Bologna Process

The overarching aim of the Bologna Process is to create a European Higher Education Area (EHEA) based on international cooperation and academic exchange that is attractive to European students and staff as well as to students and staff from other parts of the world. It aims to do this by facilitating greater comparability and compatibility between the diverse higher education systems and institutions across Europe and by enhancing their quality.

What are the reforms all about?

The Bologna Process is most noted for its objective to structure higher education along three cycles, Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD by bringing together diverse higher education structures in Europe and bringing them in line with international standards.

Doctoral Degree Masters Degree

Graduate Diploma Vocational Graduate Diploma

Bachelor Degree Vocational Graduate Certificate

Associate Degree Advanced Diploma

Advanced Diploma

Diploma

Certificate IV Senior Secondary Certificate of Education Certificate III Certificate II Certificate I Diploma

In 2005, Ministers began adopting an overarching Framework for Qualifications in the European Higher Education Area made up of three cycles and agreed that a series of national qualification frameworks would be developed that would be compatible with this overarching framework. Background

The Bologna Process is named after the Bologna Declaration, which was signed in the Italian city of Bologna on June 19, 1999 by ministers in charge of higher education from 29 European countries. The envisaged European Higher Education Area will:

facilitate mobility of students, graduates and higher education staff;

prepare students for their future careers and for life as active citizens in democratic societies, and support their personal development; and

offer broad access to high-quality higher education, based on democratic principles and academic freedom.

There are 47 member countries participating in the Bologna Process. These countries are all part of the European Cultural Convention and committed to the goals of the European Higher Education arena.

Countries participating in Bologna Process Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belgium Bosnia Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Holy See Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kazakhstan Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Moldova Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Republic of Macedonia Romania Russian Federation Serbia Slovak Republic Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom

The key to success within the Bologna Process is close cooperation between governments, higher education institutions, students, staff, employers and quality assurance agencies, supported by relevant international organizations.

An important characteristic of the Bologna Process and the key to its success is the involvement of the European Commission, Council of Europe and UNESCO European Centre for Higher Education, as well as representatives from higher educational institutes, students, staff, employers and quality assurance agencies.

Lifelong Learning

Lifelong learning has been recognized as an essential element of the European Higher Education Arena since 2001. It is inherent in all aspects of the Bologna Process and is furthered by:

improving the recognition of prior learning, including non-formal and informal learning;

creating more flexible, student-centred modes of delivery;

developing flexible learning paths, allowing learners, for instance, to alternate between work and study; and,

widening access to higher education. European Higher Education in a Global Context

The development of the European Higher Education Area is of growing interest in other parts of the world and has initiated conversations between European and international partners on a variety of policy issues. In 2007, Ministers adopted the strategy “The European Higher Education Area in a Global Setting” to develop a framework for cooperation at European, national and institutional level. This strategy includes the following five priorities:

improving information on the European Higher Education Area;

promoting European Higher Education to enhance its worldwide attractiveness and competitiveness;

intensifying policy dialogue;

strengthening cooperation based on partnership; and

furthering the recognition of qualifications.

These five priorities provide a common strategic framework which enables higher education stakeholders to contribute and build on a wide variety of new and existing initiatives.

The European Higher Education Area aims to provide learners with equal opportunities in higher education, embrace social cohesion and increase the potential of individuals to make full contribution to a sustainable and knowledge-based society.

Employability

As defined in the Bologna Process, employability means the ability to gain initial employment, sustain employment and have the ability to move within the labour market. Employability has been one of the cornerstones of the Bologna Process. As progression is made through the cycles of education, the relevance to the labour market should increase. There is a need for increased communication between employers, students, academics, higher education institutions and governments particularly in relation to the first cycle of education (the Bachelor’s level)

Joint Degrees

The Bologna Process has made cross-border study programs more cooperative and an increasing number of joint degree programs have been developed across Europe.

The following key elements are usually associated with qualifications described as joint degrees:

the programs leading to them are developed or approved jointly by several institutions;

students spend significant periods of time at partner institutions;

devise curriculum together, form joint admissions and examinations, bodies and participate in mobility for teaching purposes; and,

students who have completed the full program should obtain a degree which is awarded jointly by the participating institutions and fully recognized in all countries. Mobility

One of the key objectives of the European Higher Education Area is to increase mobility. Progress has been made, however further work is being done to remove challenges such as visas, residence and work permit requirements and to provide financial incentives. There are more than 500 institutions in Europe offering programs to domestic and international students.

Recognition Qualifications

The intent of recognition is to make it possible for learners to use their qualifications in another education system or country without losing the full value of those qualifications. Each country that is part of the European Higher Education Area has a national information centre which provides students, academics, and employers with information about recognition.

The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) and the Diploma Supplement are the tools for recognition used by the EHEA. The ECTS balances a program’s average workload with the learning outcomes and competences to be achieved. The Diploma Supplement describes the qualification in an simple way and relates it to the higher education system in which it was earned and to the qualifications of the framework.