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European Higher Education Area - Bologna Process



European Higher Education Area – Bologna Process


The main objective of the Bologna Process that started in 1999 with the Bologna Declaration and today includes 47 European and non-European countries, was the creation of a comparable, coherent and cohesive system of higher education in Europe – the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).


During regularly held  meetings, the ministers of the countries participating in the Bologna Process identified major areas of activity:

  • Transparent and comparable degree programmes (introduction of the diploma supplement);
  • Two- and three-cycle study programmes;
  • European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) to facilitate recognition of qualifications and study periods;
  • Student and staff mobility;
  • Cooperation on the assurance of the quality of education;
  • European dimension of higher education (student and faculty exchange, integrated programmes of study and research).

 

Since 2010, the most important decisions taken by the ministers during their meeting and announced in communiques regarded consolidation of the European Higher Education Area:

  • Developing standards and guidelines for the assurance of the quality of education;
  • Raising awareness of the importance of  lifelong learning;
  • Focusing on internationalization of education;
  • Improving employability of graduates and cooperation with business and industry;
  • Introduction of the European Qualifications Framework and National Qualifications Framework;
  • Validation of formal, non-formal and informal learning;
  • Social issues of education – making higher education accessible to all social strata.

 

Most of the objectives set in the process of consolidation of the European Higher Education Area have been possible to complete owing to the introduction of uniformly high quality of education, the European Qualifications Framework and National Qualifications Framework (NQF) into the education systems of the signatory countries.


You can find more information about the Bologna process and the European Higher Education Area, including the communiques announced in the wake of the meetings of ministers of higher education of the signatory countries at:

 

http://www.ehea.info

http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/education_training_youth/lifelong_learning/c11088_en.htm


Date of record:2013-10-22
Date of actualization:2019-09-12

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