Developments in Higher Education in Europe
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Association for International Education.
The most important development in higher education in Europe is the
process of creation of the European Higher Education Area known as Bologna
process (see introduction to Bologna process)
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Bologna process
is the process of creation of the
European Higher Education area
Introductory notes
Bologna process started on June 19, 1999 when 29 European Ministers responsible for higher education signed the Bologna declaration. Since the second ministerial meeting in Prague in may 2001 the number of participating countries has grown to 33.
The
European Higher Education Area should be completed by 2010.
The vison of the European Higher Education Space
is the following. In 2010:
- European higher education system is transparent and understandable and it is mainly arranged in a two-tier system of undergraduate (bachelor) and postgraduate (master) degrees,
- degrees/diplomas earned in one part of the area are accordingly recognised in other parts - both for further studies and for labour market,
- graduates (including the holders of first degree) are employable in the European labour market,
- students and teachers can freely move within the European higher education area and they effectively exercise this opportunity,
- lifelong learning is no longer isolated from higher education – knowledge and skills acquired through LLL is credited towards degrees/ qualifications, and modules of higher education courses are effectively used by lifelong learners,
- European higher education is attractive in the World market.
Reaching the goals of the Bologna declaration will require introduction of ECTS and Diploma supplement, establishing European cooperation in quality assurance, solving the remaining recognition issues, finding solutions for assessment of skills and knowledge acquired through lifelong learning, sorting out issues of practical mobility, solving social problems of students and staff etc.
Every 2 years the ministers will meet again to:
- reconfirm the objectives,
- analyze the results and
- set guidelines for the next period.
The Next ministerial meeting is scheduled in May 2005 in Bergen, Norway.