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The Bologna Process
The Bologna Process is a non-binding inter-governmental initiative between a voluntary collection of signatory countries with the goal of developing a European Higher Education Area (EHEA) by 2010. The development of a broad framework to enable comparability of higher education qualifications across the EHEA, whilst maintaining the autonomy and flexibility that defines the UK higher education system, is an ambitious and important goal which will facilitate greater mobility of high level skills in an increasingly international higher education system.
From its origin, the Bologna Process has been driven by leaders in higher education across Europe and reflects the Magna Carta Universitatum, a document setting out the fundamental principles on which university level education is based, signed in 1988 by heads of universities attending the 900th anniversary of the University of Bologna. With 45 signatory countries involved (and growing), it is broader than the European Community (EC) and it is a process that originated, and continues to develop, outside the EC.
This inquiry has been undertaken in the immediate run up to the London Ministerial Summit on 17-18 May 2007 in order to facilitate discussion and provide a constructive contribution to the meeting in May and beyond.
Comparability versus standardisation
It is clear to us that the Bologna Process is in intention and design about comparability and compatibility and not about standardisation of higher education systems across the EHEA. We have been further assured in evidence that there is currently no appetite for a homogenised EHEA amongst the 45 signatory countries.
Some of our evidence, however, has demonstrated that anxieties still exist, despite the formal intentions, that working to achieve comparability across the EHEA might in practice lead in the direction of standardisation or uniformity—and therefore undermine the autonomy and flexibility of the UK system. As a result, we have recommended that the Government be increasingly vigilant in guarding against a move towards bureaucratic, top-down, detailed agreements. It is of great credit to all those involved that the Bologna Process has so far maintained the pursuit of a flexible framework based on broad non-binding principles—keeping institutional autonomy at the heart of the process. We have recommended that the Government and others work to ensure this continues—and that realistic criteria and timetables are set for the achievement of the Process's objectives to safeguard the voluntary nature of the process.
Why join in?
It can reasonably be claimed that the UK is in a unique position within the EHEA. The UK has a three-phase degree structure or cycle in place, similar in most respects to that espoused as a standard by the Bologna countries, and a global reputation for high quality higher education provision maintained by a well-developed and independent quality assurance system making it the second most popular destination in the world for international students, behind the US. The UK's strong position in European higher education raises questions about why it needs to be involved in the Bologna Process, what it has to gain, and why the UK should help other countries in the EHEA to modernise if that is going to risk its competitive advantage.
In a rapidly developing global market for higher education, however, it would be a mistake to think that the UK is in a sufficiently advantageous position as to be able to stand aside whilst other countries in the EHEA make progress through the Bologna Process. Many countries in the EHEA have a long and proud history of excellence in higher education and many European Universities are considered to be world-class institutions. In those countries in the EHEA where their higher education systems were already admired, the Bologna Process is being used to further improve and modernise higher education.
We commend the work that the Government and other agencies have been doing to help shape the modernisation process across the EHEA through the Bologna Process and support this continuing role in fostering a culture of respect for institutional autonomy and flexibility in higher education. We firmly believe that such modernisation is likely to be more successful and sustainable if it reflects a partnership between government and institutions within the higher education sector.
Advantages for the UK
Beyond the minimum case for membership, there are genuine advantages to be gained for the UK in contributing to the achievement of the Bologna action lines that go beyond merely protecting the UK's national interests. There are economic advantages to be gained for the UK through engagement in the Bologna Process: increased employment and productivity; and increased competitiveness of the UK higher education sector through promoting the attractiveness and international reputation of the EHEA. There are advantages for UK students in terms of increased mobility and employment opportunities. Finally there are advantages to UK universities through the increased market for both EU and international students within the EHEA, increased mobility of staff, sharing of best practice and expertise in a broad range of areas, and increased opportunities for research collaboration across the European Research Area.
Role of the European Commission
The European Commission, and the European Community more broadly, play an important formal role in the Bologna Process that is welcome. The expanding role of the European Community in the field of education, however, and the belief that it is seeking to expand its role through the mechanisms of the Bologna Process, is a major cause of concern to UK organisations and institutions. It is also our greatest concern regarding the future of the Bologna Process.
We recommend, therefore, that the Government seeks clarification of the exact role of the Commission in the Bologna Process. A way must be found to ensure its involvement does not undermine the essentially voluntary and 'bottom up' approaches characteristic of its development to date. It remains crucial to the success of the Bologna Process that it remains outside the framework of the EC. We agree with the Minister that the role of the European Commission must be appropriately circumscribed. This must be a priority issue for the government at the London Summit in May.
Specific issues:
Quality Assurance
Quality Assurance (QA) is arguable the key issue for Bologna and progress in this area will largely determine the success or otherwise of the Bologna Process. The aim of putting in place a broad framework of comparable higher education qualifications in order to achieve increased mobility, employability, and competitiveness across the EHEA can only take place if it is underpinned by robust and reliable QA systems in each country.
The UK operates a fundamentally different approach to quality assurance to the rest of the EHEA and this external "arm's length" approach is a major contributing factor to the success of the UK higher education sector. The Government and the Europe Unit, through the Quality Assurance Agency's involvement, are working to ensure that the UK keeps control of its own QA arrangements whilst in parallel also working to shape and influence the development of QA systems across the EHEA. The Committee gives its full support to this approach.
Credit
We support the important work that has been undertaken to develop a broad and flexible credit framework across the EHEA with the aim of both increasing mobility and opening up a more flexible and accessible higher education system to a wider range of people. We concur with the Burgess Report that credit is a tool for assessing the equivalence of learning and achieved by an individual and, as such, requires framework or level descriptors that outline the general outcomes of learning expected at a given level. Consequently we conclude that the European Credit Transfer Scheme (ECTS), based solely on input or 'hours studied', is not fit for purpose.
We are encouraged that the European Commission has agreed to review the ECTS but remain concerned that the outcomes of such a review are by no means certain. We ask that the Government and the UK HE Europe Unit continue to lobby for the ECTS system to be reformed and, more broadly, for a cultural change towards an outcome-focus to be adopted not just in theory but in practice across the EHEA. We hope a progress report on the review of ECTS will be made at the Ministerial meeting in May, and recommend that developing a more suitable credit system for the future should receive priority at that meeting.
Second cycle (Master's) qualifications
The future of the one-year Master's and four-year integrated Master's Degrees was consistently raised as a major concern during our inquiry. Because the European Commission's User Guide on ECTS is non-compulsory, it is true to say that in theory there is no threat to the future of one-year Master's and four-year integrated Master's Degrees— this was the Government's position. In practice, however, the situation is very different. The fact that the Commission has specified a maximum of 75 credits for one year of study (90 credits are needed for a Master's qualification) is of considerable concern for the future of the one-year Master's because of the extent to which ECTS is used and accepted across the EHEA and because it seems to be, in the Minister's words, the "only show in town."
The Government and other agencies involved must properly engage with these issues at the May Summit and beyond. The Government should seek a commitment from the European Commission for the removal of the 75 ECTS per calendar year reference from the User's Guide.
2010 and beyond
The UK should make it clear in London in May 2007, both within the UK higher education sector and across the EHEA, that whilst policy initiatives in this field are necessarily the responsibility of Government, operational decisions will continue to rest with institutions and will need to be discussed, stimulated and evaluated within the sector.
We welcome the emphasis that we believe UK representatives at the London Ministerial Meeting intend to place on the importance of the voluntary principle in the development of the Bologna Process. We agree that there is a need to maintain a flexible and varied pattern of awards and qualifications across the EHEA, within which compatibility will be underpinned by effective within-country quality assurance systems.
We regard the creation of a EHEA as a continuing project, capable of yielding benefits at each stage of its development, and one to which adequate time must be given if the necessary basis of trust is to be established and understanding are to be both strong and sustainable.
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