The European Higher Education Area – A journey…

1. The European Higher Education Area – A journey… Viorel Proteasa Member of the 2010 – 2012 Bologna Secretariat

2. Themes of the presentation Introduction of the EHEA From Bologna to Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve - highlights Challenges within Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve Communiqué

3. Bologna Process • Bologna (1999) • Prague (2001) • Berlin (2003) • Bergen (2005) • London (2007) • Leuven/Louvain-la Neuve (2009) • Bucharest (2012)

4. BFUG Workplan Working groups: • International openness: The European Higher Education Area in a Global Context • Mobility • Qualification frameworks • Recognition • Reporting on the implementation of the Bologna Process • Social dimension • Transparency tools www.ehea.info

5. BFUG Workplan Networks: • EHEA Information and Promotion Network • Network of NQF (National Qualifications Framework) Correspondents • NESSIE (Network for Experts of Student Support in Europe) • Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) network Thematic sessions www.ehea.info

6. The Bologna Secretariat Main role: “...to provide neutral support to further the consolidation of the European Higher Education Area under the exclusive authority of the BFUG and its Chairs and Vice-Chairs.” Bologna Process Secretariat’s Terms of Reference

7. The Bologna Secretariat Functions: • Administrative and operational support for BFUG, its sub-structures (WG and networks) and the Board (minute-taking, background documents drafting, assisting chairs in planning the meeting, communication etc.); • Create and maintain the EHEA permanent website and electronic archives; • Act as an internal and external contact point for the EHEA, while ensuring external representation on behalf of the Chairs or based on direct requests. Bologna Process Secretariat’s Terms of Reference

8. Ignition phase – Bologna, 1999 • Preamble (?): Sorbonne (1998), underpinning recognition, cycles (two) and mobility; • Bologna Declaration: • Diploma Supplement; • Two main cycles; • System of (academic) credits; • Mobility; • European cooperation in quality assurance; • Promotion of the European dimensions.

9. Themes of the presentation Introduction of the EHEA From Bologna to Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve - highlights Challenges within Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve Communiqué

10. Bologna Stocktaking Report 2009

11. The EHEA unfolded Bologna action lines EHEA Objectives/ HE priorities (?) (?) (?) (?) (?)

12. Mobility • Achievements: • Increased ERASMUS mobility and non-EHEA countries mobility (EUROSTAT/ EUROSTUDENT); • The 20% (2020) EHEA mobility benchmark; • National strategies for mobility. • Challenges: • Drafting and adopting an EHEA strategy; • Defining and agreeing upon the concept of „balanced mobility”; • Data collection (especially on credit mobility and free movers)

13. Employability • Achievements: • a working definition of employability; • an analysis of the importance of employability; • an outline of the main challenges to improving employability; • suggestions to policy makers, employers and HEI’s; • Collection of good practices. • Challenges: • ensuring that the value of first cycle/bachelors programmes are fully understood by all stakeholders; • increasing dialogue between higher education and employers; • encouraging more work related placements which are sensitively integrated into study programmes and workload; • improving the provision of career and employment related information, advice and guidance.

14. Recognition • Achievements: • Ratification of the Lisbon Convention by all except four EHEA countries; • National legislation review; • A (varied) collection of recognition practices. • Challenges: • Ensuring equal treatment in terms of recognition throughout EHEA; • Improving recognition with other parts of the world; • Defining the links with quality assurance and qualifications frameworks.

15. Qualifications frameworks • Achievements: • The development of national qualifications frameworks; • Self certification (in a few countries). • Challenges: • Making them work: better understanding of learning outcomes, involvement of stakeholders and recognition by employers, fine tuning the processes and structures; • Link with life long learning, quality assurance and recognition; • Self certification.

16. Quality Assurance • Achievements: • European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance; • European Quality Assurance Register; • European Quality Assurance Forum; • National agencies and procedures. • Challenges: • EU Services Directive; • Quality assurance for cross-border education and distance learning; • To renegotiate a definition of quality.

17. Social Dimension • Achievements: • The National Action Plans (?); • Research on measuring inequity (Equnet). • Challenges: • Defining under-represented groups and setting targets for their inclusion in HE at each national level; • National strategies for reaching the national targets; • Collecting data on inequities.

18. Inequality index in access to tertiary education

19. International Openess • Achievements: • Two editions of the Bologna Policy Forum (BPF); • "The European Higher Education Area in a Global Setting” Strategy; • The Information and Promotion Network (IPN). • Challenges: • Striking a balance between promotion as a „ready cooked meal” and true policy dialogue; • Maintaining a balance between promotion/ marketing of the EHEA and information provision; • Having concrete and meaningful results of the Bologna Policy Forum debates.

20. Themes of the presentation Introduction of the EHEA From Bologna to Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve - highlights Challenges within Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve Communiqué

21. Life Long Learning • Challenges: • Accessibility, quality of provision and transparency of information; • Flexible educational paths and recognition of prior learning; • Funding and institutional infrastructure; • Link with qualifications frameworks. • Widening participation and adapting to demographic trends

22. Recognition of Prior Learning • Achievements: • Cooperation in the field (seminar, launching of the network, the first meeting of the network); • Public consultation on possible future action to support the promotion and validation of non-formal and informal learning (EC); • Challenges: • Accommodating the diversity of approaches with the must to ensure consistency and transparency; • Links with recognition and quality assurance.

23. Student-centered learning and the teaching mission of higher education • Normative: • Focus on the learner and innovative pedagogy; • Flexible and more individually tailored education paths; • Improvement of teaching quality. • Challenges: • To define student centered learning as policy subject; • To stimulate both teachers and students for a shift in the approach; • To mobilize necessary resources.

24. Education, research and innovation • Challenges: • Doctoral programmes; • Inter-disciplinarity and inter-sectorality; • Attractiveness of research careers for early stage researchers. The link with European Research Area?

25. Multidimensional transparency tools • Challenges: • To define their purpose; • To explore their use by variegated users; • To list the main categories; • To assess their impact on diversity; • To explore the link with quality assurance and recognition; • To agree on a recommendation to the ministers.

26. Funding • Building on: • Public good approach; • Autonomy and academic freedom. • Challenges: • Public funding remains the main priority to guarantee equitable access and further sustainable institutional development; • Diversifying funding sources and methods, while assuring the HEIs respond to the current legitimate demands.

27. General Challenges • Conveying the genuine Bologna Process message • Transition to The European Higher Education Area • Possible additional working methods: • peer learning; • couching/ job-shadowing; • strengthening the link between National Bologna Experts and the national BFUG representatives; • setting up national BFUGs; • thematic BFUG sessions.

28. Thank you for your attention! Ligia DECA