Terms of Reference for the Stocktaking

Appendix 1

In Berlin, 19t h _{September 2003, Ministers with responsibility for Higher Education}

stated:

“ With a view to the goals set for 2010, it is expected that measures will be intr oduced to take stock of pr ogress achieved in the Bologna Process. A mid- term stocktaking exercise would provide reliable information on how the Pr ocess is actually advancing and would offer the possibility to take corrective

measures, if appropriate.

Minister s charge the Follow-up Group with or ganising a stocktaking process in time for their summit in 2005 and undertaking to prepare detailed reports on the progress and implementation of the intermediate pr ior ities set for the next two year s:

• quality assur ance

• two-cycle system

• recognition of degrees and per iods of studies

Participating countries will, furthermore, be prepar ed to allow access to the necessar y information for research on higher education r elating to the

objectives of the Bologna Pr ocess. Access to data banks on ongoing r esear ch and r esearch results shall be facilitated.”

BFUG RE S P O N S E

The Secr etar iat developed a w orking paper on the stocktaking process, which was submitted as a dr aft to the BFUG Boar d meet ing in Oslo in January 2004. The Board approved the thrust of the draft paper, which subsequently formed the basis of the document submitted to the BFUG meeting in Dublin in March 2004. The issues were progressed by an interim group, which compri sed of the Chair , and Vice-Chair of BFUG and r epresentatives fr om the EU C ommission and EUA. The Secretariat supported this group.

This group charged w ith the responsibility of identifying data sources and scoping the stocktaking exer cise. It identified a number of key documents and processes central to the stocktaking exer cise, which are conduct ed by organisations such as EURYDICE, EUA, ESIB, ENQA and ENIC/ NAR IC. It is important that the Working Group can wor k with these gr oups in order to avoid duplication of effor t.

Notwithstanding approval of the terms of reference, the BFUG meeting of 9t h _March

2004 approved the establishment of a Working Group, to coordinate the wor k on the stocktaking. Its decision was:

Decision:

The BFUG takes responsibi lity for the conduct of the stocktaking exer cise. Detailed r eports will be prepared on the pr ogress and implementation of the intermediate priorities set in the three priority areas defined for the per iod 2003-

Ian McKenna, Ireland

Marlies Leegwater, N etherlands Germain Dondelinger, Luxembourg Jan Levy, N orway

Aleksa Bjeliš, Croatia Victor Chistokhvalov, R ussia

Peter van der Hijden, EU Commission

The Working Group is asked to report on progress to the BFUG meeting in October 2004, and to prepare its final report in time for the BF UG meeting in March 2005. The final report should describe the progress of the Bologna Process by Januar y 2005.

The Working Group w ill draw on exper tise as appropriate, and w ill be assisted in its task by the BFUG Secr etar iat. (In this regard, it is important that the

member s of the BFUG undertake to give the Wor king Group access to all relevant national information resources as specified in the Berlin Communiqué). The report of the Wor king Group will form the basis for a repor t by the Bologna Follow-up Group to the Minister ial Conference in Bergen in 2005. In line with previous conferences, the consultative member s may present their ow n reports to the confer ence.

The Working Group w ill take as its star ting point Document BFUG2 6 with the modifications agreed on in the meeting.

DR A F T TE R M S O F RE F E R E N C E

In or der to r ealise the objectives set by the Ministers, the Working Group shall:

1. Identify the key measurements to be part of the stocktaking exercise

2. Collaborate with par tner and other or ganisations in order to maximise use of data sour ces;

3. Define, wher e appropr iate, the str ucture of separate questionnair e to be used in the stocktaking should this be required;

4. Prepare a structure for the national contr ibutions to the stocktaking to be submitted by member States;

5. Prepare a report for appr oval by the BFUG in advance of the Bergen Conference

The Working Group will be supported in its ta sk by the Secretar iat, and shall dr aw on expertise as it considers appropriate.

The Group will submit reports to the BF UG, and shall have its working papers accessible for all BFUG member s on the web.

Ian McKenna Chair, BFUG 26t h _{April 2004}

Appendix 2