The Bologna Process

The Bologna Process was launched in 1999. It has contributed to the successful modernization of the German institutions of higher education. Germany and its European neighbours have set themselves the task of creating a European Higher Education Area by 2010 in the order to succeed in the international competition for the best brains. In Germany, we have taken advantage of the biggest higher education reform for decades to improve the quality of study courses, to enhance employability and to reduce the length of studies.

---

The aim of the Bologna Process is that Europe should grow closer together in the field of higher education through the introduction of a two-cycle study system consisting of bachelor and master's degrees which provide qualifications which are comparable across Europe, the introduction and enhancement of quality assurance and an increase in mobility. This means that we can make better use of the knowledge potential available.

The Bologna Process is a voluntary process which is driven first and foremost by the dialogue between the Member States and the organizations involved, the so-called stakeholders. One significant element of cooperation is the exchange of good practice. The 46 Bologna Member States, universities, students and other stakeholders will continue to work towards their aim of creating a diverse, attractive and transparent European higher education landscape even after 2010.

Information on different aspects of the Bologna Process is available under the following links:

• historical development
• contents
• current status of implementation in Germany

The Bologna Process: Development from the beginnings to the present day

Sorbonne Declaration

If we are to make better use of the enormous potential of higher education in Europe, students and academic staff must be mobile within Europe and qualifications must be comparable and mutually recognized. Speaking in Paris on the occasion of the celebrations to mark the 800th anniversary of Paris University on 25 May 1998, the Education Ministers of Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom announced their intention to remove barriers and to establish a framework for improved European cooperation in the field of higher education.

Bologna Declaration

Other European states responded positively to the initiative of the signatories to the Sorbonne Declaration. By 19 June 1999, 30 European countries had signed the so-called Bologna Declaration, expressing their aim to establish a common European Higher Education Area by 2010. The Federal Government and the Länder signed jointly on behalf of Germany, thus committing themselves to reforming the German higher education system within the European context.

The Follow-up Conferences in Prague (2001), Berlin (2003), Bergen (2005) and London (2007)

It was agreed in the Bologna Declaration that special conferences should be held every two years to establish whether the objectives have actually been achieved in the Member States and to take stock of progress. The first Bologna Follow-up Conference took place with 33 signatory states in Prague on 19 May 2001. A further seven states jointed the Bologna Process at the second Follow-up Conference, which was held in Berlin on 18 and 19 September 2003. The third Follow-up Conference took place in Bergen (Norway) on 19 and 20 May 2005, and the fourth in London on 17 and 18 May 2007. The central objectives and agreements were laid down in the respective Communiqués of the Meetings of Ministers:

• Prague Communiqué
• Berlin Communiqué
• Bergen Communiqué
• London Communiqué

The next Meeting of Ministers will be hosted by the Benelux countries and is due to take place in Leuven on 28 and 29 April 2009.

Membership of the Bologna Process is open to all countries which have signed the European Cultural Convention of the Council of Europe and have declared their willingness to pursue and implement the objectives of the Bologna Process in their own higher education sector.

Signatory states following the Conference of Ministers in London are:

Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium (Flemish and French Community), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark,  Estonia,  Finland, the "Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia",  France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, the Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Rumania, the Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,  Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. In addition, the European Commission is also a voting member of the Follow-up Group.
Apart from the Member States, the Consultative Members also represent a central element of the Bologna Process. These include the Council of Europe, the BusinessEurope employers' organization, the pan-European trade union federation Education International (EI), the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), the European Students' Union (ESU), the European University Association (EUA), the European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE) and the European Centre for Higher Education (UNESCO-CEPES).

Organization of the Bologna Process

Regular meetings of the Bologna Follow-up Group (BFUG) take place between the Conferences of Ministers (at least twice a year). The governments of the Member States and the organizations are represented at senior official level at these meetings. The Bologna Follow-Up Group is chaired by the respective EU Presidency.
The BFUG receives organizational support from the Bologna Secretariat, which is provided by the country (or countries) responsible for the next Conference of Ministers. Interested parties from all over the world can find general information on the objectives and contents of the Bologna Process, the Member States and organizations, as well as details of international seminars on the various areas of the Bologna Process on the Bologna Secretariat's website.

In Germany, the Federal Government and the Länder are responsible for implementing the reforms within the framework of their respective fields of competence. The reform process is supported by a Federal Government-Länder Group on the "Continuation of the Bologna Process", which also includes representatives of the University Rectors' Conference (HRK), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), students, the two sides of industry, the German Student Services Association (DSW) and the Accreditation Council.

The contents of the Bologna Process

Since the 1999 Bologna Declaration, the aims of the process have been constantly amended at the Conferences of Ministers:

• The introduction of a system of easily understandable and comparable degrees (Bachelor und Master's), the inclusion of the doctoral phase as the third cycle of the Bologna Process, and its recognition as early stage employment 
• The definition of a framework of comparable and compatible higher education qualifications at national and European level (qualifications framework) and the introduction of a credit transfer system (ECTS)
• The promotion of mobility through suitable measures, e.g. the introduction and intensification of cooperation between higher education institutions, including joint degrees, and the removal of obstacles to mobility
• Improvements to the recognition of degrees and academic achievements by ratifying and implementing the Lisbon Convention; the introduction of transparency instruments such as ECTS and the Diploma Supplement. 
• European cooperation in the field of quality assurance and the promotion of quality assurance at institutional, national and European level; the implementation of the standards and guidelines for quality assurance agreed in Bergen, inter alia by establishing a European Quality Assurance Register EQAR to which quality assurance agencies which work in accordance with the standards and guidelines for quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area may apply for admission 
• Promotion of the European dimension in higher education
• Integrating Bologna in the concept of lifelong learning by creating flexible higher education study courses or through processes involving the recognition of existing skills, includung those gained in a non-university environment. 
• Involving students in the Bologna Process, strengthening the social dimension of higher education through participative equity.
• Enhancing the attractiveness of the European Higher Education Area in the global context. The European Higher Education Area wants to remain attractive and open to people from all over the world. The "Strategy for the European Higher Education Area in a Global Setting", which was approved in London, will improve the provision of information on the Bologna Process, strengthen cooperation based on partnership and ensure progress in recognizing qualifications and phases of study
• Greater focus must be placed on the vocational qualifications/employability of graduates from all three cycles. The higher education institutions must provide a broad knowledge base as well as prepare students for the labour market. The most talented young researchers must be equipped for an outstanding academic career.

So-called stocktaking is not a line of action, but has become an established component of the Bologna Process since Bergen (2005). This takes the form of a regular review of the progress made in implementing the Bologna reforms. Stocktaking is based on the national reports of all the Member States, which are drawn up on the basis of a set catalogue of questions. Depending on the individual subject area, the results of the stocktaking (Report 2007, Report 2005) are published either in the form of indicators or as verbal assessments for the respective Conference of Ministers.

In order to improve the availability of data on mobility and the social dimension in Europe, the Ministers in London called upon the Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat) and the EUROSTUDENT project, which is conducted by HIS GmbH and funded primarily by the BMBF, to develop corresponding indicators.

The Bologna reforms in Germany

Agreements passed by the international bodies of the Bologna Process are implemented by the Federal Government and the Länder in accordance with their respective areas of competence. The work is coordinated by the "Continuation of the Bologna Process" Working Group. In preparation for the Conferences of Ministers, the BMBF and the Conference of Länder Ministers of Education (KMK) regularly present a Report on the Implementation of the Bologna Process in Germany. The last such report was presented in November 2008. The BMBF and the KMK have also held Bologna Symposiums in the run-up to the respective Conferences of Ministers. Such a symposium took place on 30 January 2009 in the run-up to the Leuven Conference in order to discuss the status of the reforms and the prospects of the Bologna Process with a larger group of stakeholders. Conclusion: Despite the great challenges involved in implementing the reforms, the Bologna Process has contributed towards the successful modernization of German higher education and to a wide-range of innovative courses of study and has strengthened contacts within the European Higher Education Area. Apart from making numerous individual suggestions, the stakeholders also expressed the general wish that policy-makers in Leuven should continue the current course and implement the reforms consistently on a national basis.

The University Rectors' Conference (HRK) is providing information, advice and support within the framework of its Bologna Centre in order to help the institutions of higher education to introduce the new system and to realize the objectives of the Bologna Process from an organizational and conceptual perspective. The HRK project, which is being funded by the BMBF, also includes an Internet site on topics related to the Bologna Process.

Bachelor and Master

The conversion of study courses to the two-cycle Bachelor/Master's system (BA/MA) is the most prominent result of the Bologna reform.

The Bachelor/Master's system gives students new opportunities to combine attractive qualifications together with additional flexibility to plan their studies, professional activities and private lives. A Bachelor's degree gives students a professional qualification after only three or four years, enabling them to embark on their careers at an earlier stage than under the previous system. The most important advantage is that this degree system is internationally compatible and thus enables more international mobility among students. Admission to the second cycle, a Master's degree course, depends on the student's performance in the first cycle.

The introduction of this two-cycle model does not represent a break with academic tradition. Germany can continue to maintain its high standards of academic training within the two-cycle study and degree structure. However, it is not sufficient to just stick a new label on existing courses of study. It is decisive to reform the contents of courses of study, to streamline and enhance the structure of curricula and to improve mentoring. Only thus can Germany reduce the duration of its study courses, which are too long by international comparison, thus lowering the age of graduates and cutting the high student drop-out rate.

The Joint Länder Structural Targets for the accreditation of Bachelor and Master's degree courses form the basis for the introduction of the two-cycle degree courses.

Facts and Figures

75 percent of all study courses at German institutions of higher education (9,200 of a total of 12,300 courses) had been converted to BA/MA courses by the beginning of the 2008/2009 winter semester. The number of new courses of study thus rose by more than 20% compared with the 2008 summer semester. The universities of applied sciences have made particularly good progress and have converted almost 94 percent of their courses. Most of the students aiming for a Bachelor or Master's degree are to be found in the fields of law, economics and the social sciences as well as in mathematics and the natural sciences. The majority of the courses which have not been converted (approximately 1,900) lead to state or ecclesiastical qualifications.

More than 30% of all students were enrolled in BA/MA courses in the winter semester 2007/2008. Just under two thirds of first year students enrolled in courses which had been converted to BA/MA courses. The percentage of students graduating in the new courses of study was 14.3% in 2007. These figures mirror the dynamics of the two-cycle system which will be reflected in the number of graduates in the years to come. 

Improving the procedure for recognizing qualifications

The flexibility and transparency of courses of study has increased considerably with the introduction of modules and credit points in accordance with the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). The ECTS is a quantitative measure of the overall student workload to achieve learning outcomes required for the successful completion of a course of study/degree.

Since 2005, all students are entitled to the Diploma Supplement, free of charge and without having to make a separate application. This supplement contains standardized information describing higher education degrees and the respective qualifications. The Diploma Supplement is attached to the official degree documents as supplementary information.

By ratifying the Lisbon Convention (Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region developed by the Council of Europe and UNESCO), Germany has fulfilled an important criterion of the Bologna Process with regard to the recognition of qualifications earned abroad. The Convention sets out to facilitate the recognition of qualifications gained in one of the states party to the Convention in another state party.

The Central Office for Foreign Education of the Conference of Länder Ministers of Education (KMK) is responsible for specific questions regarding the recognition of qualifications in Germany. It supports the institutions of higher education and authorities which have to take decisions in connection with evaluating and recognizing foreign education certificates, particularly by providing expert reports. 

The fields of action for recognition are defined in a National Action Plan for Recognition which the Federal Government and the Länder drafted in conjunction with stakeholders in 2006.

Quality assurance: Evaluation and accreditation

Evaluations highlight the strengths and weaknesses of an institution or study programme. Systematic and regular evaluations contribute towards improving the quality of teaching and research at institutions of higher education as well as to enhancing conditions for study and work. Evaluations are embedded in all Länder Higher Education Acts as a general task of higher education institutions.

Accreditation tests whether the institutions of higher education have observed minimum standards with regard to subject matter when designing their courses of study and satisfy specific structural requirements. This is intended to give students and employers reliable information with regard to the quality of study programmes and institutions of higher education. Following a resolution by the Conference of Länder Ministers of Education, a National Accreditation Council was set up with responsibility for enforcing comparable quality standards. The Accreditation Council accredits and supervises agencies which perform course accreditations. Accreditation is based on the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area.

In addition to course accreditation, system accreditation was introduced in 2007. This is used to check the internal quality assurance system of an institution of higher education.

As a State Member, Germany also supports the work of the European Quality Assurance Register EQAR. Following corroboration by an independent board, the Register admits quality assurance agencies which operate on the basis of the Standards and Guidelines and thus support the Europe-wide observance of quality standards in the field of higher education.

In order to assist the institutions of higher education in the field of quality assurance, the Federal Government and the Länder introduced Project Q, which is supervised by the Conference of Länder Ministers of Education. Inter alia the project serves the further development of the different quality assurance procedures and coordinates the German position within the European framework.

National Qualifications Framework

The Qualifications Framework aims to define qualifications with regard to work load, standards, learning outcomes, skills and profiles. Apart from increasing the transparency and comparability of the courses available, it also establishes reference points and goals for shaping, evaluating and accrediting courses of study and thus supports quality assurance at the institutions of higher education.

As far back as 2003, a Working Group made up of representatives of the Conference of Länder Ministers of Education, the Länder and the BMBF began drafting a national qualifications framework for the higher education sector, taking into account the interfaces with vocational education and training and lifelong learning. Germany drafted a national qualifications framework by 2005 and is thus one of the first Bologna states to have developed a framework for comparable higher education qualifications based on learning outcomes at national level.

In drawing up the qualifications framework, particular attention was attached to compatibility with the overarching qualifications framework in the European Higher Education Area, which was approved at the Bergen conference and provides for a three-cycle structure (bachelor, master and doctorate). The compatibility of the national qualifications framework with the European framework was established in the course of a self-certification process. 

In addition to these two qualifications frameworks under the Bologna Process, a German Qualifications Framework covering all fields of education and training is currently being drafted on the basis of a European Qualifications Framework (EQF). Representatives of the Federal Government, the Länder and the institutions of higher education are involved in this discussion process.

Mobility

The political objective is for 50% of all students to complete part of their studies abroad and for 20% of German students to spend at least one semester abroad. The quality and transparency of the range of studies available and the compatibility of degrees is important in this respect.

Funding also contributes to student mobility. The amendment to the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG) means that since 1 January 2008 funding is now available for the entire course of study, including the final phases, in all EU Member States as well as in Switzerland. Outside the EU, study periods abroad can be funded for up to one semester - and under certain circumstances for up to five semesters - within the framework of education and training which is otherwise undergone in Germany. In addition, intermediary organizations such as the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Erasmus Programme provide scholarships for studies (stays) abroad in the context of university collaborations and programmes which lead to joint degrees in both Germany and a partner country. Theses courses are becoming increasingly attractive. 

Doctoral phase

The European Education Ministers declared the doctoral phase to be the so-called third cycle of the Bologna Process - after the bachelor and master's phases - as far back as in September 2003. The Bergen Communiqué states that as a rule this third cycle corresponds to three to four years of full-time studies and that participants in third cycle courses are considered as both students and early stage researchers. The Conference of Ministers responsible for Higher Education urged the universities to ensure that their doctoral programmes promote interdisciplinary training and the development of transferable skills and established the need for structured doctoral programmes and improved supervision and assessment. 

The introduction of the doctoral phase in the Bologna Process does not mean a Europe-wide standardization of doctoral studies. The Ministers agree that the advancement of knowledge through original research continue to be the core element of doctoral training in Europe and that overregulation of doctoral programmes is to be avoided.

Lifelong Learning

The Federal Government and the Länder approved the joint Strategy for Lifelong Learning in the Federal Republic of Germany at the meeting of the Bund-Länder Commission for Educational Planning and Research Promotion on 5 July 2004. This agreement on lifelong learning demonstrates the willingness and ability to shape the future of our education system and to provide a contribution towards ensuring that Europe becomes one of the world's most competitive knowledge societies (details on lifelong learning here).

Social Dimension

In view of the growing need for qualified university graduates and the above-average career opportunities for graduates on the labour market, the Bologna Process aims to overcome social hurdles and enable equal participation.

A Social Dimension Working Group made up of representatives of the BMBF, the Länder and interested stakeholders developed a national Plan of Action for the Social Dimension in 2008.

---

top