5 June 2009 TTN Forum

Bologna 2020Main outcomes of the Leuven/Louvain-la-Neuve conference28-29 April 2009Dr. Marie-Anne Persoons, General coordinatorBenelux Bologna Secretariat

Outline of the presentation

I. The context: borderless challenges for the new decade

II. Bologna Process: an alternative model of European cooperation?

III. Leuven/Louvain-la-Neuve Ministerial Conference: Bologna 2020

IV. Questions and answers

I. Context: borderless challenges1. 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 challenges2. 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 challenges3. 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 non-implementation 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”, student-centred 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-la-Neuve, 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: secr@bologna2009benelux.org

Thank you for your attention!