Bologna post 2010: EUA welcomes feedback on new policy paper
In April 2009, Ministers of Education from 46 European countries will meet in Leuven/Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium) to look to the future and debate how to take the Bologna process forward once the European Higher Education Area formally comes into being in 2010.
EUA has published a first policy document that represents work in progress in setting university priorities for the future of the Bologna process. The EUA Council adopted this document following a consultation of its 34 national rectors’ conferences and the association would now welcome feedback from member universities. Feedback received will feed into the organisation’s Prague Convention in March 2009 and the final political declaration EUA will present to Ministers in April 2009.
The new policy document underlines that the achievements of the Bologna process have to be further consolidated and their sustainability ensured both at national level and within individual universities: “careful attention must be given to following up unfinished business to ensure that the qualitative changes required” are made and become sustainable across Europe. It also stresses the importance of the stakeholder model of cooperation created over the last decade. “It has provided opportunities for universities, through EUA, to take a leading role in policy development, and this should be built upon in the future”.
As priorities for advancing the European Higher Education Area in the future EUA proposes:
• Consolidating Europe’s broad base of research-based education – by connecting more closely the European Research Area and the European Higher Education Area;
• Widening participation – providing more education to more young people;
• Redefining public responsibility of higher education, particularly in relation to the autonomy of higher education institutions;
• Enhancing the international attractiveness of European universities - making sure that European universities are ‘fit to face’ global competition.
The working policy document can be downloaded here. Please send any feedback you may have directly to Michael Horig.
Published on: Thursday, 30 October 2008 09:18