1. Taking Bologna Forward:
Beyond 2010
Lesley Wilson
Secretary General
European University Association (EUA)
IAU Annual Conference – Utrecht, 15-18 July
Series A: Wednesday 16 July, 16:30 – 18:00
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2. I. About the EUA
Established in 2001 in Brussels (merger of 2 previous
bodies) – rapid growth in members & activities since then
Mission: strengthen European universities by
Shaping European policy at European level – building a
coherent European HE and research area
Supporting institutional development
Non-governmental membership organisation
Individual members: doctorate-granting institutions
Collective members: National rectors’ conferences
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3. EUA - « the Voice of 34 national Rectors’
European Universities« Conferences
770 individual universities
Affiliated university
networks + organisations
in 46 European countries
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4. II. 2010 – Completion of two/three complementary
European reform processes
Lisbon Strategy/European Research Area: Bologna Process
27 Member States of European Union 46 Bologna Countries
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5. The Bologna Process:
Building the European Higher Education Area
1998/99 46 European countries have signed up
Governmental push for system convergence, stakeholder supported
implementation in universities across Europe
The Lisbon Strategy:
2000 European Union – currently 27+ countries
to make Europe the most competitive knowledge based society
But also « capable of sustainable economic growth, with more and
better jobs and greater social cohesion »
The European Research Area
2000 multi-national co-operation among all the actors & in all
scientific fields - EU Member States and international partners
Universities are central actors in all cases
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6. III. Bologna : a pan-European HE Reform Process
Bologna – a voluntary process; 46 countries signed up
with no legal obligations & a tiny ‘Bologna’ Secretariat
Joint Ministerial Meeting & Communiqué – every 2 years
A shared responsibility: governments, universities, staff
& students = members of the Bologna Follow-Up Group
Increasingly stakeholder driven now that
implementation is the priority
Agreement on 10 Bologna Action lines
Enormous progress since 1999: 83% of HEIs have the 3
cycle structure in place (Trends V, 2007) > 53% in 2003
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7. IV. Toward a European Higher Education Area:
Bologna Reform achievements
Reform in 46 countries – changes in legislation, in
institutional reality & in mentalities
Introduction of 3 cycle degree system using common
tools: European Qualifications Framework, incl. Level
descriptors, credits (ECTS) etc. & a Diploma Supplement
Common principles for doctoral programmes
European Quality Assurance arrangements
Agreement on the elements of a global Dimension of
European HE
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8. IV. Bologna Achievement: an example
A European Dimension in Quality Assurance
Quality - a core issue of
Bologna
Bergen 2005 - Joint European
Standards and Guidelines for
internal, external QA, at
institutional and agency level
2006: European Quality Forum
London 2007: European
Register of Quality Assurance
Agencies – launched in 2008
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9. IV. Bologna Achievements: a second example
The Global Dimension of Bologna
London Ministerial Meeting 2007 - Adoption of a “strategy for
the EHEA in a global context”
Universities are a driving force but new approaches required
> globalisation, growing competition, new providers etc.
The challenge - rethink their role, mission & goals & develop
specific profiles & portfolios:
growing Bologna interest across the globe
demand for policy dialogue & enhanced cooperation
How does the 3 cycle degree structure articulate with other
regions?
What about ECTS and the Diploma Supplement?
Bologna as a model for HE reform and HE regional integration
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10. V. Approaching 2010
Debate underway among all partners: milestones
Ministerial Meeting - Leuven/Louvain-la-Neuve, April 2009
EUA Trends VI – 2010: European Universities’ perceptions
Vienna: 2010 Bologna Ministerial Anniversary Conference
Have the reforms achieved their goals?
Implementation at institutional and national level
Discussing goals and priorities for post 2010?
Refocus: on unfinished business & less tangible, less easily
‘benchmarked’ issues, e.g. learning outcomes, mobility, social
dimension, access
Rethinking: beyond the boundaries of HE (articulation EHEA &
ERA, obstacles to mobility (visa, pension rights, recognition)
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11. V. Key challenges for the European Higher
Education Area post 2010
2010 - less a deadline and more the start of a new phase?
some reforms are accomplished, others not yet
individual Bologna countries implement reform at a
different pace
growing links between the EHEA, & the EU Lisbon Agenda
goals/the European Research Area
The economic and social environment is changing e. g.
demographic situation of Europe
Increasing awareness of the role of universities in building
a knowledge society in Europe
Globalisation & the emergence of international education
EUA
Slide 11
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12. V. EHEA- increasingly intertwined in a global
setting
EHEA cannot function in a vacuum : communicating the
‘process’ to the world and engaging partners is crucial
Different institutions and countries across the EHEA are at
different phases of their ‘internationalisation’ process &
have different priorities
Mobility is an international, & not simply an intra-European
question
Attracting global talent: the changing role of the university
as a service provider and an ‘exporter’
Demographic developments will play an increasingly
important role
EUA
Slide 12
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13. V. EHEA- increasingly intertwined in a global
setting
EHEA cannot function in a vacuum : communicating the
‘process’ to the world and engaging partners is crucial
Different institutions and countries across the EHEA are at
different phases of their ‘internationalisation’ process &
have different priorities
Mobility is an international, & not simply an intra-European
question
Attracting global talent: the changing role of the university
as a service provider and an ‘exporter’
Demographic developments will play an increasingly
important role
EUA
Slide 13
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14. V. Impact on universities and EUA
Internationalisation is an increasing priority for universities
across Europe
Builds on longstanding research collaboration but now takes
account of the challenges of globalisation – competition and
cooperation
Particular importance of cooperation at master & doctoral level
EUA increasingly developing its own international agenda, e.g.
Longstanding & regular ‘Transatlantic Dialogue’ with the US and
Canada (ACE & AUCC)
International cooperation with associations of graduate schools
Development of new form of policy dialogue, especially with Asia
& Latin America
Publication of a Bologna & …14…
an,Internationalisation Handbook
15. VI Conclusion
The 2010 deadline for creating the European Higher Education
Area (EHEA) is approaching – time to reflect & move on
Successful movement for reform across 46 countries in a
relatively short period – raising the profile of European HE &
overcoming fragmentation
considerable progress but also still work to do: mobility, LLL,
realising a student centred approach
Has proved to be a catalyst for new reform thinking & ways of
working (e.g. government – stakeholder cooperation)
Is developing a European HE discourse (identity & approach)
while providing a basis for cooperation with other regions
Must now respond to increasing global pressure – rankings,
international competition, brain drain etc.
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16. “Europe, thanks to Bologna,
may have been given the
opportunity to respond to the
21st century agendas”
Peter Scott, ACA President,
Vice-Chancellor, Kingston University/UK
EUA Bologna Handbook, 2006
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