 financial year.

 

5.                  Development of an ESRUC policy:

Vision

Taking the historical Silk Road as an inspiring symbol of cultural and spiritual exchange, Eurasian Silk Road Universities Consortium (ESRUC) provides a forum for promoting greater understanding of friendship and peace and value of cultural diversity and cross-cultural connections and drives collaborative, sustainable development along the Silk Road. The Consortium supports preservation and revitalization of rich cultural heritage of the Members of  Eurasian Silk Road Universities Consortium with a view to enchance cross cultural understanding.

 

Mission

ESRUC will work as a collaborative framework for capacity building and raising the profile of Consortium members that is sustainable,responsible and internationally competitive.

To connect the world’s neighborhoods by bringing together academicians and intellectuals to promote understanding and value of cultural diversity and protect cultural heritage for academic development.

To promote the  comprehension and value of cultural diversity and protect cultural heritage for academic development by bringing together strengths, productive factors and opportunities and to be driving factor of sustainable academic development by ensuring sustainability and reducing disparities among ESRUC Member Countries together with ensuring the efficient and appropriate utilization of resources and stimulating potential.

 

Goals

·           Provide a forum for promoting a wide understanding and value of rich cultural heritage and cultural pluralism of the ESRUC Members;

·           Promote education and learning programs for greater understanding of cultural diversity and cross-cultural connections;

·           Engage in cross-cultural exchanges and cultural activities aimed at fostering intercultural dialogue and bringing together Silk Road cultures for peace and progress;

·           Work with the government and other national and international partners to inform policies, procedures, standards, and guidelines related to preservation of cultural heritage;

·           Collaborate with the government and other national and international partners to document, preserve and promote ESRUC’s tangible and intangible cultural and academic heritage

 

6.      Establishment of task forces:

a.       Language skills

All member institutions should be ready to offer language training. It is necessary to speak the same language. The common language should be English. Online courses should be provided to develop English language skills.

 

b.       Mobility

All member institutions should be ready to begin faculty and student exchange for one semester (if necessary preliminary language training should be provided)

c.       Harmonization of educational systems

Currently, the modernization of higher education system is going on with accordance of Bologna Process. ESRUC Consortium must work out unique strategy harmonization of educational system in view of experience.

d.      Relations with networks, institutions and International promotion

Creation of ESRUC network and relations with other networks, institutions is necessary for international promotion.

e.      Joint activities and research

All members should be ready to cooperate in holding round tables, forums, conference in the field of science researches.

 

Division of Task Forces is as follows:

a.       Language skills (University of Padua)

b.      Mobility (Atatürk University)

c.       Harmonization of educational systems (International University of Kyrgyzstan)

d.      Relations with networks, institutions and International promotion(Atatürk University)

e.      Joint activities and research (University Putra Malaysia)

f.        Edu tourism and Mobility (Azarbaijan Tourism Institute)

 

*****Detailed  task forces will be sent within a few months by members.

*****Allocation of One hour period for negotiating on Task Forces in the next ESRUC Conference.

 

 

7.      Possible participation in the Erasmus Mundus programme

All members should be ready to participate in Erasmus Mundus programme. This should be promoted via ESRUC Web page. University of Padua will make every effort to urge members to participate this programme.

 

8.      Third ESRUC.

 

ESRUC meetings should be held in certain dates every year.  Two sessions will be held in 3^rd ESRUC and International University of Kyrgyzstan will help to make connections with Silk Road Caucus and invite Congressman Joseph  R. Pitts.

Professor Jafar Jafarov will invite an expert to the next ESRUC meeting.

Professor Mumtaz AHMAD will invite an expert from Germany to the next ESRUC meeting.

 

9. ESRUC 2013:

a.      Themes

b.     Poster session?

                                              This item will be negotiated on next ESRUC meeting.

 

Please be informed that Executive Committee Meetings will be held as follows:

October 2012……………Trabzon/Turkey

January 2013……………..Malaysia

July 9^th,2013………………Mongolia

After Mongolia, Pakistan will be the host of ESRUC executive board meetings.