The European Students’ UnionREPRESENTING STUDENTS SINCE 1982

2nd UNICA EduLabBudapest, 3rd December, 2015

Taina Moisander

Bologna With Student Eyes

2015

Time to meet the expectations

The European Students’ Union

•The European Students' Union (ESU) is an umbrella organisation of 45 National Unions of Students from 39 different countries. Through its members, ESU represents over 15 million students in Europe.

•The NUSes are open to all students in their respective country regardless of political persuasion, religion, ethnic or cultural origin, sexual orientation or social standing.

•Our members are student-run, autonomous, representative and operate according to democratic principles.

WESIB / ESIB / ESU was established on the 18th Oct 1982

The European Students’ Union

•The aim of ESU is to represent and promote the educational, social, economic and cultural interests of students at the European level towards all relevant bodies and in particular the European Union, Bologna Follow Up Group, Council of Europe and UNESCO.

•ESU is working for sustainable, accessible and high quality higher education in Europe. We represent, defend and strengthen students’ educational, democratic, political and social rights.

ESU is a consultative member of the Bologna Process

Outline

1.What is BWSE?

2.BWSE 2015: main findings & recommendations

3.Bologna: the way forward

Bologna With Student Eyes1

• Provides independent in-depth analysis of the Bologna Process implementation from the students’ perspective

• Published in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010 and in 2012• Aims at being a mirror of the governments view in the

implementation report• Gives policy recommendations

What is BWSE?

www.bwse2015.esu-online.org

• BWSE survey (ca. 38 answers)• open and closed questions

• Literature analysis• Advisory Board consultations

Methodology

www.bwse2015.esu-online.org

BWSE2015: Main findings & recommendations2

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• Legislation should be revised to ensure that student representation

is guaranteed in all decision-making processes.

• Student representation in internal and external quality assurance

should be ensured.

• More focus on the training and enabling of students

representation

• All stakeholders have a role in ensuring student representatives are

considered equal partners.

Student representation – next steps

Striving for meaningful participation.

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• The introduction and further implementation of access plans must be significantly pushed forward as access plans are an excellent tool to set clear targets to improve equal representation in higher education.

• Only 2 out of 35 countries reported successful implementation of the National Access Plan. 6 more countries are in the progress of implementing one.

National Access Plans

Following-up on countries' commitments.

• Countries need to intensify efforts in collecting fit-for-purpose data, which is a vital prerequisite, among others, to developing adequate support measures and policies.

• The consequences of data collection and its analysis must lead to clearly defined plans and concrete measures.

• Proper implementation of such measures is highly dependent of sufficient funding which must be allocated from public sources.

Social Dimension – far from a policy priority

A way to open and inclusive education.

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• Countries must create and apply accessible, clear and transparent procedures for recognition, without bureaucratic barriers.

• Automatic recognition of degrees should be implemented among the EHEA countries that have already fully implemented the Bologna structural reforms.

• The Diploma Supplement should be revised, fully implemented and automatically granted upon graduation or before graduation upon request.

• Recognition of prior learning (RPL) should be available for the purpose of enrollment and replacement of parts of the curriculum. RPL mechanisms must be flexible and student-friendly.

Recognition

Time for an Academic Schengen?

• Minimum requirements for implementation of structural reforms should be fulfilled by the countries.

• Countries cannot choose in an ‘á la carte’ manner which reforms they prefer, but must take on a holistic perspective. Full implementation of the structural reforms requires an understanding of their interdependence.

• Incentives to improve the implementation of reforms?

• In order to ensure the transformation of the structures, the development of reforms must involve the academic community and cannot be a top-down, forced process.

Structural reforms

Back to basics

The Way Forward3

Main challenges:

• Partial implementation of the reforms

• Lack of resources

• Lack of interest/interest in only part of the reforms

The Future of Bologna Process

Time for a new deal?

• Keeping everyone onboard

• Restructuring the Bologna Process–A Permanent Secretariat–More focus on peer-learning

• Improved data collection

• EU’s role in higher education

The Future of Bologna Process

Time for a new deal?

The European Students’ UnionRue de l’Industrie 10 · 1000 Brussels, Belgium · Tel: +32 2 893 25 45 · Fax: +32 2 706 48 26 · www.esu-online.org

European Students’ Union

@ESUtwt