International Lifelong Learning Network – Future Activity from July 2014
Education Scotland
Inward
 4 September 2014, Lithuania: Education Development Centre under the
Lithuanian Ministry of Education and Science to meet Education Scotland to
receive information about schoolteachers' probation that takes place in
Scotland. Their organisation, implementation, evaluation, effects.
 2 September 2014, Sweden: Ministry of Education and Research, Division
for Upper Secondary and Adult Education and Training, would like to get
acquainted with and be inspired by the Scottish education system.
 17 November 2014, China: Education Bureau, HKSAR Meet with the HM
Inspectors to share practice on quality assurance of education psychology
service delivered in Scotland.
 1 January 2016, Multiple Countries: Request from Glasgow University to
participate in the organisation of the annual conference of the International
Congress on School Effectiveness to be hosted by them in 2016. The theme
of the conference will be School Effectiveness and Improvement in Scotland
Outward
 17-19 September 2014, Amsterdam: Alastair Delaney and Stewart Maxwell
to attend the Social Outcomes of Education – Inspecting School Quality.
NUS
 New graduate mentoring scheme by students who have studied abroad.
 Local mobility partnership pilot with Stirling area
 Videos on academic advantages of study abroad and schools work, and
website update
RSE
Exchange Programme: The RSE’s International Programme seeks to
increase Scotland’s research and development connections internationally;
and increase the number of world-class science and culture researchers
working in Scotland. The RSE administers exchange schemes to provide
researchers of at least post-doctoral status with short visit opportunities
(normally up to four weeks) to and from Scotland, with a view to developing
relationships leading to collaborative projects and levering further research
funding from other sources. The deadlines for these schemes are quarterly in
late February, May, August and November.
Inward
 5 August 2014, Triennial Dinner: Presidents and senior representatives of
national academies have been invited to attend this event, to be held at
Glasgow City Chambers, shortly after Glasgow hosts the XX Commonwealth
Games 2014. The Dinner will be part of the handover between RSE President
Sir John Arbuthnott MRIA PRSE and Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell
DBE, FRS, FRSE, MRIA.
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 4-6 August 2014, National Academies event: The theme will be, ‘the future
of National Academies and their roles’ with topics to include National
Academies and their relationship with Governments, Young Academies and
Collaboration between Academies.
 31 August 2014 - Deadline for RSE Bilateral Exchange awards
 Autumn 2014 RSE/ Ministry of Science and Technology, Republic of China
(Taiwan) (MOST) workshop: The RSE will hold a joint workshop with the
Ministry of Science and Technology, Republic of China (Taiwan) on the topic
of Sensors and Imaging and their Applications including Medical Areas.
 15-17 October 2014 RSE/ National Natural Science Foundation of China
(NSFC) Science Workshop: The next RSE/NSFC Science Workshop will be
held in Scotland. The topic for this workshop will be Marine science with a
focus on its biodiversity.
 27 October 2014 Franco-Scottish public lecture – Multiple Sclerosis: A
public lecture will be delivered by Professor Charles French-Constant from the
University of Edinburgh and Professor Catherine Lubetzki, Professor/
Clinician-Researcher at ICM–Paris.
 28 October 2014 Franco-Scottish Seminar – ‘Towards repair in Multiple
Sclerosis’: The Royal Society of Edinburgh and French Embassy in London
will be holding a seminar in Autumn 2014 on the topic of ‘Towards repair in
Multiple Sclerosis’.
 18 November 2014 Chevening Scholars programme: Visit from members
 30 November 2014 Deadline for RSE Bilateral Exchange awards
 November 2014 MacCormick European Lecture 2014: Speaker tbc
 Date tbc Bilingualism conference: The RSE is planning an event on
‘Bilingualism and its benefits’ and is currently seeking funding.
Outward
Autumn 2014 Developing Scotland – Research Collaboration: The Scottish
Funding Council has agreed to provide the RSE with £50,000 to support a
high-level delegation visit to China in Autumn. The purpose is to build upon
the excellent relations already established between the RSE and National
Academies in China. It is hoped that a second delegation will follow in 2015.
Scottish Government
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Bologna Follow-Up Group Scorecard indicators review meeting, Riga
BFUG Bologna Follow-Up Group, Rome
“Scotland House” events aligned to the Commonwealth Games
Erasmus+ cross-country programme board
Various inward missions tbc
SQA
Inward
 SQA will host a study visit from the Department of Skills Development
(DSD), Ministry of Human Resource Malaysia, in August.
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 SQA will host a study visit from the Estonian National Qualifications
Framework in September - to provide an overview of the Scottish Credit and
Qualifications Framework (SCQF).
Outward
 International Regional Manager will be visiting Baltic States and Romania.
A meeting with the President of the Romanian Qualifications Authority is
scheduled.
 A business development visit to Bangladesh is planned in August.
The Bangladeshi government has recently amended the legislation for the
provision of foreign education providers to operate in the country and
meetings with existing SQA approved centres and relevant government
departments will be scheduled to determine the potential impact and benefits.
Recent past activity - April-June 2014
Launch of Connected Scotland: organisations with a shared ambition and
connected approach to supporting the development of international
opportunities for Scotland’s higher education sector. The organisations
involved are British Council Scotland, HIE, RSE, SDI, SE, Scottish
Government, Scottish Funding Council and Universities Scotland. Connected
Scotland was launched at the Scottish Parliament.
Education Scotland
Commonwealth Games Activity
 Dutch visitors attended a Game On Scotland event at St Blane’s Primary
School. This included experience of a Glow meet session with Scottish
athletes and a visit to Games venues (Emirates Arena).
 1000 legacy tickets were allocated to schools across Scotland.
 9000 pieces of art work were handed over to the Athletes Village
organisers (Glasgow 2014).
 National event: Equality and Diversity in the context of the Games. Over
100 delegates attended this highly rated event covering a views range of
issues from international debates to disability sport and LGBT, including an
address in the Power of Sport considering women runners in Kenya.
 Live Glow Meet from Canada with Mark Beaumont and the QBR.
Inward
 Lithuania: Education Development Centre under the Lithuanian Ministry of
Education and Science visited Education Scotland for four days to receive
information about schoolteachers' probation that takes place in Scotland.
Their organisation, implementation, evaluation, effects.
 Sweden: Swedish Schools Inspectorate visited to focus on learning and to
exchange and discuss information on actual practices.
 Australia: Dr Dan White, an Australian Catholic Education colleague visited
to meet with a range of colleagues in Education Scotland
 Finland: Finnish National Board of Education to visit Education Scotland to
get to know better the key areas of our organisations work. They are
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interested in the steering system in Scotland, especially how our curriculum,
inspection and assessment systems function. They would like to discuss with
us about the role of in service education in school development processes.
 International Conference: Embedding Health and Wellbeing across
Learning, Glasgow Caledonian University. Aim: to learn more about
Scotland’s approach to embedding health and wellbeing through the
Curriculum and to share innovative practice from across Scotland and
internationally.
Outward
 France: John Paul Cassidy attended the European Conference for Primary
Languages to inform guidance ES produces for the 1+2 approach to language
learning in primary schools.
 Paris: Aileen Monaghan attended the Sol Global forum Paris
 Hungary: Lindsay Burt and Mark Langdon attended The European Basic
Skills Network Annual General Assembly and Conference, basic skills for
social inclusion and cohesion.
 Lithuania: Alan Urquhart presented on school inspections and the
promotion of creativity at the SICI conference.
 China: John Laird gave presentations on Education Scotland model to
Institute of Vocational and Adult Education at Beijing Academy of Educational
Sciences.
 Paris: Graeme Logan attended the OECD review of CfE in Scotland 2015
 Athens: Fiona Robertson attended the Raising Achievement of all learners
in inclusive education conference.
SAAS May 2014
SAAS co-chaired the annual Network of Experts on Student Support in
Europe (NESSIE). The main purpose of the network is to promote the
portability of grants and loans in order to facilitate the greater mobility of
students across Europe.
Scottish Government April-June 2014
 Commonwealth Educators Conference
 USA study tour (part of group as guest of US State Department)
 BFUG Bologna Follow-Up Group Meeting, Athens
 Launch of Erasmus+ in London
 National Report 2012-15 drafted for Bologna Process
 Erasmus+ Country Advisory Group hosted by BC and Ecorys
 Balance of Competences Stakeholder review input (BIS/ DfE leading)
 Saltire Scholarships closed/ Outward Mobility Fund opened
 Launch Confucius institute for Business at Heriot-Watt University
SQA April - June 2014
Inward
 SQA hosted a study visit by the National Authority for Qualifications and
Quality Assurance of Education and Training (QQA) Bahrain to offer a broader
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understanding of the processes and roles of SQA and SCQF in relation to
institutional approval, credit rating and quality assurance.
 SQA hosted a study visit for the Croatian Quality Assurance in Higher
Education Agency. The purpose of the study visit was to provide an overview
of our qualification development process and our qualification frameworks.
Outward
 Training/ CPD event for China centre practitioners was held focusing on
Graded Units and improving understanding of finance/ accounting standards.
 Members of the International team visited Michigan to meet with
Association of Community Colleges and attended Going Global conference in
Miami.
 An advertising campaign was run in Myanmar to promote SQA centres and
SQA HNDs.
 SQA took part in the Malaysia Trade Mission together with Scottish
Development International (SDI) and UK Trade and Industry (UKTI).
 SQA staff attended NAFSA (National Association of Foreign Student
Advisers) Annual Conference in San Diego.
 SQA staff visited Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Vancouver and met
with British Colombia Universities to discuss HN Articulation.
 China Star Awards 2014 was held in Beijing to recognise and celebrate
candidate achievement in the SQA HND programme
 SQA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Chief Minister of
the Punjab to promote SQA activities.
 SQA took part in a trade mission to Nepal.
Other major international activity
 SQA has submitted a tender to the Saudi Skills Standards (Triple S) for the
development of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)
Qualifications and Assessment Development.
 SQA has tendered for a World Bank project to support the Ministry of
Tourism of Morocco.
 SQA continues to grow the number of centres in its key markets Middle
East, ASEAN and South Asia. International Regional Managers are working
with potential customers in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Greece.
 The International team attended and delivered a workshop on National
Occupational Standards and National Qualification Frameworks to an
audience of more than 30 international delegates as part of the SQA/British
Council event in The George Hotel, Edinburgh.
RSE April - June 2014
 Meeting with Polish Consul: RSE met reps from the Polish Consulate in
Edinburgh to discuss the Polish language in the Scottish school system.
 Signing of MoU with Chinese Academy of Engineering: This took place
during the visit to China for the CASS workshops.
 President’s Visit to Beijing: A small delegation from the RSE visited Beijing
and met with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS); the Chinese
Academy of Engineering (CAE); the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); the
National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and Britain’s
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Ambassador to China, His Excellency Sebastian Wood. The RSE has
excellent relations with these bodies and has Memoranda of Understanding
with them all to encourage scholarly exchanges, joint international events and
research projects.
 The delegation also attended the CASS-RSE workshop, the 2014 Annual
Meeting of the Global Research Council, opened by Minister-President
Li Keqiang and hosted a lunch meeting involving representatives from the
China offices of Scottish Development International, Research Councils UK,
and the Scottish Affairs and Policy Offices of the British Embassy in Beijing.
 RSE Bilateral Exchange awards: Six applications for the Bilateral
Exchanges were received at the May deadline and these are currently
awaiting approval. Four were for India (three incoming and one outgoing), one
from Hungary (incoming) and one from Taiwan (incoming). In February seven
applications were considered and three supported.
 Meeting with the Brazilian Academy of Sciences: A meeting took place
between the RSE and Professor Renato Machado Cotta, Director Board of the
Brazilian Academy of Sciences, to discuss future cooperation.
NUS April - June 2014
 Launch of the Scotland Goes Global Ambassador scheme
 Study visit to USA (universities and international organisations)
 Participation in the Universities UK Mobility Community of Practice
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