Website: The Bologna Process

The Bologna Process is a collective effort of public authorities, universities, teachers, and students, together with stakeholder associations, employers, quality assurance agencies, international organisations, and institutions, including the European Commission.

The main focus is:

+ the introduction of the three cycle system (bachelor/master/doctorate)
+ strengthened quality assurance
+ easier recognition of qualifications and periods of study

Why is it needed?
Widely differing education and training systems in Europe have traditionally made it hard for Europeans to use qualifications from one country to apply for a job or a course in another. Increased compatibility between education systems makes it easier for students and job seekers to move within Europe.

At the same time, the Bologna reforms help to make European universities and colleges more competitive and attractive to the rest of the world.

The Bologna Process also supports the modernisation of education and training systems to make sure these meet the needs of a changing labour market. This is important as the proportion of jobs requiring high skills grows, and the demand for innovation and entrepreneurship increases.

• Primary Source

Website: Bologna Process http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/

Council of Europe: The Bologna Process – building a European Higher Education Area http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/highereducation/EHEA2010/Default_en.asp

British Council: About us: Our work in education: Higher Education: What we do: Policy and strategy: European Higher Education Area and Bologna Process http://www.europeunit.ac.uk/sites/europe_unit2/bologna_process/index.cfm

Wikipedia: Bologna Process http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bologna_process

European University Association: The European Higher Education Area and the Bologna Process http://www.eua.be/policy-representation/higher-education-policies/the-european-higher-education-area-and-the-bologna-process

Blog:Europpblog, 11.4.12: The Bologna Process on higher education is an unpopular policy decided at the international level but outside the EU framework, circumventing transparent and democratic legislative processes http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2012/04/11/bologna-declaration/

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