Campus Europae Newsletter, May 2009

Table of contents

  • 20% mobile students by 2020 – the new Bologna goal

  • Student Council convened at the EHU

  • Politechnika Lodzka and Universidade de Aveiro awarded the 2009 ECTS label

  • Two Campus Europae Rectors elected for the EUA board

  • Upcoming events
    • Business Subject Committe Meeting

20% mobile students by 2020 – the new Bologna goal

The ministers of Education of the 46 countries participating in the Bologna Process gathered in Leuven on the 28th and 29th of April and adopted a Communiqué entitled “The Bologna process 2020 – The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) in the new decade”. The Communiqué establishes that the Bologna Process as a framework for cooperation amongst European stakeholders on Higher Education to be carried on until 2020.

The ministers also reviewed the achievements of the Bologna Process in the past decade and have taken on further challenges, notably with concerns refocusing the Bologna Process in student mobility, having agreed that by 2020 at least 20% of the European graduates should have a period of study or training abroad. This much needed “return to the origins” of the Bologna process agenda is particularly noteworthy because it is also affirmed that opportunities for mobility shall be created in the each of the three cycles.

The social dimension of the Bologna process was also not forgotten, whereby ministers have put forth that “each participating country will set measurable targets for widening overall participation and increasing participation of underrepresented groups in Higher Education”.

The external dimension of the Bologna process was highlighted in Leuven through a Bologna Policy Forum where the Ministers of the signatory countries were joined by 16 colleagues from all over the world in a debate on long term collaboration between the European Higher Education area and other regions of the world, fair “brain circulation” and the importance of public investment in higher education and its importance in sustainable economic recovery

Amongst other important aspects of the Communiqué the Ministers have endorsed the advancement of “multidimensional transparency tools” and added they “need to relate closely to the principles of the Bologna process” and noted that while the organizational structure of the Bologna process if fit for purpose although in the future non EU countries will co-chair the Bologna process alongside with the country holding the EU presidency. Future priorities for the Bologna Follow Up Group include discussions on the achievement of balanced mobility, defining indicators for measuring mobility and the social dimension and advance the promotion of the Bologna process beyond the signatory countries.

Minister François Biltgen, speaking on behalf of the Benelux Presidency of the conference, noted with satisfaction that it is the first time that the Bologna stakeholders dared to agree on an ambitious quantitative objective for student mobility. The outcomes of the conference are also in line with the main criticism voiced by the European Students Union, which has been adamant in pushing for more concrete action to be taken in improving student mobility and its social dimension.

Also worth of note is what is not written in the Communiqué: it is relevant that the Ministers could not agree in setting standards for the length of the exchanges envisaged, which paves the way for very short mobility periods to be deemed statistically relevant, which would of course ease meeting objectives. 

Ministerial conference website and documents (link)

Fast facts

Student Council convened at the EHU

On 25 April the Student Council followed an invitation from the Student Council representatives of the European Humanities University to hold its first meeting in 2009 in Vilnius Vilnius. Welcoming representatives from all but one member university the Council engaged in intensive and lively discussions especially regarding the CE Language Concept, promotion of CE at the partner universities, the establishment of a CE alumni network and a closer cooperation between the CE universities at a student level.

Especially the language concept and its role in the CE certificate and degree was thoroughly discussed.

The Council was glad to find the EHU campus in bright sunshine, which contributed to the constructive working atmosphere.

During the next weeks the Presidency of the Student Council will analyze the outcomes of the discussions and formulate them into policy guidelines which will then be integrated into the existing framework

The Council will reconvene in the first week of December at the University of Aveiro.

 

Politechnika Lodzka and Universidade de Aveiro awarded the 2009 ECTS label

The Technical University of Lodz and the University of Aveiro have been awarded the ECTS label, an honorary distinction bestowed by the European Commission to universities which apply the European Credit Transfer System guidelines to the highest standards. Only 22 out of 63 applicants were distinguished, and an award ceremony will take place in Brussels on the upcoming 11th  of June.

 

Two Campus Europae Rectors elected for the EUA board

During the last European University Association Convention (Prague, 19-21 March) Prof. Maria Helena Nazaré and Prof. Jean-Pierre Finance, respectively Rectors of the University of Aveiro and Henry Poincaré (Nancy), were elected for the eight people strong Board of the EUA. Prof. Maria Helena Nazaré was subsequently elected Vice-President of the European University Association.

The new members of the EUA Board are:

•    Prof. David Drewry, University of Hull, UK;

•    Prof. Jean-Pierre Finance, Université Henri Poincaré, Nancy 1, France;

•    Prof. Lauritz Holm-Nielsen, University of Aarhus, Denmark;

•    Prof. Tadeusz Luty, Wroclaw University of Technology, Poland;

•    Prof. Maria Helena Nazaré, University of Aveiro, Portugal;

•    Prof. Sijbolt Noorda, VSNU, The Netherlands;

•    Prof. Giuseppe Silvestri, University of Palermo, Italy;

•    Prof. Margret Wintermantel, HRK, Germany.

EUA’s Board is presided by Prof. Jean-Marc Rapp, former Rector of the University of Lausanne, who succeeded Prof. George Winkler. The Board meets regularly, five or six times a year, and is responsible for the preparation and implementation of the Association's policy, the planning of its activities, and the overall organisation of its affairs.

Upcoming events

Business Subject Committee meeting

Paris, 19th June

The next Campus Europae newsletter is due for the 15th of June. To unsubscribe please visit this link.