The Nordic Official Bologna Seminar

Minister of Education and Research Øystein Djupedal's speech at Nordic Official Bologna Seminar on the External Dimension of the Bologna Process. Oslo 28.09.2006.

Ladies and gentlemen – friends and colleagues from around the world!

It is a great pleasure for me to welcome you to Norway, to Oslo and to the University of Oslo - to this Nordic Official Bologna Seminar on the External Dimension of the Bologna Process! I hope you feel welcome here in Norway.

Behind this event are the five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Norway – in collaboration with The Nordic Council of Ministers. I know that many of our European colleagues knows about Norden as a region and about Nordic cooperation. But as this seminar has gathered some 140-150 participants, representing 38 nationalities from all over the world, I will take the opportunity to say a few words about the Nordics and Norden as a region for collaboration.

 

The Nordic region has a population of 24,7 million and consists of the five countries mentioned above and the three autonomous territories of The Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. Norden is spread geographically over 8 timezones – and have only 19 inhabitants per square kilometre. We have approximately 9 languages in addition to 7 different Sami languages and dialects. Denmark, Norway and Sweden are all monarchies. Iceland and Finland are republics. We are border states in Europe. Nevertheless the diversities, the Nordic countries have a very long tradition in cooperation in a broad spectre of areas – education and research included. The Nordic Council of Ministers presidency is rotating once a year among the countries – and this very year, Norway is holding the presidency.

 

Of course, the Nordic countries do also have a long tradition of collaboration with the rest of Europe and the outside-Europe as well. Three of the Nordic countries are members of the European Union, two of us are not. But anyhow, to survive as an interesting partner and a powerful competitor in a globalized world, we all need to broaden and renew our partnerships, especially within the area of education and research. It is crucial for the mobility for our students, our academic and administrative staff – it is crucial to all of us as basis for high quality education and research. It is crucial if we are going to find sustainable solutions to the common future challenges.

 

This is why we must see to that Europe is acting openly and in agreement with the non-European countries and regions. This is why we are eager to develop a so called external dimension strategy – and this is why we have invited representatives from the non-European countries to join this seminar and discuss models of cooperation.

 

In Europe, 1999 became an important distinction in the field of European Higher Education. Ministers of Education of 29 European states met with university leaders from all over Europe to discuss the further development of higher education in Europe. The vision to develop a European Higher Education Area within the year of 2010 was stated in their post-summit declaration – the Bologna declaration. The action lines is among others adoption of comparable degrees, an higher education system essentially based on two main cycles, a joint system of credits, promotion of mobility for students, academic and administrative staff and a European cooperation in quality assurance. After the Bologna meeting, the ministers have met every other year - in Prague (2001), Berlin (2003) and in Bergen (2005). The number of priority areas has increased since the Bologna meeting in 1999, so have the number of members of the Bologna Process - to 45 states in 2006. The next ministerial meeting will be 17 May 2007 – in London.

 

Today, we are close to 2010, the time is ripe to take stock, to confirm our commitment and to draw up strategies for the future work. That is, dear colleagues, our agenda these days. We can be proud of what we have achieved so far! Huge reforms have taken and are taken place within higher education in most countries all over the world. It is a necessity if we want to cooperate and compete! I hope this seminar will contribute to taking the process further.

So – let us go deeper into the content of this seminar and ask:

 

Why is theBolognaProcess so important?

 
The Bologna Process is important because it is vital to the people of our countries. I think that also may explain its success, and the commitment we all feel to it. If not, we would probably have been somewhere else today. Strong universities with internationally high quality are in today’s world of knowledge, a condition for the personal development and success of each individual. It creates the basis for democratic development, cultural identity and creativity and future innovation and growth. We strive for the well-being of people and nations, and want to see higher education to develop capacities and qualities to take on that task in these changing times.

 

The Bologna Process has contributed to a renaissance for this principle of the old university world, as mobility is the essential aim of the process - and most utterly important in our relationships with the rest of the world. This is But instead of being an opportunity for the selected few as was the case in earlier times, the possibility to travel and study abroad shall now be a possibility for all students, regardless of economic and social background. This is our aim – our modern addition to an old principle.

 

Furthermore, this international dimension of academia is of increasing importance, through globalisation. Competition and cooperation are in a strange way two sides of the same coin. It is by sharing knowledge through cooperation; we will be able to compete at the international arena. This requires of course a certain balance, to avoid one-way competence traffic.

 

Much of the work being done in the process the last couple of years, has concentrated on creating the necessary basis for the increased mobility, cooperation and openness. There has been important development in quality assurance, through the close cooperation between ACA (Academic Cooperation Association), EI (Education International), ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education), ESIB (The National Unions of Students in Europe), EU (European Union), EUA (European University Association), EURASHE (European Association of Institutions in Higher Education), OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) and UNESCO ( United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). This is important, because not all cross-border higher education represents high quality. The mutually shared standards and guidelines for quality assurance that have been developed, should aim at securing that the education you get abroad is fully valid also at home. One thing is systemizing this within Europe, but now it is about the rest of the world as well.

 

There has also been important development in the realisation of an overarching framework of qualifications. Furthermore, the degree structure of the Bologna declaration is gaining ground in all countries of the process. Now we can see, that this development is followed carefully by many countries and areas around the world.

 

But we should avoid mixing necessary coordination with copying. The strength and fascination of Europe is its diversity; in culture and language, in geography, and in ways of thinking. When stimulating alternative thinking, environments have always increased their chances of adapting to changes, and thus - at the end of the day - surviving.

 

Social and economic differences affect both the situation for students within countries, and the mobility between countries. We have worked hard to facilitate and remove obstacles to mobility within the European Higher Education Area. Now it is time to see if it is possible to reduce the obstacles when it comes to cooperation between Europe and the rest of the world. This is to make sure that all students may take advantage of the possibilities and opportunities at the Higher Education Institutions created globally.

 

Our countries have different economic possibilities. But still we may gain from using this cooperation to explore ways of improving study conditions and access for all students, regardless of their social and economic background. The strong student cooperation across Europe should be seen as an important resource to this end.

 

When it comes to the External Dimension of the Bologna Process, it should be about openness and attractiveness. We should thus be sensitive to the way we are looked upon from outside. We should be satisfied with the interest from other countries and regions, some of them represented at this seminar. And we should listen to their concerns. Let me refer to a comment made by the secretary general of the African Association of Universities, Mr. Akilagpa Sawyerr. He has said that he was afraid that a one-way student flow to the European Higher Education Area from a region like Africa, combined with restrictive immigrations policies, might result in what he called an “intellectual festung Bologna”.

 

This is a concern we have to take seriously. It reflects an anxiety that Europe is neglecting its obligations towards the poorer parts of the world. I think we should signal clearly that such an anxiety is not justified. In Berlin we stated that “in international academic co-operation and exchanges, academic values should prevail”. I believe we are all concerned that the relations between the European Higher Education Area and the rest of the world should be governed by fairness in a responsible way.

 

I welcome the interest from countries outside Europe for the process. They want to learn from our experiences and find ways to join us in our efforts. This shows an increased interest for Europe as a source for co-operation and sharing of knowledge and competence. This, I think, is a very promising development emerging from the Bologna process. We should carefully discuss how we may stimulate this development, and share experiences with other regions of the world.

 

This actually answer my next question, but I will answer it anyway:

 

Why this seminar – and what to do now!

 
The Bologna ministers stated in the Bergen communiqué in 2005 that the European Higher Education Area should be open and attractive to other parts of the world. In order to share experiences with non-European countries within a satisfactory framework, they asked the Bologna Follow Up Group (BFUG) to develop a strategy on the so-called external dimension of the Bologna Process. A Working Group with representatives from 11 Bologna states and 8 organisations are now working together to present a proposal for a strategy document to the BFUG. The Working Group is chaired by Norway. The BFUG will in turn make their proposal to the London ministerial meeting in 2007.

 

To provide significant input for this work, three official Bologna seminars are arranged: The first one was in the Vatican, given by the Holy See in March/April 2006 and the second was the Greek seminar in Athens, in June 2006, hosted by the Ministry of Education in Greece.

 

This Nordic seminar in Oslo is the third and final seminar before the Working Group and the rapportuer, Professor Pavel Zgaga, are developing a proposal for a strategy for the External Dimension of the Bologna Process. By the way, Pavel Zgaga is today a professor at Ljubljana University. However, back in 1999, he was Minister of Education - signing the Bologna declaration for his home country Slovenia!

 

Through the Norwegian Quality Reform, Norway has become a leading country in Europe when it comes to fulfil the Bologna goals. The most important now is to contribute to find the best possible models for cooperation with the non-Bologna countries/areas. In order to do so, Norway want to give input for a balanced strategy when it comes to competitiveness, attractiveness, cooperation and capacity building. A Strategy must be seen in relation to which area of the world Europe is approaching. The development of a strategy on the external dimension ought also to be seen in connection with the OECD/UNESCO guidelines for quality provision of Cross-Border Higher Education.

 

You are representing teachers and students from universities, university colleges, stakeholder organisations and governments from all continents. Your say is important. Your contribution is crucial. You are the ones to give the right input to and carry out the content of such a strategy and you will benefit from it!

 

A good strategy on the external dimension of the Bologna Process will increase the mobility among students and teachers, give new inspiration and new relationships.

 

The discussions at this seminar is not only important to European Higher Education, but also to the areas of the world we would like to collaborate with. A strategy for international cooperation on higher education would be helpful to structure good solutions.

 

Agreed and appropriate models for increased mobility between Europe and non-European countries/regions will most probably also contribute to increase the quality of education and research also at the Norwegian Higher Education Institutions. And it goes for your institutions as well.

 

Thank you all for attending this important Bologna seminar, and especially thanks to our Nordic co-hosts and to the Nordic Council of Ministers. I am looking forward to see the result of your effort to contribute to a strategy for the external dimension of the Bologna Process.

 

Good luck with your discussions - and again – welcome to Norway and enjoy your stay in Oslo.