Transcript Dia 1 - SEFI

5 June 2009
TTN Forum
Bologna 2020
Main outcomes of the
Leuven/Louvain-la-Neuve conference
28-29 April 2009
Dr. Marie-Anne Persoons, General coordinator
Benelux Bologna Secretariat
Outline of the presentation
I.
II.
III.
IV.
The context: borderless challenges for the
new decade
Bologna Process: an alternative model of
European cooperation?
Leuven/Louvain-la-Neuve Ministerial
Conference: Bologna 2020
Questions and answers
I. Context: borderless challenges
1. Current financial crisis




Immediate effects on public and private funding of
HE
Budget cuts for universities in several European
countries
Necessary increase of funding “on hold” in many
countries
Risk of higher tuition fees/less social provision for
students
I. Context: borderless challenges
2. Globalisation


Europe in competition with i.a. US, Japan
and the upcoming new economies around
the Pacific Rim
growing importance of research
performance/attractiveness of Europe for
students and staff with high research
potential
I. Context: borderless challenges
Changing labour market in Europe (2008 EC
Communication “New Skills for new jobs”).
 Is there a “European alternative model”:e.g.
broad access to quality higher education?
 Issue of European values/identity/dimension
in HE (democratic values, respect for
academic freedom, linguistic diversity…)
Q: can these values be claimed as “European”?

I. Context: borderless challenges
3. Demographic trends
2 main aspects:


Ageing population which will have to stay longer at
work/less young people of which too many early
school leavers
Increasingly diverse (multicultural) society combined
with phenomenon of drop-out of disadvantaged
groups at school and at the labour market
II. Bologna: an alternative model?
1. Comparative advantages in contrast with EU
decision making



Light-weigh organisational structure and
procedures
Involvement of HE stakeholders (institutions,
students, staff, QA bodies, employers) in
decision-making process
“Sense of ownership” of the stakeholders
II. Bologna: an alternative model?


Geographical scope: currently 46 countries
and BP open to all countries party to
European Cultural Convention
Attention for broad range of issues, not only
competitiveness/contribution to economic
growth/employability but also social
dimension (participative equity), European
dimension, HE as public responsibility
(“European contribution to the global public
good”)
II. Bologna: an alternative model?
2. But also weaknesses…
 Huge geographical area with large
differences across countries: 2-speed
process
 Voluntary process: no sanctions for nonimplementation by countries
 Voluntary process: à la carte interpretation by
countries in function of national context
II. Bologna: an alternative model?



Failure in communication strategy: relatively
little understanding of the BP at the level of
individual students and staff
BP has been main driver of HE reform
process in Europe in the last decade but little
progress in core business of recognition of
qualifications and enhancement of mobility
Reforms require funding, which is not always
available
III. Bologna 2020
1. Agenda of the Leuven/Louvain-la-Neuve
Ministerial Conference, 29-29 April 2009


Evaluation of the achievements of the last
decade
Political orientations for the future (Bologna
2020)
III. Bologna 2020
2. Evaluation of the past decade
 Good progress in introduction of 3-cycle
degree system
 QA: establishment of EQAR on the basis of
European Standards and Guidelines for QA
 Little progress in mobility, recognition of
qualifications, participation in HE (social
dimesion) and integration of lifelong learning
perspective in HE
III. Bologna 2020
3. Political orientations for the next decade


Further implementation of “old” Bologna
goals
Priorities for the future
III. Bologna 2020
(A) Social dimension: widening participation (“no talent
left behind”) to quality HE education
This will entail i.a.:
- Diversification of missions of HEIs and programmes.
Q: how to reach parity of esteem of for all profiles
(multidimensional view on “excellence”)
III. Bologna 2020
-
-
-
Social policies: necessary shift of attention from
students “already in” to those “not yet in”
Full integration of LLL perspective in HE
underpinned by arrangements for recognition of
prior (non-formal) learning
Paradigmatic shift to “learning outcomes”, studentcentred learning underpinned by the establishment
of national qualifications framework in accordance
with the overarching Qualifications Framework for
the EHEA
III. Bologna 2020
(B) More evidence-based policy making
This will entail i.a.:
- More systematic monitoring of progress on
the basis of objective criteria
- Development of indicators and setting of
quantitative targets (benchmarks)
III. Bologna 2020
(C) Mobility: hallmark of the EHEA
- Benchmark:
In 2020, at least 20 % of those graduating in
the European Higher Education Area should
have had a study or training period abroad
- Objective of geographically balanced mobility
III. Bologna 2020
(D) Nexus between HE and research
This will entail i.a.:
-
-
All HE programmes should be based on state
of the art research results, regardless of level
and profile of the programme
Adjustment of Ph.D. programmes to global
research context (transversal skills issue)
III. Bologna 2020
(E) Dialogue with other regions of the World
-
-
First Bologna Policy Forum, Louvain-laNeuve, 29 April 2009
Coherent promotion of EHEA as a whole
Bologna Policy Forum Statement stresses
global sharing of knowledge (fruitful and fair
brain circulation), recognition, cooperation in
QA
III. Bologna 2020
(F) Other issues
-
-
Funding
Self-certification of NQFs
Recognition issues: triangular relation
transparency/QA/recognition of qualifications
More information
www.bologna2009benelux.org
E-mail: [email protected]
Thank you for your attention!