EC/United States agreement : cooperation programme in higher education and training, renewal

PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement between the EC and the USA renewing the programme of co-operation in higher education and vocational education and training; COMMUNITY MEASURE: Council Decision 2001/196/EC. CONTENT: The Council adopted the Decision concerning the conclusion of the Agreement signed at the EU-US summit on 18 December 2000 renewing the Agreement from 1995 establishing a co-operation programme in higher education and vocational education and training. The objectives of the Co-operation Programme are in particular: - promote mutual understanding between the peoples of the European Community and the United States of America including broader knowledge of their languages, cultures and institutions; - improve the quality of human resource development, including the acquisition of skills required to meet the challenges of the global knowledge-based economy; - encourage an innovative and sustainable range of student-centred higher education and vocational education and training co-operative activities that have a durable impact; - improve the quality of Transatlantic student mobility by promoting transparency, mutual recognition of periods of study and training, and, where appropriate, portability of credits; - encourage the exchange of expertise in e-learning and open and distance learning and their effective use to broaden Programme impact; - promote or enhance partnerships among higher education and vocational education and training institutions, professional associations, public authorities, private sector and other associations; - reinforce a European Community and United States dimension to transatlantic co-operation in higher education and vocational education and training; and - complement relevant bilateral programmes between the Member States of the European Community and the United States of America as well as other European Community and United States programmes and initiatives. ENTRY INTO FORCE: The Agreement came into effect on 1 January 2001 and remains in force for 5 years unless either of the parties decides otherwise.�