1. HIGHER EDUCATION REFORM IN EUROPE – AN OVERVIEW
Sjur Bergan
Head, Higher Education and Research Division
Council of Europe

2. EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION AREA
Process toward 2010 (Bologna Process)
Actors:
Ministries of Education (currently 45 countries)
Higher education institutions
Students
International organizations

3. MILESTONES Ministerial meetings: Academic Conventions
Sorbonne 1998
Bologna 1999
Praha 2001
Berlin 2003
Bergen 2005
London 2007
Academic Conventions
Student Conventions

4. 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

5. 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

6. MAIN POINTS BERLIN New countries Change access criteria Stock taking
Cultural Convention
Requirement: outline reform policies and commitment
Stock taking
Research
Qualifications framework

7. MAIN POINTS BERGEN Overarching qualifications framework
Standards for quality assurance
Social dimension
External dimension
Stocktaking
Relationship HE policies/other areas of public policy
Emphasis on implementation
What about 2010?

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

9. TOWARD 2007: BOLOGNA SEMINARS
European dimension: academic heritage and values (Holy See, March 2006)
Preparing students for the labor market (UK, summer 2006)
External dimension (Norway, September 2006)
Joint degrees (Germany, September 2006)
Doctoral programs (France/EUA, December 2006)
Recognition (Latvia/Council of Europe, early 2007)
Staff mobility (EI pan European Structure, early 2007)

10. 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

11. 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

12. TOWARD 2007 – AND BEYOND Participate in the Bologna Follow Up Group
Participate in some seminars
Elaborate national strategy for the implementation of the Bologna Process
Establish national Bologna group
National events?
Cooperation Ministry, higher education institutions and students