The Bologna Process describes measures for the creation of a European Higher Education Area (EHEA) by 2010. The goal is to support mobility, international competitiveness and employment prospects. The key element is the harmonising of the architecture of the various European university systems – a transparent, three-stage system consisting of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.
The Bologna Declaration of 19 June 1999 launched the Bologna process. As a joint declaration of the European ministers of education, the signatory countries voluntarily obliged themselves to reform their educational systems.
The Bologna Declaration includes the following measures
After the declaration, the European ministers of education met every two years, with an official communiqué having been released after each meeting. At these meetings the previous measures and their implementation were discussed and further measures agreed.
On 19 May 2001 the Prague Communiqué was issued in which the previously agreed measures were supplemented with the following:
In the Berlin Communiqué of 19 September 2003 the measures focussed on the education of doctoral students. The ministers of education called for greater mobility in the doctoral and post-doctoral phases. In addition universities were urged to enlarge their cooperation in the training of young academics.
On 19 and 20 May 2005, the European ministers of education met in Bergen and issued the Bergen Communiqué. The following demands were formulated:
The London Communiqué of 18 May 2007 aimed at providing answers to the challenges of globalisation:
In the Communiqué of Leuven/Louvain-la-Neuve of 28–29 April 2009 it was stated that the EHEA had advanced very well since 1999 although some goals had not been completely reached. For this reason the Bologna Process was extended beyond 2010. The following priorities were set:
The end of the first decade of the Bologna Process was marked by the Declaration of Budapest and Vienna of 12 March 2010, and the EHEA was officially inaugurated.
The next meeting of ministers will take place in Bucharest from 26 to 27 April 2012.
Signatories of the Bologna Declaration: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece. Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Confederation, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom and the Vatican.
The process in Germany
In Germany the Bologna Process led to the most extensive reform of the system of higher learning since foundation of the Federal Republic. The “diploma” courses of studies have been largely replaced by the shorter “bachelor” curriculum. Under certain conditions, students can build on this with a “masters” course of study. As of 1 March 2009, bachelor and masters courses of studies comprised 75 percent of the curriculum in Germany. The current exceptions are law, medicine, the liberal arts and theology. All master’s degrees acquired at German universities and equivalent institutions of higher learning and at technical colleges can lead to a doctorate. By means of a qualification determination procedure, students with a bachelor’s degree can be admitted to a doctoral programme. A further innovation of the Bologna Process is the admission to universities of working students that lack the formal university admission requirements (lifelong learning).
The official Bologna Website 2010–2012 http://www.ehea.info/ The official Bologna Website 2007–2010 http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/ Bologna Centre of the University Rectors Conference http://www.hrk-bologna.de/bologna/de/home/index.php
National implementation in Germany http://www.bmbf.de/pub/nationaler_bericht_2007_2009.pdf
The studies on the Bologna Process focus primarily on the effects of the bachelors/masters introduction on student matriculation and have not reached any definitive results
Horstschräer, J. and M. Sprietsma (2010), “The Effects of the Bologna Process on College Enrolment and Drop-Out Rates”, ZEW Centre for European Economic Research, Discussion Paper No. 10-018.
Cappellari, L. and C. Lucifora (2009), “The “Bologna Process” and College Enrolment Decisions”, Labour Economics, 16(6), 638–47.
Cardoso, A. R., M. Portela, C. Sá, and F. Alexandre (2008), “Demand for Higher Education Programs: The Impact of the Bologna Process”, CESifo Economic Studies, 54(2), 229–47.
Portela, M., C. Sá, F. Alexandre, and A. R. Cardoso (2009), “Perceptions of the Bologna Process: What Do Students’ Choices Reveal?”, Higher Education, 58(4), 465–74.
Jacobs, B. and F. van der Ploeg (2006), “Guide to Reform Higher Education: A European Perspective”, Economic Policy, 21(47), 535–92.
Lists of entries the database DICE on European Union Legislation
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