The role of students alongside other stakeholders in the Bologna Process Colin Tück 26/27 May 2008, Baku Council of Europe seminar

Development since the Bologna Declaration  Bologna (1999)  Higher education institutions (HEIs) represented  No students or other stakeholders  Prague (2001)  HEIs and students as “competent, active and constructive partners in the establishment and shaping of a European Higher Education Area (EHEA)”  EUA, EURASHE, ESU (then ESIB) and Council of Europe as observers in the follow-up structure

Development since the Bologna Declaration (2)  Berlin (2003)  Reaffirming the role of institutions and students  New Bologna Follow-Up Group Board  Bergen (2005)  Inclusion of ENQA (quality assurance agencies), Education International (education trade unions) and BUSINESSEUROPE (business, then UNICE)

Development since the Bologna Declaration (3)  Stakeholders entrusted with activities  European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (developed by ENQA with ESU, EUA and EURASHE, the “E4 Group”)  Doctoral studies report (EUA)  European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR), setup by the E4 Group  Coordination of work on qualifications framework (Council of Europe)

The added value of stakeholder involvement  Specific expertise and perspective  Students have on-hands experience on study conditions and can appraise the impact of measures  Expert capacity of student unions and other stakeholder organisations  Support of “grass roots”  Consensual decisions and activities are broadly accepted and supported  Greater success in Bologna implementation

Stakeholder contributions to the Bologna Process Some examples:  Bologna With Student Eyes (ESU)  Analysing the student perception of Bologna reforms  Implementation of Bologna as seen by student unions  Trends in European Higher Education (EUA)  Implementation at institutional level  Analysing how HEIs react to the Bologna Process  Studies on quality assurance (ENQA)  Understanding the diversity in the EHEA

Stakeholder participation at national & HEI level  National and institutional level following, but sometimes with a certain delay  Examples:  National coordination bodies equivalent to BFUG  Joint projects of different stakeholders (e.g. rectors’ conference, quality assurance agency, student union)  Information campaigns  …

Bologna as driving force for student involvement? (Source: BWSE 2007)

Student involvement in HEIs (Source: Trends V)

Student participation in quality assurance (Source: BWSE 2007)

Student participation in quality assurance (Source: ENQA)

Training of students participating in QA  Adequate preparation of panel members  Different requirements:  Experience in HE governance and quality assurance  Subject-related knowledge  Knowledge of the HE system  …  Good practice:  Cooperation of national student union, quality assurance agency and/or rectors’ conference

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