The Bologna Action Lines

Key Resources

• Europe Unit: Guide to the Bologna Process

1. Adoption of a system of easily readable and comparable degrees

   Lisbon Convention - ratified by the UK in 2003

   • Diploma Supplement - key role

   • Role of ECTS and Credit Systems- increased emphasis on learning outcomes versus notional workloads

   • Recognition issues - 1-year and integrated Masters, foundation degrees and 2-year degree

2. Adoption of a system essentially based on two cycles

   • Qualifications frameworks at European and national level

   • Parallel Copenhagen Process for Vocational Education and Training (VET)

   • UK system compatible but recognition issues especially 2-year degrees

   • Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

3. Establishment of a system of credits

   • To remove obstacles to mobility and recognition of qualifications

   • ECTS - moving towards a transfer and accumulation system

   • Increased emphasis on learning outcomes, less on notional workloads

   • Work of Burgess group on credit framework in England

   • Should develop in parallel with ECVET

4. Promotion of mobility

   • New European Commission Integrated Action programme for Lifelong Learning 2007-2013 and Erasmus-Mundus programme

   • UK - low participation in mobility programmes due to language, funding and institutional barriers

   • Underpinned by qualifications frameworks, Diploma Supplement and credit systems

   • Issue of portability of student grants and loans

5. Promotion of European co-operation in quality assurance

   • QAA represented on the board of ENQA (European Network for Quality Assurance in HE)

   • Mutual recognition of QA systems in Europe

   • Professional accreditation - European Consortium for Accreditation in Higher Education (ECA)

   • EC project - Tuning Educational Structures in Europe

   • UK focused on retaining national QA systems

   • European University Association's (EUA) Quality Culture project

   • 2005 - European Standards and Guidelines for QA in the EHEA - national autonomy reinforced, European standards for internal QA systems laid out

6. Promotion of the European dimension in higher education

   • Focus on embedding European dimension in curriculum development, mobility programmes, cooperation between HEIs

   • Joint degrees

   • EC's Erasmus Mundus project (cooperation with non-EU countries)

   • QAA Code of Practice for Collaborative Provision

7. Focus on lifelong learning

   • Meeting objectives on the Lisbon Strategy

   • Facilitated by the successful implementation of other action lines especially qualifications frameworks and credit systems

   • Development of Bologna process in parallel with Copenhagen Process is key

8. Inclusion of higher education institutions and students

   • Importance of engagement

   • Role of European bodies i.e. EUA, EURASHE and ESU

   • In the UK, Universities UK, GuildHE and NUS work with respective European bodies

   • Representative and awareness-raising role of the Europe Unit

9. Promotion of the attractiveness of the European Higher Education Area

   • Focus on increasing competitiveness of European HE in a global market

   • Erasmus-Mundus programme

   • UK understands importance of international market but HEIs need to be active in European market as it becomes more competitive

10. Doctoral studies and the synergy between the European Higher Education Area and the European Research Area

    • 2003 - doctoral level included as the 3rd cycle. Recognition of the importance of research

    • EUA Doctoral Programmes project

    • Link with EC's European Research Area

    • 2005 - European Charter for Researchers

    • Greater opportunities for UK staff and students re mobility and cooperation