The first, a seminar on “Recognition Issues in the Bologna Process”, was held in Lisbon on 11-12 April 2002 as a Council of Europe contribution to the emerging EHEA, in co-operation with the Ministry of Education of Portugal. The seminar was organized to mark the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Council of Europe/UNESCO Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region (Lisbon Recognition Convention; 1997), and to take stock of the current situation with regard to the recognition of qualifications; a third aim was to outline how improving the recognition of qualifications can contribute to establishing the EHEA. The seminar adopted a broad set of recommendations to various stakeholders: institutions, academic networks and student organizations, ENIC and NARIC, Governments and international organizations, etc. This document makes an important contribution to the growing awareness of the crucial role which recognition issues will play in the ongoing development of the EHEA.

The second event, a conference on ‘Credit Transfer and Accumulation – the Challenge for Institutions and Students’ was held at ETH Zürich, 11-12 October 2002, and was jointly organized by EUA and Swiss Confederation. This was the most heavily attended official follow-up seminar, with participants from many European universities, student bodies, national ministries and international organizations. They agreed on a number of key features of credit transfer and accumulation, and on the importance of introducing widely the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) as the only broadly tested credit system in Europe. Participants focused on defining the objectives of a credit transfer and accumulation system such as ECTS, and recognized key features of such a system. At the same time, a number of open issues for further reflection were identified, e.g. the role of ECTS in developing joint degrees, the issue of the grading scale, links between credits and levels, quality assurance, etc. These issues were further discussed in the period prior to the EUA Convention in May 2003.

Source: Bologna process between Prague and Berlin
Report to the Ministers of Education of the signatory countries Berlin, September 2003
General Rapporteur: Prof. Pavel Zgaga
Report commissioned by the Follow-up Group of the Bologna Process
Bologna Process between Prague and Berlin