1. Proceedings, current status and objectives | 2. Program for growth in academic efficiency | 3. Program to increase places and degrees | 4. Post-graduate programs | 5. Other norms and measures | 6. Program cycles for masters degrees | 7. Schematic summary. Degree forecats for 1998-99 to 2003-04

Presentation

The "Development Plan for university training in the computer and tele-communications fields 2000-2003", in its university training phase, uses as a base the models that during the last years have been developed together by the Generalitat (Autonomous Catalonian Government) and the Catalan Universities in order to steer studies towards professional training in giving technical support to the Information Society.

The Plan defines the proper strategies for profound development and, where necessary, redirection of the current course model. At the same time, it wants to introduce new models that, in the short as well as in the long run, contribute to the growth of professionals in this area, and with the object of obtaining the set goals, for Catalonia's economic and social growth, in accelerated advances in technology.

The Plan is not limited by the professional training in this sector, rather it also includes models directed towards technological capacity in information and communication technology (TIC), those holding degrees, in other disciplines/areas, who require a special complementary training in the TIC area, also with the goal of receiving the proper development in their professional field within their technological context.

The Plan does not expressly consider the possibility of importing University technicians from foreign countries, even though this would be an attractive alternative, in spite of uncertain results, for which one would have to further explore. Just the same, this plan, circumscribed for our education system, and also with goodwill, expresses the togetherness of ideas at the state level derived from the resolution, initiated by the Catalonian Parlament group (CiU) and adopted by majority vote last September 19th , that the appointed government got the Central Government to push through as new measures in order to meet the growing demand for specialized personnel in the new areas of information and communication technology.

The present Plan solidifies, all and introduced iniciatives oriented for the increase of competent professionals in the production, application, and efficient development of technology in the fields of information and communication, the previsions for the Strategic Plan for Communication Sciences, reference 2.4.1, on education and training.

The Strategic Plan was elaborated with the widest colaboration of all implied sectors. Analogically, the steps outlined in this plan are founded in the tightest cooperation amongst those groups. In this case, and especially in the case of the most directly related Generalitat Departments (Education, for high level training not university and Labor, through the Labor Market Survey) the universities, permanent training centers, and logically, the business sector which is the primary beneficiary of this Plan's foundations.

Precedents, current situation, objectives

1.1. Titles

The progressive configuration of the Information Society falls, more every day, upon production processes, organization and communication, and as a consequence, this brings new possiblities, but at the same time introduces new challenges in economically and social environs.

From the trainer's perspective, the influence of technological change falls in all fields. In other words, it has a horizontal effect. It is not limited to those disciplines which, due to their own specialization in computers and telecommunications, are destined to be the force behind change in technology.

In this manner, for almost all the specialties, from philology (usage of computer language) to law (amplified in computer judiciary) and passing to business deals and economic analysis, it opens intense and deep fields of usage for the new technologies in demand, and therefore, specialists with qualified capacities.

But, it is also certain, that some of these disciplines are destined to serve as suppport for the overall changes produced by the rest. Within these, and as noted in Box #1, one can differentiate between specific studies plainly vinculated to this transformation, on one hand computer and telecommunications, whose destination constitutes a technological support for their development, basically electronic engineers, those who responding to professional and traditional exercises like audio-visual communication, documentation, and design, have been substantially transformed within the framework of the information society and bring methods of instrumental character applicable to the rest of the disciplines.

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