BM 62 – ESU calls for more balanced Bologna implementation in EHEA
Background situation: Initiated by UASS, in the end of 2011 and beginning of 2012, a national study was conducted by a group of Ukrainian NGOs, on the implementation of the Bologna process in Ukraine. Aim for this action was to identify the level of integration of Ukraine in the European Higher Education Area, as there a lack of information available on this issue in the country, what is more low level of stakeholders involvement in the higher education governance creates obstacles to the access to information on the actions of the governmental bodies responsible for education policy.
The study has shown that actions taken by the Ukrainian governments since 2005 when Ukraine joined Bologna process had low effect on the educational system. Some action lines of the Bologna process have not been implemented at all, such as: three cycle education, quality assurance, recognition. What is more, there is a great number of issues where no changes for the last seven years have been seen, they are mobility, lifelong learning, employability. And at some points in time steps backwards have been also made, especially n the social dimension, what have reduced previous efforts to improve the situation.
With this motion we call upon the support of the NUSes to disseminate the information regarding Ukrainian progress on Bologna implementation on the international level.
Resolution text:
Bologna process has been a unique European experience that has gathered countries from all over the continent to cooperate and address issues in higher education together. However, efforts put into the process of implementation differ a lot among the European Higher Education Area member states.
What is more, in the number of countries there has been a lack of the stakeholders involvement, which is one of the Bologna process core action lines.
Nevertheless, a response to this has been found by Ukrainian NGOs dealing with higher education. They have managed, for the first time, a study on the integration of the Ukrainian higher education system into the European Higher Education and Research Area. This study has been made independently by the civil society organizations and has shown a difference in the governmental and society’s perspective on the changes in the educational system of the country, and unfortunately identified a low level of Bologna action lines implemented in Ukraine.
Therefore, European Students Union calls upon an increase of the attention towards the data collection in the EHEA countries with the stakeholders involvement on all the level, pointing out, especially, on the role of students in this process.
Furthermore, ESU sees, especially through the Bologna with the Students eyes, a need to improve Bologna implementation in the countries participating, through paying more attention towards the ones where issues are seen, and calls for the support of the stakeholders initiatives aimed at shaping of European Higher Education Area
