Are the Bologna Process objectives for everyone?

1
Are the Bologna Process objectives for everyone?

• Annika Pontén
• Chair of the Bologna Process Working Group on
  the Social Dimension and Mobility of Staff and
  Students

2
The Bologna Process Main Objectives

• Enhanced mobility
• Strengthened employability
• Increased competitiveness of European Higher
  Education
• 2010 European Higher Education Area

3
The Social Dimension

• Since ministerial meeting in Prague 2001
• Ministerial meeting in Bergen 2005 Working
  Group appointedWG on Social Dimension and Data
  on Mobility of Staff and Students in
  Participating Countries

4
Terms of reference Social Dimension

• to define the concept of social dimension based
  on the ministerial communiqués of the Process
• to present comparable data on the social and
  economic situation of students in participating
  countries
• to prepare proposals as a basis for future
  stocktaking

5
Social Dimension

• No common understanding/definition
• Large differences among participating countries
• Advancing while respecting differences

6
Definition

• Rationale
• equal opportunities, societal development
• and quality of higher education
• The process leading to participative equity
• in higher education
• Strategic overall objective
• the student body entering, participating
• in and completing higher education should
• reflect the diversity of our populations

7
Core Areas of the Social Dimension

• Measures to promote equal opportunities
• Measures to widen access to and participation in
  higher education
• Study environment that enhances the quality of
  the student experience
• Student participation in the governance and
  organisation of higher education
• Finances in order to start and complete studies

8
Employability

• Close relation to the social dimension and
• its rationale
• Equal opportunities to personal and
• professional development
• Social, cultural and economic development
• of societies
• Higher education lower unemployment
• rates
• Choices of fields of studies opportunities
• on the labour market
• Match skills and jobs

9
Data on the social and economic situation of
students

• No comprehensive survey
• Important data gapsnot all Bologna countries
  coveredno common deadline for surveys
• Indicators need to be matched with data
  comparability and availability
• Cross-sectoral statistics needed
• Analysis of change needed

10
Ministerial meeting in London17-18 May 2007

• SOCIAL DIMENSION
• Overall objective
• Report on national strategies
• Data collection to measure progress towards the
  overall objective
• Stocktaking

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Ministerial meeting in London17-18 May 2007

• EMPLOYABILITY
• Consider how to improve employability
• in relation to all cycles
• Stronger involvement of employers
• and other stakeholders
• Cooperation with employers in
• curriculum innovation
• Data collection on employability of
• graduates
• Stocktaking

12

• And now what?