REFORMING HIGHER EDUCATION IN EUROPE – CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND Sjur Bergan Head, Dept. of Higher Education and History Teaching Council of Europe

MAIN PURPOSES OF HIGHER EDUCATION  Preparation for the labor market  Preparation for life as active citizens in democratic societies  Personal development  Development and maintenance of a broad, advanced knowledge base

SOME KEY CHARACTERISTICS  Development of common goals and policies: Bologna Process  Increased demands for relevance to society  No corresponding increase in public funding  Mission of HE: teaching, research and service to society  Division of labor between institutions  Emphasis on quality  HE not “once in a lifetime experience”  Equal opportunities and social cohesion

EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION AREA  Process toward 2010 (Bologna Process)  Same target date for all members regardless of when they joined the Process  Actors: –Ministries of Education (currently 45 countries) –Higher education institutions –Students –International organizations

MAIN POINTS BOLOGNA  Increase attractiveness  Increase transparency  Increase mobility  Facilitate recognition  Adapt HE to labor market  Reform degree system  Role of HE in democratic societies, especially SE Europe

MAIN POINTS PRAHA  Democratic values  Diversity of cultures and languages  Diversity of higher education systems  Higher education as a public good and public responsibility  Student participation  Lifelong learning  Quality assurance

MAIN POINTS BERLIN  New countries beyond EU framework  Change access criteria –Cultural Convention –Requirement: outline reform policies and commitment  Stock taking  Research  Qualifications framework

MAIN POINTS BERGEN  Truly pan-European process with 45 countries  Overarching qualifications framework  Standards for quality assurance  Social dimension  External dimension  Stocktaking  Relationship HE policies/other areas of public policy  Emphasis on implementation

TOWARD 2007: WORKING GROUPS  Stock taking  Qualifications framework  “External dimension”  Social dimension and academic mobility  [London communiqué drafting group]  Portability of student loans?

TOWARD 2007: NATIONAL LEVEL I  Qualifications framework –Elaborate national QF by 2010, launch work by 2007  Quality assurance –Implement guidelines adopted in Bergen  Social dimension –Commitment to equal access  Mobility –Intensify efforts to lift obstacles

TOWARD 2007: NATIONAL LEVEL II  Recognition –Ensure full implementation of the principles of the Lisboa Convention –National action plan –Joint degrees  Stock taking –National report

SOME ISSUES FOR LONDON AND BEYOND  The EHEA after 2010: what do we want it to be like?  Quality development and the role of institutions  Higher education governance  First degree in the labor market  Second degree: variety and coherence  Mobility  HE policies and other public policies

ULTIMATE CHALLENGE  How can higher education help develop sustainable societies? –Social/societal sustainability –Economic sustainability –Environmental sustainability  How can higher education reform help this goal?