Work programme of the Bologna Follow-Up Group 2005-2007
Bologna Follow-Up Group
The context for the work of the Bologna Follow Up Group (BFUG) between 2005 and 2007 was clearly set out in the Bergen Communique, agreed by Ministers responsible for higher education in the Bologna signatory countries at their 4th conference in Bergen, Norway in May 2005.
We charge the Follow-up Group with continuing and widening the stocktaking process and reporting in time for the next Ministerial Conference. We expect stocktaking to be based on the appropriate methodology and to continue in the fields of the degree system, quality assurance and recognition of degrees and study periods, and by 2007 we will have largely completed the implementation of these three intermediate priorities.
In particular, we shall look for progress in:
- implementation of the standards and guidelines for quality assurance as proposed in the ENQA report;
- implementation of the national frameworks for qualifications;
- the awarding and recognition of joint degrees, including at the doctorate level;
- creating opportunities for flexible learning paths in higher education, including procedures for the recognition of prior learning.We also charge the Follow-up Group with presenting comparable data on the mobility of staff and students as well as on the social and economic situation of students in participating countries as a basis for future stocktaking and reporting in time for the next Ministerial Conference. The future stocktaking will have to take into account the social dimension as defined above.
During the 2005-2007 period, BFUG meetings have helped develop understanding of specific aspects of the Bologna Process, supporting the implementation of the 10 Action Lines in all participating countries by 2010.
BFUG has also started to look ahead, giving some initial consideration to what support might be required and how the EHEA might develop over the longer term, to ensure it remains attractive and competitive in response to the new challenges that will inevitably arise.
Key issues
In the 2005-2007 period, the number of Bologna seminars, where higher education stakeholders from across the EHEA come together to develop policy, is reducing. Conversely, working groups and projects are becoming more effective working methods, as policy lines have been largely elaborated and there is an increasing focus on more detailed implementation issues.
The BFUG Work Programme included six Working Groups, eight Bologna Seminars, two Projects.
Stocktaking Working Group
Report from a working group appointed by the Bologna Follow-up Group to the Ministerial Conference in London, May 2007.
Working Group on the External Dimension of the Bologna Process
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....
Working Group on Social Dimension and Data on the Mobility of Staff and Students in Participating Countries
The tasks given to the Bologna Follow-Up Group (BFUG) concerning the social dimension and mobility, presented in the Bergen Communiqué, were agreed to be taken...
Working Group on Qualifications Frameworks
The Ministers responsible for Higher Education in the countries participating in the Bologna Process established the overarching framework for qualifications of the...
Working Group on Portability of Grants and Loans
In the Bergen Communiqué it was recognised that mobility of students among all participating countries remains one of the key objectives of the Bologna Process....
The European Register of Quality Assurance Agencies
In the Bergen Communiqué, Ministers adopted the standards and guidelines for quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area as proposed by ENQA and...
Developing Doctoral Programmes in Europe
In the Bergen Ministerial Conference, the Ministers asked EUA to prepare a report, together with other interested parties, on the further development of the basic...
