Work programme of the Bologna Follow-Up Group 2003-2005

Seminar on the Social Dimension of the European higher education area and world-wide competition

Bologna Seminar Paris, France 27/01/2005 - 28/01/2005

The seminar was organised by the French Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research in co-operation with ESIB – The National Unions of Students in Europe. General Rapporteur was Vera Stastna, Chair of the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee for Higher Education and Research. There were more than 180 participants from 33 European countries and 2 countries outside Europe (Australia and Argentina).

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The General Rapporteur observed that the social dimension will be one of the values which would make the EHEA truly European. The social dimension includes all provisions needed for having equal access, progress and completion of higher education. Enlarging the existing gap between different parts of Europe should be avoided, and at the national level the gap between those who benefit from higher education and come back later in life and those who never make use of this possibility should be closed.

Participants agreed that:

  • strengthening the social dimension of higher education is one of the conditions for making real a knowledge society, which implies increasing the number of graduates from higher education through lifelong learning;
  • social and economic background should not be a barrier to access to higher education, successful completion of studies and meaningful employment after graduation;
  • taking into account the social dimension of the EHEA both at the national level and the European level contributes to the creation of a coherent, balanced and competitive European Higher Education Area.

Participants recommended that:

  • the process of building the European Higher Education Area prove its social dimension and set it as a priority;
  • in that perspective, a specific analytical survey, built on existing initiatives and under the authority of the Bologna Follow-up Group (BFUG), focused on the social and economic situation of students, including obstacles to access and mobility and taking into account the lifelong learning objectives, should be carried out by 2007 in all the participating countries in the Bologna Process;
  • decisions on financing in the European Higher Education Area take into account social cohesion objectives regarding access to higher education, living and studying conditions, financial and material support, services for students such as information, guidance and advice, and also mobility support at the European level and the national level alike;
  • quality assurance mechanisms which are developing both internally and externally integrate as a must the social dimension in all aspects dealing with living and studying conditions and relate it to the multiple purposes of higher education and long-term results;
  • beyond Bergen, in order to make the social dimension of the EHEA a reality, it is vital to secure the full involvement and the working together of national authorities, higher education institutions and students, which is the only guarantee for effectiveness.

Source: General Report to the Bologna Follow-Up Group to the Conference of European Ministers Responsible for Higher Education - Bergen 19/20 May 2005
Bologna Process between Berlin and Bergen

Related documents

Seminar on The social dimension of the European higher education area and world-wide competition Paris 2005

Recommendations + French version
General report by Vera Statsna
Concluding remarks by Vera Statsna - Speech
Concluding remarks by Vera Statsna - Presentation
Presentation of the seminar + French version
Programme + French version
Participants
"The social dimension of the European Higher Education Area and world-wide competition”, Dionyssis Kladis, Professor in Higher Education Policy, University of the Peloponnese, Greece
"Eurostudent 2005", Klaus Schnitzer, Coordinator of the 'Eurostudent project', Hochschul-Informations-System GmbH, Germany
"Eurostudent 2005"- Survey
Keynote speech: “Social dimension of the EHEA and world-wide competition into perspectives”, Elie Cohen, Professor at Dauphine University (Paris) + French version

Workshop 1 : Social dimension, economic competition and attractiveness
Jean-Emile Charlier, Professor at the Catholic University of Louvain and at the Catholic University Faculties of Mons - Speech French version
Jean-Emile Charlier - Presentation French version
Malcom McVicar, Vice-Chancellor of the Central Lancashire University of Preston, UK
Stéphan Vincent-Lancrin, Analyst in the CERI (Centre for Educational Research and Innovation), OECD French version
Stéphan Vincent-Lancrin - Presentation French version

Workshop 2 : Social dimension and criteria of quality
Marek Frankowicz, Professor at the Faculty of Chemistry, Jagellonian University, Cracow - Speech
Marek Frankowicz - Presentation
Marek Frankowicz - Briefing Paper
Michel Levasseur, Vice-President of the CNE (Comité d'Evaluation National) - Speech + French version
Michel Levasseur- Presentation + French version
Eivind Vad Petersson, student representative and Bologna promoter - Speech
Eivind Vad Petersson - Presentation

Workshop 3 : Social dimension and social cohesion
Roberto Moscati, Professor at the Milano Bicocca University, Italy - Speech
Roberto Moscati - Presentation
M. Aldrik in't Hout (NL) and Mrs Ellemiek Etman (NL), Ministry of Education of the Nederlands
Guy Neave, Professor of Comparative Higher Education Policy Studies, Universiteit Twente, the Netherlands

Workshop 4 : Social dimension and institutional international policies
Fidel Corcuera Manso (ES), Professor, University of Saragosse, Director for International Relations within ANECA (Agencia nacional de evaluacion de la calidad y Acreditación ) - Speech + French version
Fidel Corcuera Manso - Presentation French version

Achim Meyer Auf Der Heyde, Secretary General of the DSW '(Deutsches Studentenwerk), President of ECSTA (European Council for Student Affairs)
Olivier Audéoud, Président de l’Université Paris X Nanterre, Président de la Commission des Relations Extérieures de la CPU (Conférence des Présidents d'Université) French version
Marie-Françoise Fave-Bonnet, Professeure de Sciences de l’Education, Université Paris X Nanterre (France), Promoteur de Bologne (équipe française) French version

Published: 27/01/2005 - Last modified: 20/10/2016
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