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Subject Benchmark Statements for the Bachelor's Degree in Biosciences
Foreword
This review of the subject benchmark statements for biosciences have been developed within the framework of TEMPUS Joint European Project “Developing new applied biosciences and biotechnology curricula at Tbilisi State University”. The project is being implemented by an international consortium that includes Iv. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, the University of the West of England, Dublin Institute of Technology (Ireland) and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece).
The above project did not envisage the elaboration of general standard guidelines for biosciences; however its necessity arose during the development of the work programme. As a set guide document it was used when elaborating general regulations for the New Bachelor’s Degree Programme in “Applied Biosciences and Biotechnology”.
The proposed statements were developed within the framework of already adopted National and International regulations: National Qualification Framework (draft), Tuning Educational Structures in Europe, Universities’ Contribution to the Bologna Process, Dublin Descriptors etc. The recommendations and approaches outlined and published by UK Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) (http://www.qaa.ac.uk) were considerably reflected in the proposed statements. In particular the following materials were used: Honours Degree benchmark statements: biosciences (2007), biomedical sciences (2007), Agriculture, forestry, agricultural sciences, food sciences and consumer sciences (2002) (QAA, UK); Code of practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in higher education QAA.
This draft version of the document has been prepared by the academic staff of the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences with the active support of TSU Quality Assurance Service.
The document should be considered as a set of recommendations. The TEMPUS project group proposes it as a draft version for intensive discussion purposes. The working group hopes to attract field experts, representatives of regulatory bodies and all stakeholders concerned to review the document for its final revision. We believe that the document will be beneficial for follow-up activities towards designing and development of new and modern biological sciences programs in Georgia.
