www.swansea.ac.uk

2009 Erasmus Coordinators’ Workshops

British Council, Cardiff 24 June 2009

Huw Morris

Academic Registrar and Bologna Expert

Swansea University,

www.swansea.ac.uk

2009 Erasmus Coordinators’ Workshops

Aims of the presentation

To draw to your attention some of the key strategic

developments within the Bologna Process

To reflect upon institutional responses to and

engagement with the Bologna Process

To assess the impact of the Bologna reforms on the

work of Erasmus Officers within universities

www.swansea.ac.uk

Bologna Process/European Higher Education Area

The main goal of the Bologna Process to develop a European Higher Education Area by 2010, within which

will exist

- a common Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS)

- a three-cycle academic structure:

Bachelor – Master – Doctoral degrees

- a Qualification Framework

- approved Quality Systems

the key themes

- easily readable and comparable degrees

- promotion of student and staff mobility (globally)

www.swansea.ac.uk

Bologna Process/European Higher Education Area

Historical context

Sorbonne Declaration (1998) set the basic precepts

- improving international transparency

- facilitating mobility of students and staff

- designing a common degree level system (Undergraduate and Masters)

France, Germany, Italy and UK

www.swansea.ac.uk

Bologna Process/European Higher Education Area

Bologna Declaration (1999)

- signed by 29 Ministers

- to establish the general framework for the modernisation

and reform of European HE

* 2 cycle system

* support the mobility of staff and students

* promote European co-operation in quality

assurance

* system of credits

www.swansea.ac.uk

Bologna Process/European Higher Education Area

Bi-annual Ministerial Meetings

Prague 2001 - promotion of the EHEA: lifelong learning

Berlin 2003 - Doctoral level added: quality assurance

Bergen 2005 - National Framework of qualifications

+ Joint degrees

London 2007 - European Quality Assurance Register

Leuven 2009 - Mobility (20% target)

- Latest communiqué published in April 2009

www.swansea.ac.uk

UK Engagement with Bologna

Government level- One of 4 signatories to the Sorbonne Declaration

- Hosted the 2007 Ministerial meeting

- Instrumental in debates – eg learning outcomes + University autonomy

Higher Education- British Council manages a team of Bologna Experts

-UUK Europe Unit promotes the agenda within HE

-Engagement of HEIs is inconsistent

www.swansea.ac.uk

Institutional Engagement with Bologna

- Strategic Plan of the University?

- Adoption of the European Credit Transfer

System?

- Issuing of Diploma supplements?

- Promotion of the European dimension in higher

education?

- Mobility of students and staff?

www.swansea.ac.uk

Key developments

European Credit Transfer System

“… the speed of development of a common European credit accumulation and transfer system has been spectacular”

-high percentage of countries have introduced ECTS through

legislation

-UK has autonomous institutions

ECTS Label has not been awarded to any UK HEI

‘Higher Education in Europe 2009: Developments in the Bologna Process’

Education, Audiovisual and Cultural Executive Agency 2009

www.swansea.ac.uk

Key developments

Diploma Supplement

Designed as a mobility tool for students and also as a

document to enhance employability

The Diploma Supplement is presented to students free of

charge in a standardised format

Only 3 UK universities have been awarded a Diploma

supplement Label - Swansea, Bournemouth and Kent

(see handout - map p 32)

www.swansea.ac.uk

Key developments

Structures

- Bachelor – Masters Structure

→ easily readable degrees + recognition

→ not a prescriptive approach

Cycle 1 (180 – 240 ECTS)

- 19 countries 180 ECTS (3 years)

- 11 countries 240 ECTS (4 years)

others no single model

Cycle 2 (90 – 120 ECTS)

- 29 countries - 2 years

others vary from 60 ECTS – 90 ECTS

3 + 2 model (180 + 120) - 17 countries

UK – largely 3 years (or 4 years) + 1 year model

[Although not prescriptive – practical influences]

www.swansea.ac.uk

Key developments

Mobilitycentral to all Bologna reforms, with an emphasis on enhancing a student’s employability prospects

- the common structures and unified approach has enabled

expansion of traditional mobility placements

upward mobility

joint degrees

European and global windows eg Asia, Canada

“We believe that mobility of students, early stage researchers and staff enhances the quality of programmes and excellence in research; it strengthens the academic and cultural internationalisation of European higher education. Mobility is important for personal development and employability, it fosters respect for diversity and a capacity to deal with other cultures. It encourages linguistic pluralism, thus underpinning the multilingual tradition of the European Higher Education Area and it increases cooperation and competition between higher education institutions…”

Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve Communiqué 28 - 29 April 2009

www.swansea.ac.uk

Key developments

Joint Degrees

Erasmus Mundus I

- restricted to Masters degrees

- 130 consortia

- flagship degrees of the EHEA

Erasmus Mundus II

- Masters and Doctoral

- high level of interest

www.swansea.ac.uk

Relevance for Erasmus Co-ordinators

Challenge 1

•To raise UK students’ outgoing mobility [20% as a target]

(refer to Figure E1, p 44 – handout)

•To raise awareness of the importance of languages

•To introduce mobility opportunities at the 3 cycles including Doctoral

level

Challenge 2

To respond to the expectation of incoming European students

-ECTS

-Learning Agreements

-Diploma supplements

-Workload (1500 – 1800 hours) or learning outcomes

www.swansea.ac.uk

Relevance for Erasmus Co-ordinators

Challenge 3

To develop joint degrees or collaborative degrees, including co-tutelle

agreements

To develop Erasmus Mundus degrees

Challenge 4

To ensure that UK students are as globally employable as those from

other countries by offering the same opportunities as are offered

throughout Europe

www.swansea.ac.uk

Conclusion

UK universities, arguably, have not engaged sufficiently with

the Bologna Process

Our involvement within the EHEA must be more pro-active

Be ambassadors within your universities

Use the team of Bologna Experts

www.swansea.ac.uk

Useful web pages

Bologna Follow Up Group http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/londonbologna/•EUA http://www.eua.be/

Europe Unit, UUK http://www.europeunit.ac.uk/home/

British Council (Bologna Promoters)

http://www.britishcouncil.org/erasmus-bologna-process.htm

Guide to the Bologna Process http://www.europeunit.ac.uk/bologna_process/index.cfm

Guide to the Diploma Supplement http://www.europeunit.ac.uk/resources/Guide%20to%20the%20Diploma%20Supplement.