1. Bologna Declaration
Matthias Hauswirth

2. Bologna Declaration On June 19, 1999, in Bologna
Pledge by (originally) 29 Countries
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, (not Cyprus), Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Swiss Confederation, United Kingdom
Reform higher education systems to create convergence on European level
Growth and diversification of higher education
Employability of graduates
Shortage of skills in key areas
Expansion of private & transnational education

3. Context Europe: a diverse set of peoples and cultures
EU: a way to keep Europe safe, democratic, peaceful, and prosperous
Paths to a better Europe:
Educated citizens
Integration
Competitiveness
Build upon and strengthen following dimensions:
Intellectual
Cultural
Social
Scientific
Technological

4. Timeline Towards a European Higher Education Area
Sept Bologna – Magna Charta Universitatum
Magna Carta / Great Charter / Great Paper / Constitution
Bologna: Oldest University in Europe (MC signed at its 900th anniversary)
Signed by 388 University Rectors
May 1998 Sorbonne, Paris Declaration
4 members (Germany, France, Italy, UK)
June 1999 Bologna Declaration
29 members
May 2001 Prague Communiqué
32 members (e.g. Russia, balkan countries)
Sept Berlin Communiqué
40 members
May 2005 Bergen Communiqué
45 members (e.g. Ukraine)
May 2007 London

5. Convergence of European Higher Education
Convergence is not:
Standardization
Uniformization
Convergence will preserve:
Autonomy
Diversity
Convergence entails:
Coordinated reforms
Compatible systems
Common action
Some degree of politics to calm down opponents?

6. Concrete Objectives (by 2010)
Adoption: Readable and comparable degrees
“Diploma Supplement”
Adoption: Two “cycles”
Undergraduate degree (3 year minimum)
Relevant to labor market
Graduate (master or doctorate) degree
After completion of undergraduate degree
Establishment: ECTS
To promote student mobility
Promotion: Mobility
Students
Teachers, researchers, administrators
Promotion: Co-operation in “quality assurance” (ranking & accreditation)
Promotion: European integration
Co-operation in curricular development
Integrated programs of study

7. Diploma Supplement

8. Diploma Supplement

9. European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS)
Credit System
Attach credits to components of educational program
Credits based on: student workload, learning outcomes, contact hours
ECTS
Introduced 1989 (EU Erasmus/Socrates)
Initially for credit transfer (thus ECTS)
Recently also for credit accumulation

10. ECTS Features 60 ECTS Credits only for successful completion
Full-time student workload per academic year
1500…1800 working hours
 1 credit = 25…30 working hours
Credits only for successful completion
Including assessment of learning outcomes
Credits for all educational components, incl.
Modules
Courses
Placements (=internships?)
Dissertation work
Workload includes
Attending lectures and seminars
Independent/private study
Preparation of projects and exams
Grades
Local/national
ECTS – graded on a curve (statistical)

11. ECTS Grading Scale A best 10% B next 25% C next 30% D next 25%
100% A
A best 10%
B next 25%
C next 30%
D next 25%
E next 10%
F fail – considerable further work required
FX fail – some more work required
90% B
65% C
35% D
10% E 0%

12. Discussion Questions Will/should Bologna become a world-wide system?
Is convergence good?
Is a 3-year Bachelor good?
Why do most institutions offer 3-year Bachelors, even though Bologna doesn’t prescribe this?
Are working hours realistic?
Is giving credits based on workload good (or should we give credits based on grade)?
Is grading on a curve (ECTS grades) good?