Tuning Educational Structures in the WorldFoundation of TUNING Centres world-wide
Background information
Tuning Educational Structures is an initiative of the academic world which has beenstrongly supported by the European Commission of the European Union from its launch in2001. The European Commission has not only (co-)financed all Tuning projects andstudies, it has also initiated many of them.
Tuning Educational Structures is a university-driven process, which offers a universal
approach to higher educational reforms both at the macro-level of entire higher
educational institutions and at the micro-level of individual disciplines or subject areas. The
Tuning approach consists of a methodology to (re-)design, develop, implement andevaluate study programmes for each cycle (bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral/undergraduate and (post-)graduate studies).
Tuning serves as a platform for developing reference points, descriptors or standards - aspart of conceptual frameworks - at sectoral /domain level (e.g. Humanities, Creative andPerforming Arts, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Health Care and Engineering) as wellas subject area / disciplinary level. Among the subjects for which conceptual frameworks
have been developed are: chemistry, physics, mathematics, earth sciences, medicine,nursing, history, art history, linguistics, literary studies, law, social work, music, performingarts, creative arts, architecture, education sciences including teacher training, businessadministration, sociology, different types of engineering and area studies and genderstudies (the last two being samples of interdisciplinary studies). Tuning has also developed
frameworks for the sectors Engineering, Social Sciences, Humanities and Creative andPerforming Arts. The work that has been done is based on wide stakeholder consultation,including employers, graduates, students and academic staff.
Frameworks are relevant for making programmes of studies comparable, compatible andtransparent in a national as well as an international context. These are based on identified
and agreed learning outcomes and competences, distinguishing between generic ortransversal and subject-specific ones. Tuning contributes to the development andenhancement of high-quality competitive study programmes by focusing on fitness ofpurpose (to meet expectations) and fitness for purpose (to meet aims).
The Tuning methodology has proven to be of interest and relevance in all parts of theworld. Projects and/or feasibility studies have been implemented – besides Europe - in thefollowing countries/regions: Latin America, Georgia, Central Asia, Russia, the UnitedStates of America, Africa, Australia, Canada, China, Middle East and North Africa and very
recently India. Furthermore, institutions and organisations in other geographical regions,1like Japan, the Gulf States and South-East Asia, have shown interest in using the Tuning
methodology.
Finally, the OECD Secretariat, at the invitation of the Assessment of Higher Education
Learning Outcomes (AHELO) Group of National Experts, contracted in 2009 the Tuning
Association to undertake initial development work on learning outcomes to be used forvalid and reliable assessments of students from diverse institutions and countries in twoareas, engineering and economics.

Tuning Centres
Tuning Centres are meant to be key instruments to facilitate dissemination andimplementation of the Tuning approach. The Centres are also intended as an
institutionalised tool to establish and support links with employers, graduates andacademics in the area of programme design, implementation and enhancement as well as
to engage with relevant governmental bodies, policy makers, international, national,
regional and local organisations and higher education institutions and their management tocontribute to policy development in the field of higher education.
The Tuning Centres have evolved during the lifetime of the Tuning initiative. At present
three different types are distinguished: 1) The International Tuning Academy1; 2) Tuning
National Centres (TNCs); and 3) Tuning University Centres (TUCs). The first type wasestablished after 10 years of intensive cooperation between the University of Deusto andthe University of Groningen. It originates from being information and dissemination pointsin Europe during the Tuning Europe project, to assist individual teachers, Universities andsectors to adapt to the Bologna Process using Tuning methodologies and project
outcomes. The second type resulted from the first Latin America Tuning Project whichstarted in 2003 and represents the starting point of the institutionalisation and globalisationof Tuning. The third type was initiated as part of the Tuning Russia project in 2010 to offera sustainable structure for reform within the context of individual higher education
institutions.
It is the Tuning policy to establish Tuning National Centres and Tuning University Centres
in each of the countries involved in the Tuning world-wide process. The three types
mentioned above and outlined below represent the model to be applied globally. For
Europe the structure presented here replaces the Tuning Information Points (TIPs) whichhave been established as part of the Tuning Europe projects.
1) International Tuning Academy
The International Tuning Academy is the central unit of the Tuning worldwide process. It
contains two branches located at the two universities which have jointly – in close
conjunction with the European Commission - coordinated all Tuning projects around the1

http://www.tuningacademy.org
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world since its launch: the University of Deusto in Spain and the University of Groningen in
the Netherlands. The Academy is the home base of the Tuning initiative and an
International Higher Education and Research Centre for the development andenhancement of the quality of learning, teaching and assessment in higher education,
focusing on the competences for intellectual development, employability and citizenship ina global context.
.
The International Tuning Academy intends to be an organisation which permanently
monitors developments regarding social demands and future employability needs, as an
input for playing a key role in Higher Education policy innovation and curriculum
development through research and debate.
The aims and objectives of the International Tuning Academy are:
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sustaining and disseminating the use of the Tuning methodology as developed ofreference frameworks and updating these on the basis of consultation and debate,prefarably in an international context;
initiating and implementing projects and studies related to the modernisation,enhancement and internationalisation of higher education;
guaranteeing the scientific-academic quality of all projects developed under theTuning designation;
promoting and realizing conferences, seminars and workshops of experts andpolicy makers in the field of higher education;
sustaining and promoting international Tuning related networks;
pursuing developments which highlight the relevance of existing and newcompetences – generic and subject specific – in today’s and tomorrow’s dynamic
society as input for updating profiles in a LLL-context.
offering staff development programmes for curriculum development, methods oflearning, teaching and assessment, the use of student workload based credit
points, calculating student workload, preparing degree programme profiles andidentifying related competences, writing of (programme learning outcomes;
offering advice and support to (inter) authorities and public and privateorganisations in relation to modernising educational systems, structures andindividual degree programmes;
fostering and realizing publications which promote the aims and objectives of theTuning Academy.

2) Tuning National Centres
Tuning National Centres (TNCs) are meant to be a country’s central contact point withrespect to Tuning activities. A TNC is closely related to the national authorities in the fieldof higher education. This can be the Ministry of Education, a relevant governmental bodyor branch, a national organisation of universities or a conference of rectors or principals,
the national accreditation body, etc. Important is that it represents a close link between theeducational system of a country and Tuning and is able to act as a reliable spokesperson3

at country level for developments taking place. It is up to each country to decide on themost effective and appropriate organisation.
The role of a TNC is to: inform all higher education institutions in the country about relevant (inter)national
Tuning projects and studies initiated and their outcomes and to involve higher
education institutions and other stakeholders indirectly in these initiatives;
 serve as a central information point for Tuning initiatives taken elsewhere in theworldwide by keeping a close connection to the Tuning Academy; establish and sustain contacts and cooperation with other NTCs in the world;
 serve as a bridge and coordination point between the Academy and the Tuning
Centres in a country (see below); initiate Tuning based initiatives at national level by bringing together stakeholders
or facilitate cooperation between stakeholders in higher education. This can berelated to policy issues, restructuring or enhancing parts of the educational system,but also to academic sectors or domains or individual disciplines or subject areas.
This activity might require close cooperation with Tuning Centres at expert level(see below) in the country;
 run a national Tuning information website as a key instrument for information,dissemination and stimulating debate among stakeholders; act as a service point for the distribution of written material in a foreign language,
or better, the national language. The latter might imply initiating the translation ofmaterial produced by the Tuning Academy or Tuning projects and studies; organise conferences, seminars and workshops, facilitating dialogue and debate
about relevant issues at stake; contribute to the developing of ideas and initiatives to promote the Tuning
philosophy in a coordinated way at global level; participate in international activities lead by the Tuning Academy.

Each NTC draws-up a work or activity plan for each academic or financial year (dependingon the country involved). This activity plan is submitted to the Tuning Academy together
with a report about the implementation of the activities of the previous year for validation
purposes.

3) Tuning University Centres
Tuning University Centres have been established for the continued dissemination of theTuning methodology, the project outcomes and for information on the Tuning
materials that are available for use also after a project has ended.
Each Tuning University Centre is an institutional structure which operates in a coordinated manner with the Tuning Academy, the Tuning National Centre and other
Tuning University Centres in a country (and in other parts of the world). The organisational
form of Tuning University Centres is defined by each University but it should be located in4

a department/unit/office of the University. For that purpose, the Universities involved in aTuning project should provide facilities and staff in charge of the Tuning University Centre.
There are three levels of operation which can be applied by the Tuning UniversityCentres:
1) Dissemination (Basic level)2) Consolidation (Advanced level)3) Staff Development (Expert level)1) Dissemination: the basic aim of the Tuning University Centre is to disseminate within
the University the Tuning material developed so far. A more structured strategy is required,to make the outcomes of Tuning known to all relevant players on institutional level. Themain tasks of Tuning University Centre at this stage are:

Distribution of information and instruction material (developed in Tuning projects inthe world) within the institution;
 Assisting in the organisation of dissemination seminars and conferences atinstitutional level (internal level); Offering information and counselling at different stages at the University(departments, faculties, academic staff, students, etc.);
 Acting as an interface between the institution and the International Tuning
Academy.
All Tuning University Centres should carry out these activities of dissemination. Each
Tuning Centre should prepare a work plan on dissemination to be sent to the Tuning
Academy for validation. At the end of each year a report describing the activities
developed, results achieved and other comments should be submitted to the Tuning
Academy for evaluation and confirmation of the level of the Centre.
2) Consolidation: The main aim of this stage is to consolidate the outcomes of the Tuning
methodology within the University. At this level, some Tuning University Centres could
decide that their purpose is not only to disseminate results but also to realize actual
implementation in practice. This implies an advanced level is not compulsory to all
Tuning University Centres. The main tasks at this level are to: invite as many subject areas as possible at the University to define reference
points for their disciplines;
 assist subject areas at the University level in the use of the Tuning methodology
and its related tools and products;
 design degree profiles following Tuning methodology;
 strengthen and improve the foundation of the Tuning approach, ask the academic
community at the University to reflect on its methodology of curriculum design,
including degree profiles based on the notions of social needs, available resources,
preparing competences and learning outcomes and meta profiles ; collect main obstacles and questions regarding the implementation of the Tuning
approach at institutional level.
5The process of consolidation should be accompanied by a structure for finding answers toquestions that will be raised and problems that will be brought forward during this process
at the University level. It is thought very useful that each Tuning University Centre
develops research lines linked to the Tuning Academy.
Each Tuning University Centre should prepare a work plan on consolidation (explaining
expected outcomes, stages, activities, resources, etc.) and send it to the Tuning Academyfor feedback. The Tuning Academy will evaluate the proposal and comment on theprocedure. An evaluation of the process will be developed by the Tuning Academy
checking the design of the different degree profiles based on the Tuning methodology. Atleast 75% of the degree programmes must be (re)designed using the Tuning approachin order to continue with the next level.
3) Staff Development: the main aim of this stage is to proceed with the consolidation andimplementation phase of Tuning at institutional and national level. The different subject
areas at University level will reflect and evaluate the material that has been developed bythem during the consolidation phase and provide internal and external training. The Tuning
Centre will also be used as the vehicle (think tank) to find answers to new issues raised,
which are related to the use of the Tuning approach in practice in new fields (for example
new skills for new jobs). These training activities must be strengthened by researchdeveloped jointly between the Tuning University Centre and the Tuning Academy. The
main tasks at this level are to: organise internal training seminars / workshops for the implementation ofcompetence-based programmes and Tuning approach within University (how toteach, learn and evaluate competences);
 encourage the use of the Tuning methodology and related tools and products toother universities at national level;
 organise training (together with the Tuning Academy) for the external community
at national level;.
 provide counselling to other universities in relation to the implementation of theTuning methodology;
 produce instruction material and guidelines on how to use the Tuning approach inthe most effective way at national level. This implies the promotion of best practice
examples of learning outcomes and competence based cycle programmes as well
as best ways of preparing and writing learning outcomes phrased in terms ofcompetences on programme and course unit/module level; participate in international activities lead by the Tuning Academy.
This level of implementation will start after the completion of Consolidation phase. Each
Tuning University Centre should prepare a work plan for the training activities and send it
to the Tuning Academy for approval. The Tuning Academy will evaluate the proposal andcomment on the plan. Cooperation with the Tuning Academy in some of the training
seminars/workshops is a possibility.

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