Challenges and Impacts of the Bologna Process in European Universities

European Universities after Bologna: Challenges for 2011-2021 Peter Maassen, University of Oslo, Norway Conference on The Future of the European Universities after Bologna organised by University Foundation, in cooperation with Vlaamse Interuniversitaire Raad (Vl.I.R.) and The Conseil des recteurs francophone (C.Re.F.) Brussels, 13th December 2010

1. Bologna 1999-2009 and 2020 Agenda Major challenges for European universities 2011-2021: 2. University Image 3. University Revenues 4. Intra- vs inter-University Diversity 5. Vertical vs Horizontal Policy Coordination

Bologna Process 1999-2009: implementation of Bologna Declaration Implementation agreements 1. Decentralisation: No joint implementation structure; each Bologna country responsible for national implementation. 2. Political steering: Biennial meeting of national Ministers of Education for discussing progress and adaptation of process. 3. Practical implementation structure: Bologna secretariat ; and Bologna Follow Up Group (BFUG), consisting of all countries involved and main stakeholders. 4. Funding: No joint budget for Bologna implementation. Funds for Studies and Seminars either national or EU. 5. Time schedule: All countries signing the Bologna Declaration should have implemented it by 2010.

Bologna Process: implementation issues 1999-2009 1. Inter-country differences in implementation: National translations of Bologna Declaration National legal, bureaucratic and financial support structures Level of national political prioritising of Bologna 2. National criticism on and protest against Bologna Process Staff Unions Students

Bologna Process: implementation issues 1999-2009 (cont.) 3. Integration of Bologna Process in EU s Education, Research and Innovation policies (Knowledge Triangle) Originally: Bologna intergovernmental and not supranational. Gradually integration of Bologna Process with other European level education, research and innovation initiatives and policies. Gradual emphasising of economic dimensions of Bologna Process

Bologna has had Positive Effects on HE in Europe Degree structures have become more transparent and modularized; ECTS (and diploma supplement) great step forward for mobile students European HE has attracted more international students; Quality assessment has been a constant focus, Etc.

Attention for Bologna Outside Europe Requests to support a regional version of the Bologna Process (Africa and Latin America), Efforts for developing a regional variation of Bologna (ASEAN), Seminars and studies about the effects of Bologna on other HE systems (USA and Australia). Perceived benefits of Bologna: Transparency of degree systems; ECTS stimulating cooperation and mobility both inside Europe as well as towards Europe; Increased cross-border cooperation of HEIs.

Prospects for Bologna Inside Europe Bologna has lost somewhat of its momentum. The financial crisis and other national and European policy priorities have led to a greater focus on relationship between HE and society, instead of intra-sector reforms. The question is whether the Bologna 2020 priorities will contribute to a renewed confidence of the polities and the economies in traditional higher education institutions in Europe.

What is the future for the Bologna Process given that it is to a large extent integrated into European level educational (and research) policies and programmes?

European level EHEA & ERA building blocks Bologna process absorbed into a complex set of processes, programmes, initiatives, legal measures, reforms, policies aimed at further European integration of national Higher Education and Research/Science systems.

European level EHEA & ERA building blocks (cont.) - Directives (e.g. Professional Recognition; Large Mammals in Research; Admission of non-EU researchers: Fast-track for Researchers visas ) - European Area Integration Processes: Education & Training 2010 2020 Ljubljana Process (aimed at ERA revival; launched 15.04.08) - European Qualification Framework (EQF) - European Research Council (ERC) - European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT) - Boosting a single European labour market for researchers, incl. pan-EU pension schemes for Researchers - Erasmus Mundus Second Round (Budget 1 billion), incl. PhD education innovations

Challenges of European Integration Processes for Universities in Europe

University image The European University faces a crossroads. One path leading to despair and utter hopelessness, the other to extinction. Let us pray that it has the knowledge to choose correctly signpost (Free after Woody Allen )

After remaining a comparatively isolated universe for a very long period, both in relation to society and to the rest of the world, with funding guaranteed and a status protected by respect for their autonomy, European universities have gone through the second half of the 20thcentury without really calling into question the role or nature of what they should be contributing to society. The changes they are undergoing today and which have intensified over the past ten years prompt the fundamental question: Can the European universities, as they are and are organized now, hope in the future to retain their place in society and in the world? (Commission 2003: 22)

Quotes. European higher education systems have fallen behind over the last few decades, in terms of participation, quality, and in research and innovation our Universities are being held back from delivering to society the various benefits that they could provide unless the etatist mentality is broken, European HE will not only fail to catch up with the US, but it will fall further behind in the years to come the latest ranking from Shanghai Jiaotong University finds that Europe may have boasted world-class universities before America even appeared on European maps, but today it is running behind in the quality of graduates it produces European universities suffer from poor governance, insufficient autonomy, and often perverse incentives

The challenge for Europe is clear. But so is the solution However, is it really that simple?

Claim: Solutions will improve performance by changing practices and structures developed over long historical periods, as well as conceptions of the proper role of government in the economy and society. But: The remedies offered are celebrating private enterprises and competitive markets and they can be seen as one size fits all remedies or solutions looking for problems in all sectors of society.

For example: link between autonomy and quality link between management and performance link between concentration and output link between basic research and innovation In general, based on: Strong convictions, weak evidence

Example: Claimed gap between educational revenues per student for European public HEIs compared to US public higher education institutions Bruegel report (Aghion et al. 2008, p. 5): the EU25 spends on average 8,700 per student versus 36,500 in the US European Commission (2006): there is a revenue gap of some 10,000 per student NCHEMS (2008) / http://www.higheredinfo.org/dbrowser/index.php?measure=37 In 2008 the revenues per full-time equivalent student (public appropriations and tuition revenues) were on average $11,026 for all public universities and colleges in the USA

Typically, an institution under serious attack reexamines its pact with society and its rationale, identity and foundations, its ethos, codes of behavior and primary allegiances and loyalties. Likewise, there may be public debates about what different institutions are supposed to accomplish for society, how each is to be justified and made accountable, what is to be core institutions and auxiliary institutions, and what kind of relationship government is supposed to have to different types of institutions. A possible outcome is the fall and rise of institutional structures and their associated systems of normative and causal beliefs and resources. Arguably, the European University now faces this kind of situation. (Olsen, 2007, p. 28)

University Revenues Challenge: move from one dominant source of income to diversity of income sources Financial crisis Tuition fee sensitive / taboo Unsupportive tax regime

University Diversity Intra-university diversity: Structural: Centres of excellence (research and education) Personnel policies: Performance based salaries

University Diversity Inter-university diversity: Balance between system level need for order (unity) and institutional need for autonomy (diversity) Clark (1983): Forces that keep HE systems together (coordination) Forces that pull HE systems in different directions (diversity) Olsen (2007) Europe in Search of New Political Order System level need for order (unity) Need for institutional autonomy (diversity/disorder)

How to create/maintain balance between unity and diversity? Creating order in European HE systems traditionally national issue Emergence of: European Higher Education Area / European Research Area Creating balance no longer solely a national issue; there is also a need to create a balance between a European unity/order in HE and European HEIs autonomy ( European HE diversity )

European tradition: Binary HE Systems Universities Colleges

Diversity challenge: intra- or inter-institutional diversity? HE system: inter-institutional diversity HE System: Intra-institutional diversity

Diversity challenge: geographical dimension Equal and homogeneous HE development throughout Europe versus Concentration on the basis of quality Example of European Research Council (ERC)

ERC Starting Grant Competition 2007 9167 submitted proposals Results of evaluation, 430 proposals meeting ERC threshold of excellence: 201 proposals on priority list 229 on reserve list Procedure: ERC staff started negotiations with all 201 candidates on priority list followed by negotiations with candidates on reserve list in rank order Results: 300 contracts

ERC Country Overview number of contracted grants per country (10 December 2010; 1336 grants) 1. UK 2. France 3. Germany 4. Switzerland 5. Netherlands 6. Italy 7. Israel 8. Spain 9. Sweden 10. Belgium 269 (20%) 178 (13%) 160 (12%) 110 (8%) 102 (7.5%) 88 85 83 58 46 Central/Eastern Europe 28 (2%)

ERC Overview; number of contracted grants per university (10 December 2010; 1336 grants) 1. University of Cambridge 2. Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne 3. University of Oxford 3. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem 5. Imperial College of Science, Technology, Med. 6. Weizmann Institute of Technology 6. University College London 8. ETH Zurich 33 31 29 29 26 24 24 23 CNRS France Max Planck Gesellschaft Germany 64 29

Horizontal and vertical policy coordination Horizontal coordination: coordination of the HE policies with policies in other relevant areas at the same level Vertical coordination: coordination in the HE policy area between European level, national level, regional level and organisational or institutional level

Marble cake federalism No rigid delineation of which level of government held authority over which set of activities (Donahue 1996)

Bologna Process 2011-2020 Official Conclusions until 2010: Bologna process seen as a success story, but not yet finished: 1. Not fully implemented in every country 2. Outcome: only partial homogenization of degree structures (3-4 + 1- 2 + 3-4) 3. Decoupling of bachelor and master degree programmes on continent, but civil effects not clear yet 4. Employers confused about nature and value of Bologna outcomes 5. No overall growth of European student mobility (yet), no development of a European Master programme market

2020 Of Relevance: Bologna 2020: Ministerial Bologna meeting / communiqu 2009 Lisbon Agenda 2020 Education and Training 2020

Ministerial Bologna meeting Leuven 28/29 April 2009 Ministerial Communiqu 2009 The Bologna Process 2020 The European Higher Education Area in the new decade Presenting: Priorities for EHEA for the next decade

Bologna 2020 priorities: 1. 2. 3. 4. Social dimension: equitable access and completion Lifelong learning Employability Student-centred learning and the teaching mission of higher education Education, research and innovation International openness Mobility Data collection Multidimensional transparency tools Funding 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Bologna 2020 challenges 1. Promote interests of specific sector in a knowledge policy arena where the sector has lost its special position. Promote the interests of all types of HEIs, not only the top universities Realize Bologna priorities with decreasing public funding levels. Find an acceptable balance between convergence and divergence when it comes to institutional types and structures. Prevent the division of European HE in various quality and attractiveness levels. 2. 3. 4. 5.

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