“Three Cycle System in the Framework of Bologna Process”, Summer School,Yerevan, Armenia, 2008 What have we learnt from Bologna?
Algirdas Vaclovas Valiulis,
Bologna expert, Lithuania
Bologna Basics
How it started:
•Sorbonne 1998;
•Summits: Bologna, Prague, Berlin, Bergen, London;
•From 29 to 46;
•The stock-taking process;
•European Higher Education Area (EHEA) by 2010;
•Goals: Mobility, employability, competitiveness.
Bologna Basics
Means:
• Transparent and comparable degree structure;
• Two/three cycles;
• Credit system, such as ECTS;
• Remove obstacles to mobility;
• Co-operation in quality assurance;
• European dimension.
Present status of Bologna
•Most countries have a two-cycle system inplace. Bachelors: 3, 3½ or 4 years.
•Tendency to cram 4 into 3, 5 into 4 years;
•Some academics think 3 years are insufficient.
•Employability: labour market acceptancevaries very much.
Who decides?
•started as a political process;
•academic side came on to scene;
•students have taken part actively during the last fewyears;
•So: a triangle of politics, universities and studentsstart work. Employers? Trade unions?
Who decides?
•Is Bologna a failure or a success?
•Basically a success, but why?
•Not a top-down process, but voluntaryparticipation among signatories. No treaties.
•The relationship to EU.
Bologna development
•Infrastructure in place, focus on contents;
•From degree structure to quality assurance;
•Quality assurance vs accreditation?
•European QA.
•Can one work with all “means” in parallel?
•Does Bologna stand for standardisation orharmonisation?
Lessons learnt
•Bologna as a lever or instrument for (other)reforms - is this acceptable or not?
•Don´t expect money from your government, atleast not much.
•The importance of institutional strategies.
Lessons learnt
Difficulties with:
•staff mobility;
•life-long learning;
•recognition of non-academic/non-formal educationbackground;
•European universities want to co-operate withinEurope, with Asia, North America, South America,etc?
Thank You for discussions