Major Trends in the European Region: Bologna Process. Towards a European Higher Education Area for 2010? The Bologna Process in a Global Setting Barbara Weitgruber
THE BOLOGNA OBJECTIVES Overall: enhance quality & attractiveness and thus competitiveness of European Higher Education Concrete Objectives: adopted in biennial Ministerial Conferences since 1999 Partners: governments, higher education institutions (HEI) and students
LONDON COMMUNIQUÉ: New member: the Republic of Montenegro Overall: Good progress Further Shift from Ministries to HEI
MOBILITY Mobility of staff, students and graduates: some progress, but still obstacles (e.g. relating to immigration, recognition, insufficient financial incentives, pension arrangements) HEI: important to take greater responsibility for staff and student mobility Portability of grants and loans: network of national experts to share information
Degree Structure Good progress at national and institutional levels Need: curricula better suited to the needs of the labour market and to further study To improve employability in relation to each of the three cycles and in the context of lifelong learning
Recognition Fair recognition of HE qualifications, periods of study and prior learning essential ENIC/NARIC networks: to analyse national action plans and share good practice
Qualifications Framework Important to achieve comparability and transparency within the EHEA Necessary to facilitate movement of learners within and between HE systems More progress needed
Lifelong Learning Some elements of flexible learning exist in most countries, but more systematic developments needed Increase sharing of good practice Work towards a common understanding of the role of HE in lifelong learning
Quality Assurance Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance already in place Ministers agree on setting up a Register of European Higher Education Quality Assurance Agencies (Voluntary, selffinancing, independent and transparent)
Doctoral Programmes Closer synergies between the EHEA and the European Research Area HEI: efforts needed to embed doctoral programmes in institutional strategies Appropriate career paths and opportunities for doctoral candidates and early stage researchers necessary
Social Dimension Aim: student body entering, participating in and completing HE should reflect the diversity of the populations HE: strong role in fostering social cohesion Improve availability of data on the social dimension across all EHEA countries By 2009: report on national strategies and policies for the social dimension, including national action plans
EHEA in a Global Setting Bologna process: considerable interest internationally, but not enough information & dialogue Ministers adopt the strategy "The European Higher Education Area in a Global Setting covering five core policy areas
EHEA in a Global Setting Improving information on the EHEA Promoting the attractiveness and the competitiveness of the EHEA Strengthening cooperation based on partnership Intensifying policy dialogue Improving recognition
EHEA in a Global Setting Two Priorities: To improve the information available about the EHEA (e.g. the Bologna website; folder) To improve recognition (assess qualifications from other parts of the world with the same open mind with which they would expect European qualifications to be assessed elsewhere)
Working Group EHEA in a Global Setting : Countries: Armenia, Austria, Belgium/French Community, France, Germany, Greece, Holy See, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Slovak Republic, Spain, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, UK Organisations: European Commission, Council of Europe, EI, ENQA, ESU, EUA, EURASHE, UNESCO/CEPES, ACA, ENIC and NARIC networks
Working Group EHEA in a Global Setting : To take forward work in the five core policy areas of the strategy with a special focus on the two priorities To prepare a draft report on the overall development at the European, national and institutional levels for BFUG by the end of 2008
Working Group EHEA in a Global Setting : To cooperate with the Bologna Secretariat regarding the Website for a global audience; To cooperate with the Council of Europe, the European Commission and UNESCO as well as the ENIC and NARIC networks to enhance fair assessment of qualifications; To Liaise with the EC on EU initiatives and programmes on global cooperation;
Working Group EHEA in a Global Setting : To look for ways of integrating the "OECD/UNESCO Guidelines for Quality Provision in Cross-Border Education" into the activities of the working group, especially regarding the Seminar on Transnational education (TNE) and the OECD/UNESCO- Guidelines for quality provision in crossborder higher education
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: European Bologna Website: http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/ Thank you for your attention! barbara.weitgruber@bmwf.gv.at