 The Bologna Declaration was signed by the Ministers of Education of 29 European countries on the occasion of the Confederation of EU Rectors’ Conference, held in Bologna on June 18-19, 1999

 A key document which makes a turning point in the development of European higher education

 The Bologna Declaration is a pledge by 29 countries to reform the structures of their higher education systems in a convergent way  It is a commitment freely taken by each signatory country to reform its own higher education system or systems in order to create overall convergence at European level.

 The Declaration reflects a search for a common European answer to common European problems. The process originates from the recognition that in spite of their valuable differences, European higher education systems are facing common internal and external challenges related to the growth and diversification of higher education, the employability of graduates, the shortage of skills in key areas, the expansion of private and transnational education

 The Bologna Declaration is not just a political statement, but a binding commitment to an action programme  The action programme set out in the Declaration is based on a clearly defined common goal, a deadline and a set of specified objectives

 To create a European space for higher education in order to enhance the employability and mobility of citizens and to increase the international competitiveness of European higher education;

 The European space for higher education had to be completed by 2010;

 the adoption of a common framework of readable and comparable degrees, "also through the implementation of the Diploma Supplement";  the introduction of undergraduate and postgraduate levels in all countries, with first degrees no shorter than 3 years and relevant to the labour market;  ECTS (European Credit Transfer System)- compatible credit systems also covering lifelong learning activities;  a European dimension in quality assurance, with comparable criteria and methods;  the elimination of remaining obstacles to the free mobility of students and teachers.

 Prijevod: dopunska isprava o studiju  The Diploma Supplement (DS) is a document accompanying a higher education diploma, providing a standardised description of the nature, level, context, content and status of the studies completed by its holder. It is produced by the higher education institutions according to standards agreed by the European Commission, the Council of Europe and UNESCO.

 The Declaration wants "in particular" to increase "the international competitiveness of the European system of higher education". It says that the "vitality and efficiency of any civilisation can be measured by the appeal its culture has for other countries".

 The Declaration specifically recognises the fundamental values and the diversity of European higher education:  it clearly acknowledges the necessary independence and autonomy of universities;  it explicitly refers to the fundamental principles laid down in the Magna Charta Universitatum signed (also in Bologna) in 1988;  it stresses the need to achieve a common space for higher education within the framework of the diversity of cultures, languages and educational systems.

 The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) was launched along with the Bologna Process' decade anniversary, in March 2010, during the Budapest-Vienna Ministerial Conference.

 As the main objective of the Bologna Process since its inception in 1999, the EHEA was meant to ensure more comparable, compatible and coherent systems of higher education in Europe.

 Between , all the efforts of the Bologna Process members were targeted to creating the European Higher Education Area, that became reality with the Budapest-Vienna Declaration of March, 2010.

 The main aim is to consolidate the EHEA and thus the EHEA permanent website plays a key role in the process of intense internal and external communication (

 Currently there are 47 EHEA countries that have to implement reforms in very different contexts. Student numbers vary enormously. Some countries face relatively big increases in the student population, while others can anticipate a decrease. Such differences can have an impact on the main goals and the speed of higher education reform.

 Differences also exist regarding the orientation and funding of higher education institutions. While all higher education institutions are funded primarily from public sources in some countries, there is a larger proportion of private institutions in others. In addition, levels of public expenditure also vary within the EHEA.

 Similarly, responses to the recent economic crisis also differ in the region: while public expenditure increased considerably in some countries after 2008, there have been significant budget cuts in others. Yet, the result of the crisis has been an overall decline in public higher education expenditure.

 The Bologna Declaration is not just a political statement, but a binding commitment to an action programme.  1. What is the common goal defined in the action programme?  2. How many countries have signed the Declaration?  3. What are specified objectives?

The Declaration specifically recognises the fundamental values and the diversity of European higher education:  it clearly acknowledges the necessary _____________________________;  it explicitly refers to the fundamental principles laid down in the ___________________________________;  it stresses the need to achieve a common space for higher education within the framework of __________________________________________.

 it clearly acknowledges the necessary independence and autonomy of universities;  it explicitly refers to the fundamental principles laid down in the Magna Charta Universitatum signed (also in Bologna) in 1988;  it stresses the need to achieve a common space for higher education within the framework of the diversity of cultures, languages and educational systems.

 0t8 0t8 Watch the video and discuss the following:  What is your opinion about the Bologna reform?  Is mobility „easy”?  What kind of teaching do we need for the future?  What kind of relationship between students and professors is needed?

 E94 E94  What would be on your „wish list”?

 Bolonjska deklaracija je zajednička deklaracija europskih ministara obrazovanja potpisana u Bologni g., a odnosi se na reformu sustava visokog obrazovanja u Europi koja je postala poznata kao Bolonjski proces. Republika Hrvatska je potpisala Bolonjsku deklaraciju g.

 The Bologna Declaration was a common declaration of the European education ministers signed in 1999 in Bologna, which marked the process of higher education reform known today as the Bologna Process. The Republic of Croatia signed the Bologna Declaration in 2001.

 The aims of the Bologna Process are:  Adoption of a system of easily readable and comparable ______________, among other things by introducing Diploma Supplements, in order to improve the ______________ of the European citizens and the international _____________ of the European Higher Education Area.

 The aims of the Bologna Process are:  Adoption of a system of easily readable and comparable degrees, among other things by introducing Diploma Supplements, in order to improve the employability of the European citizens and the international competitiveness of the European Higher Education Area.

 Establishment of a system of credits, such as the ECTS, as an adequate mechanism for promoting student mobility. The credits can be awarded outside the higher education system, and within the lifelong learning, if they are recognized by the host institution.

 Uvođenje bodovnog sustava, kao što je ECTS, kao prikladnog sredstva u promicanju najšire studentske mobilnosti. Bodovi se mogu postizati i izvan visokoškolskog obrazovanja, uključujući i cjeloživotno učenje, pod uvjetom da ih prizna sveučilište koje prihvaća studenta.

 Facilitation of mobility includes removing obstacles to free movement, especially for: students, in access to higher education institutions and the connected services; teachers, researchers and administrative staff, in recognition and valorisation of periods spent in a European context researching, teaching and training, without prejudicing their statutory rights.

 Promicanje mobilnosti prevladavanjem zapreka slobodnom kretanju, uz poseban obzir prema: studentima kojima valja omogućiti pristup studiju i odgovarajućim službama; nastavnicima, istraživačima i administrativnom osoblju kojima valja priznati i valorizirati vrijeme koje su proveli u Europi istražujući, poučavajući ili učeći, bez prejudiciranja njihovih zakonskih prava.