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Erasmus programme 1: Bologna process and ECTS 1.: What is the Bologna Process? 2.: How is the Process organized? 3.: How did it all begin? 4.: European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System 2: What is Erasmus? 1.: Objectives of Erasmus Programme 2.: Key features of the Erasmus programme 3.: Participating countries in Erasmus Programme 3: Erasmus and the university 4: What does Erasmus finance? 5: Erasmus MUNDUS 6: Practical examples of Erasmus project 1.: Deadlines and application procedures under Erasmus 2.: Practical example 1: Bologna process and ECTS What is the Bologna Process? The Bologna Process is a European reform process aiming at establishing a European Higher Education Area by 2010. It is an unusual process in that it is loosely structured and driven by the 45 countries participating in it in cooperation with a number of international organisations, including the Council of Europe. By 2010 higher education systems in European countries should be organised in such a way that: • it is easy to move from one country to the other – for the purpose of further study or employment; • the attractiveness of European higher education is increased so many people from non-European countries also come to study and/or work in Europe; • the European Higher Education Area provides Europe with a broad, high quality and advanced knowledge base, and ensures the further development of Europe as a stable, peaceful and tolerant community. The Bologna Process is not based on an intergovernmental treaty. There are several documents that have been adopted by the ministers responsible for higher education of the countries participating in the Process, but these are not legally binding documents . Therefore, it is the free will of every country and its higher education community to endorse or reject the principles of the Bologna Process, although the effect of “international peer pressure” should not be underestimated. It is not foreseen that by 2010 all European countries should have the same higher education system. The developments within the Bologna Process should serve to facilitate “translation” of one system to the other and therefore contribute to the increase of mobility of students and academics and to the increase of employability throughout Europe. How is the Process organized? When it comes to the international level – there are several modes of cooperation and several structures developing the Bologna Process. There is the so-called Bologna follow-up group (BFUG) that consists of all signatory countries and the European Commission as well as the Council of Europe, EUA, ESIB EURASHE, UNESCO-CEPES, ENQA, Educational International Pan-European Structure and UNICE as consultative members. In addition to this, numerous seminars are being organised throughout Europe, which carry the unofficial label of “Bologna seminars”. These are discussing various issues of the Bologna Process, obstacles to implementation and possibilities for co-operation. You will find an updated calendar on current events on the web site of the UK Bologna Secretariat. The results of previous Bologna seminars and activities are available on the Bologna-Bergen web site (2003 – 2005) and the Berlin Ministerial Conference web site (2001 – 2003). Every two years a Ministerial Conference is organised where Ministers responsible for higher education of all participating countries gather to evaluate the progress and to set guidelines and priorities for the upcoming period. The last conference will took place in London in 2007. Previous conferences were held in Bergen (2005), Berlin (2003), Prague (2001) and Bologna (1999). The national level usually involves the government and ministries responsible for higher education, rectors’ conferences or other university associations, student unions but also in some cases quality assurance agencies, employers etc. Many European countries have already changed their legislation in line with the goals of the Bologna Process and others are preparing to do so. Depending on the country and the development of its higher education system so far, some are introducing ECTS, discussing their degree structures and qualifications, financing and management of higher education, mobility programmes etc. The institutional level involves higher education institutions, their faculties or departments, student and staff representatives and many other actors. The priorities vary from country to country and from institution to institution. However, it is important to stress that without adequate implementation at the institutional level, little can be achieved in reaching the Bologna objectives. How did it all begin? The Process officially started in 1999, with the signing of the Bologna Declaration. Twenty-nine countries have signed the declaration on 19 June 1999 in Bologna (hence the name of the whole Process). The Declaration states the following objectives: • adoption of a system of easily readable and comparable degrees; • adoption of a system essentially based on two main cycles, undergraduate and graduate; • establishment of a system of credits – such as in the ECTS; • promotion of mobility by overcoming obstacles to the free movement of students, teachers, researchers and administrative staff; • promotion of European co-operation in quality assurance; • promotion of the necessary European dimensions in higher education. Prior to the signing of the Bologna Declaration, another document was adopted by four countries: France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom – the Sorbonne Declaration[30]. This declaration provided the necessary push towards the Bologna Declaration and indicated already in 1998 the main goals of the European Higher Education Area. At the Bergen Ministerial Conference in May 2005, 5 new countries were welcomed (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine) as new participating countries in the Bologna Process bringing the total number of participating countries up to 45. It was also decided to enlarge the circle of consultative members to the Education International (EI) Pan-European Structure, the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), and the Union of Industrial and Employers’ Confederations of Europe (UNICE). The Bergen meeting confirmed the shift from future plans to practical implementation; in particular it was marked by: ● the adoption of an overarching framework of qualifications for the European Higher Education Area and with a commitment to elaborating national qualifications frameworks by 2010 – as well as to having launched work by 2007; ● the adoption of guidelines and standards for quality assurance and the request that ENQA, the EUA, EURASHE and ESIB elaborate further proposals concerning the suggested register of quality assurance agencies; ● the further stress on the importance of the social dimension of higher education, which includes – but is not limited to – academic mobility; ● the necessity of improving interaction between the European Higher Education Area and other parts of the world (the “external dimension”); ● the growing importance of addressing the development of the European Higher Education Area beyond 2010 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System A credit system is a systematic way of describing an educational programme by attaching credits to its components. The definition of credits in higher education systems may be based on different parameters, such as student workload, learning outcomes and contact hours. The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System [ECTS] is a student-centred system based on the student workload required to achieve the objectives of a programme, objectives preferably specified in terms of the learning outcomes and competences to be acquired. ECTS was introduced in 1989, within the framework of Erasmus, now part of the Socrates programme. ECTS is the only credit system which has been successfully tested and used across Europe. ECTS was set up initially for credit transfer. The system facilitated the recognition of periods of study abroad and thus enhanced the quality and volume of student mobility in Europe. Recently ECTS is developing into an accumulation system to be implemented at institutional, regional, national and European level. This is one of the key objectives of the Bologna Declaration of June 1999. ECTS makes study programmes easy to read and compare for all students, local and foreign. ECTS facilitates mobility and academic recognition. ECTS helps universities to organise and revise their study programmes. ECTS can be used across a variety of programmes and modes of delivery. ECTS makes European higher education more attractive for students from abroad.