The Structure of Higher Education in the US and Europe: Reflections on the Bologna Reforms

1
The Structure of Higher Education in the US and
Europe Reflections on the Bologna Reforms

• Ofer Malamud (University of Chicago)

2
Why Europe?

• Major producer of higher education
• 34 out of top 100 universities are in Europe
• number of PhD equivalents
• large increases in degree attainment
• Main destination for foreign students
• Scene of major reforms in recent years

3
University rankings Top 20
Source Shanghai Jiao Tong rankings, 2008
4
University rankings Top 100
Source Shanghai Jiao Tong rankings, 2008
5
Production of PhD equivalent degrees, 2004
Source NSF Science and Engineering Indicators
2008
6
Percent of population with BA degree, 2004
Source OECD, Education at a Glance 2007
7
Foreign Students by Destination, 2005
Source OECD, Education at a Glance 2007
8
Outline

• Why Europe?
• Differences between the US and Europe
• The Bologna Process
• Potential Consequences of Bologna
• Evaluating the Bologna Reforms
• Conclusion

9
Differences between US and Europe

• Spending on higher education
• Importance of the private sector
• University autonomy
• Tuition and fees
• Admission/selection procedures
• Degree and course structure

10
The Bologna Process

• Sorbonne Declaration, May 1998
• joint initiative by France, Germany, Italy, and
  UK
• call for harmonization of European higher
  education
• Bologna Declaration, June 1999
• 29 European countries signed on
• by 2008, 45 signatories across Europe
• Aim Increase the international competitiveness
  of the European system of higher education
• establish a European Area of Higher Education

11
Main Features

• Adoption of undergrad graduate cycles
• introduce a shorter first (BA) degree, and MA
  degree
• later amendments include 3rd (PhD) cycle
• Introduction of a European credit system
• based on existing ECTS (due to ERASMUS)
• emphasize transfer and accumulation of credits
• Diploma Supplement to provide information
• Promote mobility and European co-operation

12
Some Potential Consequences

• Flexibility
• Competition
• Foreign enrollments

13
Flexibility

• Reducing costs associated with choosing a wrong
  course of study/institution
• short first degrees opportunity to switch fields
  and change universities after initial degree
• transferable credits allow students to switch
  fields/change universities during their degree
• Ability to combine different fields of study with
  modular credit systems

14
Competition

• Harmonization of degree structures
• institutions can recognize other qualifications
• students able to compare across institutions
• may lead to increased student mobility
• and encourage institutions to improve their
  quality
• Need for additional reforms to provide
  institutions with autonomy and incentives to
  attract students and faculty

15
Foreign students

• Bologna reforms will make European degrees
  similar to others around the world
• alleviate concerns about recognition among other
  universities and employers abroad
• attract more foreign students to Europe

16
Evaluating effects of Bologna

• Major obstacles to rigorous evaluation
• reforms are still ongoing in many countries
• important effects may take time to emerge
• Instead, try to learn from pre-Bologna
  differences in higher education
• shorter 1st degrees UK vs. continental Europe
• transferable credits US vs. UK

17
Data sources

• Shorter 1st degrees
• European graduate survey CHEERS data
• Transferable credit
• UK university administrative data (USR)
• US survey data (NSF and NCES)
• Foreign students
• OECD/UNESCO/national statistics agencies

18
Short 1st Degrees UK vs. Europe
19
Short 1st Degrees Possible Effects

• More likely to pursue further degrees
• More likely to switch to different fields
  conditional on pursuing further degree

20
Some Retrospective Views
21
Transferable credits US vs. UK

• Mobility during college (for BA recipients)
• in the US about 50 change institutions
• in the UK less than 1 change institutions
• Field switching in college (for BA recipients)
• in the US about 40 switch majors
• in the UK about 8 switch majors
• compare England/Wales (7) and Scotland (18)

22
Foreign students enrollments in key European
destinations
23
Foreign student enrollments in key Commonwealth
destinations
24
Conclusion

• Europe is a key player in higher education
• Bologna reforms may lead Europe to draw on the
  virtues of US higher education
• Flexibility
• Competition
• Greater attraction for foreign students
• More research (and better data) needed