The Future of the Bologna Process Lesley Wilson Secretary General, EUA 3rd European QA Forum, Budapest 21/11/2008 I - 2010 and beyond the process Debate underway among all partners: milestones Ministerial Meeting - Leuven/Louvain-la-Neuve, April 2009 Communiqué under preparation Vienna: 2010 Bologna Ministerial Anniversary Conferences Have the reforms achieved their goals? Implementation at institutional and national level Trends 2010 report, EC funded external evaluation Discussing goals & priorities for post 2010 Refocus: on unfinished business, e.g. QFs, recognition, learning outcomes, mobility, social dimension, access Rethinking: beyond the boundaries of HE, e.g. new challenges facing Europe, articulating EHEA & ERA, international positioning 2 1
II. - Key challenges for the European Higher Education Area post 2010 Maintain the pace of reform, especially curricular reform Continue the cooperation among all stakeholders that is the hallmark of Bologna & explains its success Situate Bologna in relation to other reform processes, e.g. in HE governance, the European Research Area Take account of: the changing economic and social environment e. g. demographic situation of Europe Globalisation, heightened competition & growth in demand for international education 3 EHEA in a Global Setting Increasing interest from the rest of the world in the EHEA : communicating the process & engaging partners is crucial Different institutions & countries across the EHEA are at different phases of their internationalisation process Mobility is an international, & not simply an intra- European question & the need to attract global talent becoming stronger The importance of quality in determining attractiveness & of EQAR in setting global standards 4 2
III. Future of the Bologna Process post 2010: Ambitious Vision Needed Autonomous and well-funded universities in a diversified system, with shared objectives and values, will be key drivers for the economic, social and cultural development of Europe Linking of core missions in higher education, research and innovation to contribute towards solutions on global challenges, climate change etc. Open, modern and flexible universities with a strong European dimension in terms of mobility and careers, and engaged at global level 5 Communication & Consolidation of Existing Reforms a task for all partners Careful attention must be given to unfinished business to ensure that changes are embedded in institutions and are not just superficial structural changes The process of curricula renewal needs to be continued Pursuing a common goal of a major shift to student centred learning, linking qualifications and credits with the introduction of learning outcomes Reform process needs to take account of different disciplinary cultures and also address the need for reform in more difficult areas such as teacher training, medicine and other regulated professions 6 3
Survey of National Rectors Conferences: Topics needing particular attention The implementation of ECTS and introduction of modules Consolidation of basic framework for joint and double degrees (& of national Qualification Frameworks generally) Improving recognition of prior learning, study periods and degrees Ensuring new Bachelor and Master programmes are flexible enough to allow for student mobility Removing obstacles to mobility for students and staff (portability of grants and pensions etc) Pursuing employability discussion with special emphasis on the role of the bachelor degree in the labour market 7 3. Future priorities Advancing Bologna: EUA Policy Position Focus on a limited number of common goals that are important for building Europe s knowledge society Set new objectives for existing action lines that take account of the changed environment Identify specific measures at European, national and institutional level that can be addressed by all partners 8 4
1. Responsive and Flexible Universities: Providing more education to more people Lifelong learning as the new paradigm > commitments made EUA s Lifelong Learning Charter for Europe s Universities to address the needs of a more diverse student population Increase the permeability of system level provision by addressing related social questions (tuition fees, benefits, grants & other financial support) Improve understanding & make better use of diversity (in the institution, the student body, across different disciplines etc..) 9 2. Reaffirming the link between higher education and research A particularly important characteristic of the European higher education system Encourage HEIs to develop further their specific research profiles in line with their increasingly differentiated missions Maintain the momentum of the reform of doctoral education Develop better career opportunities for young researchers & more synergies with the ERA Remove obstacles to mobility & promote Europe wide movement & career opportinities for teachers & researchers 10 5
3. Fit for Global Challenges: Cooperating & competing successfully on a global stage Promote the internationalisation of European universities using the Bologna tools developed over the last decade Strengthen degree mobility while maintaining existing levels of mobility within first cycle programmes Improve understanding of the relationship between the European and global dimension Assess the importance of the international dimension, e.g. the macroeconomic benefits of higher education, the impact on national and institutional strategies etc. 11 4. Setting the framework: redefining public responsibility Reconsider the role of the state & the relationship between public responsibility & institutional autonomy Responsibility for quality Appropriate & sustainable funding Questions of Governance Achieving parity of esteem by promoting excellence in relation to a variety of different institutional missions 12 6
Europe, thanks to Bologna, may have been given the opportunity to respond to the 21st century agendas Professor Peter Scott, Vice-Chancellor, Kingston University/UK EUA Bologna Handbook, 2006 13 7