CONSTRUCTING NEW KNOWLEDGE SPACES: THE CASE OF THE EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION AREA Roger Dale U of Bristol Policy Futures in Higher Education CKS/WUN Horizon’s Seminar Series 2006

The Lisbon Agenda of the EU is for Europe “to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge- based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion” EC 2000

Background to BP/EHEA Lifelong Learning Vocational Education and Training –common standards agreed in Copenhagen 2005 EHEA

3 pronged strategy for Bologna Enhancing mobility of labour Contributing to Europe’s economic competitiveness (the ‘master discourse’ of Lisbon) Improving the attractiveness and international competitiveness of European higher education

45 Members, 600+ Universities Albania - Andorra - Armenia -Austria - Azerbaijan - Belgium - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Bulgaria - Croatia - Cyprus - Czech Republic - Denmark - Estonia - Finland - France - Georgia - Germany - Greece - Holy See - Hungary - Iceland - Ireland - Italy - Latvia - Lithuania - Luxembourg - Malta - Moldova - Netherlands - Norway - Poland - Portugal - FYR Macedonia - Romania - Russia - Serbia and Montenegro - Slovakia - Slovenia - Spain - Sweden - Switzerland - Turkey - Ukraine - UKAlbaniaAndorraArmeniaAustriaAzerbaijan BelgiumBosnia and HerzegovinaBulgariaCroatia CyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkEstoniaFinland FranceGeorgiaGermanyGreeceHoly See HungaryIcelandIrelandItalyLatviaLithuania LuxembourgMaltaNetherlandsNorway PolandPortugalFYR MacedoniaRomaniaRussia Serbia and MontenegroSlovakiaSloveniaSpain SwedenSwitzerlandTurkeyUK

Key elements of Bologna process: mobility Common degree architecture (3+2+3) European Credit Transfer System European Qualifications Framework ‘Tuning’ (Generic and specific competences) ‘Euroquality labels’ (Engineering, Chemistry)

Key elements of Bologna process: competitiveness 1. ‘Contribution of Universities to Europe of Knowledge” (2003) (benchmarking with US and Japan, especially on number of science andtechnology graduates) 2. ‘Mobilising the Brainpower of Europe’ (2005)

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION Mobilising the brainpower of Europe: enabling universities to make their full contribution to the Lisbon Strategy “The search for knowledge has always been at the heart of the European adventure. It has helped to define our identity and our values, and it is the driving force behind our future competitiveness” COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES Brussels, COM(2003) 58 final COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION The role of the universities in the Europe of knowledge

Key elements of Bologna process: Attractiveness Erasmus Mundus (European Fulbright) Marie Curie measures (repatriation, etc) ‘Passively’, by removing the non-EU members from the US sphere of influence

What does it mean? Construction of parallel HE sectors (European/national) Extending competitiveness beyond commercialisation, brain competition, etc, to competition over the rules—QA, degree architecture, mobility Discursive and Institutional thickening of ‘Europe’