Changer l'Université : le rôle d'accompagnement des Réseaux Thématiques Erasmus (trois années d'expérience)

The thematic Network pilot experiment launched three years ago completed its first cycle of activities in August 1999, with the completion of the first projects that were funded over the 1996-1999 period. Following a report of 1998 based on the activity reports from the first year of functioning, this document is an update of the initial study and focusses on the contents, on the actual scope of the results of the first generation of Networks. With 43 projects underway, the Thematic Networks undoubtedly represent an original and interesting potential of collective mobilisation of university forces, to support and sustain an innovating and transforming higher education policy that takes future stakes into account. They can also participate in the elaboration of policy recommendations. With the benefit of hindsight, the Networks eventually came out as a combination of a tool, an approach and a framework at the service of universities. They are indeed an effective analytical and debating tool to promote prospective, disciplineoriented reflection at the European level, as well as pedagogical innovation. The proposed approach favours the comparative method and a meso-institutional approach involving the intermediate levels of university institutions (faculties, departments, institutes), where the reality and unity of the pedagogical project is tangible. lt is also based on direct involvement of the various actors of the educational scene.