Brussels, 08/03/2010 (Agence Europe) - The countries that are part of Bologna Process are still having problems with updating their higher education systems, ten years after the launch of the Bologna reforms. This was the main message of the most recent report by the Eurydice network looking at higher education in Europe in 2010 and the impact of the Bologna Process. The report's conclusions, based on information provided by the forty-six countries that are part of the Bologna Process, will be unveiled at a conference of European higher education ministers in Budapest, Hungary, on 11 March, moving on to Vienna, Austria, on 12 March. EU Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou, who will be attending the conference in Budapest and Vienna, said: "We must continue to modernise and increase the quality of higher education, as well as making it more affordable for citizens. The new EUROPE 2020 Strategy will provide further impetus for this, in particular by encouraging measures which aim to increase the number of graduates from less than a third to at least 40% of the population".
Although the situation varies from country to country, governments have not tended to slash higher education budgets and this shows that they are relying on education to find a way out of the economic crisis, as the Eurydice report makes clear, argued an edcuation expert, David Crosier. The report notes that the Bologna Process has largely met its objectives due to the combined political will of the member countries. The three-cycle degree system and higher education standards have become the norm in Europe, although recognition of degrees and qualifications is still problematic in some areas. The report highlights the diversity of reactions to the economic crisis and argues that more than ever before, it is crucial for Europe to be coherent and invest in updating higher education in order to help people adapt to the new economy, the new demographics and the new society. It adds that the measures to encourage socially-disadvantaged groups and young adults into higher education have to be speeded up.
The report states: 1) Three-cycle degrees: the new three-cycle degree system (bachelor's, master's and doctorate) is in place in around 40 countries but some highly regulated professions like medicine are still using the old set-up; 2) Higher professional education: not all countries include professional edcuation in the Bologna Process. The term "higher professional education" is defined differently in different countries in any case. Countries like Denmark and Latvia have successfully included professional education in the Bologna Process and refer to the process in their national certification systems; 3) European system for the transfer of course credits and diploma add-ons: some 36 countries have introduced both systems and have made the necessary reforms to ensure mutual understanding of higher education systems; 4) National certification frameworks: eight countries have introduced these frameworks to make certification more transparent from one country to another. Eleven countries are close to finalising the process and others are at the beginning stages; 5) Quality assurance: virtually all countries involved in the Bologna Process have set up forms of quality assurance and guarantees, but there are differences in the approach and philosophy of the different systems. 6) Student mobility: although mobility was championed as one of the key objectives of the Bologna Process, it is not yet a true policy. Some countries have introduced support measures but the differences between rich and poor countries means that moibility is still not in practice on the ground; 7) The social dimension and life-long learning in higher education: these aspects are treated very differently from one country to another. When it comes to social equality, very few countries ensure that students from disadvantaged backgrounds have easier access to higher education. Life-long learning is a peripheral issue in many countries and very little investment has been made in it; 8) Impact of the economic crisis: countries have reacted very differently to the crisis. Five have made no changes to their higher education plans. Eleven have cut their higher education budgets, while 29 have increased spending on higher education.
The Bologna Process was created in June 1999 with the aim of introducing a raft of reforms to make higher education in Europe more coherent, comparable, competitive and attractive. It focuses on the introduction of a three-cycle degree system, quality assurance and recognition of degrees, certificates and periods of study. (I.L./transl.fl)