Research universities, where education is grounded in research, are the foundation of knowledge-based societies and economies. Such universities are marked by diversity rather than uniformity and similarity, and by interdisciplinarity, multidisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity in teaching and research. Their educational paradigm is “learning through research”.
The difference between university and professional study programmes lies in the fact that professional programmes are dominated by professional course content through which students mainly acquire skills, although there is also content through which they acquire (theoretical) knowledge. University programmes are dominated by academic content through which students mainly acquire (theoretical) knowledge, but there is also content through which they acquire skills. In this concept, professional programmes should be more flexible so that they can respond quickly to short-term labour-market needs, while university programmes should provide stronger foundations and fundamental knowledge better suited to the changing demands of the labour market, technology and society. Both types of programme, however, should prepare students for lifelong learning.
The quality of professional study programmes should be improved and brought into line with the quality of comparable university programmes by gradually aligning minimum criteria with internationally accepted criteria for the accreditation of university and professional programmes. Professional programmes must not differ from university programmes in quality, but in their learning outcomes.
