The Bologna Process

The beginning of the Bologna process can be traced back to the mid-1970s, when the Council of Ministers of the European Union adopted a resolution on the first program of cooperation in the field of education.

In 1998, the education ministers of four European countries ( Claude Allegre from France , from Germany , from Great Britain and Luigi Berlinguer from Italy ), who participated in the celebration of the 800th anniversary of the University of Paris , agreed that The segmentation of European higher education in Europe impedes the development of science and education. They signed the Sorbonne Joint Declaration , 1998 ^[5] . The purpose of the declaration is to create general provisions for the standardization of the European Higher Education Area, where mobility should be encouraged both for students and graduates, as well as for staff development. In addition, she had to ensure that qualifications meet modern requirements in the labor market.

The goals of the Sorbonne Declaration were reaffirmed on June 19, 1999 at the signing of the Bologna Declaration, in which 29 countries expressed their willingness to commit themselves to increase the competitiveness of the European Higher Education Area and to ensure the compatibility and comparability of national higher education systems with setting standards for transnational education; at the same time, the need to maintain the independence and independence of all higher education institutions was emphasized ^{[6] [7]} . All the provisions of the Bologna Declaration were established as measures of the voluntary harmonization process, and not as strict legal obligations.

As of 2013, the Bologna Process united already 48 countries (including Russia , which joined it in 2003) ^[7] .

The main goals of the Bologna process: expanding access to higher education , further improving the quality and attractiveness of European higher education, expanding the mobility of students and teachers , as well as ensuring the successful employment of university graduates due to the fact that all academic degrees and other qualifications should be oriented to the labor market . Russia's accession to the Bologna process gives a new impetus to the modernization of higher professional education , opens up additional opportunities for Russian universities to participate in projects funded by the European Commission, and students and teachers of higher educational institutions in academic exchanges with universities in European countries ^[8] .

The purpose of the declaration is the establishment of a European higher education zone , as well as the revitalization of the European system of higher education on a global scale.

The declaration contains six key provisions:

1. Adoption of a system of comparable degrees, including through the implementation of the diploma supplement to ensure the employment of European citizens and increase the international competitiveness of the European higher education system.
2. Introduction of two-cycle training: preliminary (undergraduate) and graduation (graduate). The first cycle lasts at least three years. The second should lead to a master's degree or a doctorate.
3. Implementation of the European system of reloading credits of labor input to support large-scale student mobility ( point system ). It also provides the student with the right to choose the subjects studied. It is proposed to adopt ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) as a basis, making it a funded system capable of working within the framework of the "lifelong learning" concept.
4. Substantial development of student mobility (based on the implementation of the two previous paragraphs). Expanding the mobility of teachers and other staff by taking into account the period of time they spent on work in the European region. Setting standards for transnational education.
5. Promoting European cooperation in quality assurance with a view to developing comparable criteria and methodologies.
6. Promoting the necessary European views in higher education, especially in the areas of curriculum development, inter-institutional cooperation, mobility schemes and joint study programs, practical training and research.

Countries join the Bologna process on a voluntary basis by signing the relevant declaration. Moreover, they assume certain obligations, some of which are limited in time:

• since 2005, begin to give free of charge to all graduates of universities participating in the Bologna process European applications of a single standard for diplomas ^{[9] of} bachelor's and master's degrees ;
• until 2010, reform the national education system in accordance with the main provisions of the Bologna Declaration.

Participants in the Bologna process for 2015 are 48 countries and the European Commission ^[10] . All countries - members of the European Union and the Eastern Partnership are involved in the process. Monaco and San Marino are the only Council of Europe members not participating in the process.

Once every two years, as part of the Bologna Declaration, ministerial conferences are held at which ministers express their will through a communiqué .

In the Prague Communiqué of 2001 ^{[11], the} number of member countries was increased to 33, and there was an expansion of goals in order to increase the attractiveness and competitiveness of the European higher education space in the context of continuing education. In addition, the ministers committed themselves to ensure the further development of national qualification structures and the quality of education. This goal was supplemented by the provisions on lifelong learning as one of the important elements of higher education, which should be taken into account when creating new educational systems. The topic of public control of the learning process was also first raised in the Prague Communiqué.

The next ministerial conference was held in Berlin in 2003 ; The Berlin communiqué ^[12] has increased the number of countries participating in the Bologna process to 40. The main provisions of this communiqué consider expanding the goals in terms of combining the links of the European Higher Education Area into the European Scientific Area , as well as measures to promote receiving quality training. Another important issue that was addressed in the Berlin communiqué is the creation of new structures that support the processes initiated at the two ministerial conferences. Based on this, the Bologna Group, the Bologna Council and the Secretariat were created. In this communiqué, the ministers also agreed that appropriate national structures should be created in each of the participating countries.

In 2005, a ministerial conference was held in Bergen. The final communiqué ^[13] emphasized the importance of partnerships, including among interested parties - students , universities , teachers and employers , as well as further expansion of scientific research, especially regarding the third cycle - doctoral studies . In addition, this communiqué emphasizes the importance of providing more accessible higher education, as well as enhancing the attractiveness of the European Higher Education Area in other parts of the world .

In the 2007 London Communiqué ^{[14], the} number of participating countries was expanded to 46. This communiqué focuses on assessing progress by then, raising questions about mobility, degree structures, level of recognition of the Bologna system as a whole, qualifications structures (both general and national ), lifelong learning, ensuring the quality of education, public monitoring of the learning process, as well as many priorities for 2009 , the main of which are: mobility, social control, which was proposed married in the Prague Communiqué and first defined here, data collection and accounting, employment opportunities. It was emphasized that there is a need for further cooperation, considering it as an opportunity to reform the value systems and concepts of the educational process.

In 2009, the conference was held in the Belgian city of Leuven (Louvain-la-Neuve - New Leuven); The main working questions related to plans for the next decade, with a focus on: public scrutiny, lifelong learning, employment, methods of communicating educational goals to students. The issues of international openness, mobility of students, education in general, research and innovation, issues of data collection, financing and a variety of tools and methods to ensure transparency of the educational process were also considered. All these issues were reflected in the final communiqué ^[15] , showing the new direction of the Bologna process - deeper reform, which will ensure the completion of the implementation of the Bologna process. Another change concerns the internal mechanisms associated with the presidency of the Bologna Council. If earlier the Bologna process was chaired by a country presiding in the EU , now the process will be chaired by two countries: both a country presiding in the EU and non- EU countries in alphabetical order.

The next ministerial conference was held in March 2010 in Budapest and Vienna ^[16] ; The conference was a jubilee - a decade of the Bologna process. In honor of the anniversary, an official announcement was made about the creation of the European Higher Education Area , which means that the goal set in the Bologna Declaration has been fulfilled. In addition, starting from this conference, the European Higher Education Area has been expanded to 47 countries.

The Ninth Conference of Ministers of Education of the European Higher Education Area and the Fourth Bologna Political Forum were held in Yerevan on May 14-15, 2015. The event was attended by over 100 delegations from 47 countries participating in the Bologna Process, as well as about 20 ministers of education. The conference presented the main results of activities in the field of quality assurance, the use of ECTS credits, qualification systems, recognition of prior training, which were laid down in the BFUG Work Plan for 2012-2015. During the Fourth Bologna Political Forum, the EHEA Ministers of Education entered into a global dialogue with colleagues from countries bordering the EHEA, including the Mediterranean region.

Organizational forums are held in conjunction with ministerial conferences as part of the Bologna process.

The first organizational Bologna forum was held in Leuven in 2009 . It was attended by 46 members of the Bologna Process, as well as a wide range of third countries and non-governmental organizations. The main issues discussed at the forum were: a key role in the development of a higher education society based on the continuous educational process and the ability of all sectors of society to receive education. The importance of public investment in higher education was considered, despite the economic crisis , the importance of international exchanges in higher education, the need for a balanced exchange of teachers, researchers and students between countries in order to promote a fair and fruitful “brain exchange” as an alternative to “brain drain” ^[17] .

The second organizational Bologna forum was held in Vienna in March 2010 ^[18] ; It was attended by 47 countries and eight advisory members, as well as third countries and non-governmental organizations. The main topics of discussion were the following: how higher education systems and institutions respond to growing needs and expectations, ensuring a balance between cooperation and competition in international higher education. Most of the participants also recognized the need to create contact methods for each of the participants in the process, such as appointing responsible contact persons for each participating country, who will act as a liaison, will help improve information exchange and coordination of joint actions, including the preparation of the next Bologna organizational forum . The need to promote and develop a global dialogue between students from all countries was also recognized.

The Fourth Bologna Political Forum was held in Yerevan on May 14-15, 2015.

Достоинства Болонского процесса: расширение доступа к высшему образованию , дальнейшее повышение качества и привлекательности европейского высшего образования, расширение мобильности студентов и преподавателей , а также обеспечение успешного трудоустройства выпускников вузов за счёт того, что все академические степени и другие квалификации должны быть ориентированы на рынок труда .

Присоединение России к Болонскому процессу даёт новый импульс модернизации высшего профессионального образования , открывает дополнительные возможности для участия российских вузов в проектах, финансируемых Европейской комиссией, а студентам и преподавателям высших учебных заведений — в академических обменах с университетами европейских стран ^[8] .

США не только наблюдают за процессом европейской образовательной интеграции, но и достаточно активно участвуют в нём. В 1992 году при ЮНЕСКО была создана рабочая группа по разработке нормативной базы для обеспечения возможности взаимного признания документов об образовании стран Европы и Америки. Однако за два года не удалось прийти к консенсусу: выяснилось, что одной из главных проблем на пути конвергенции двух образовательных систем является проблема сопоставления Европейской системы взаимного признания зачётных единиц (ECTS) с американской системой зачётных единиц ( англ. credits ). В США применяется более разнообразная и гибкая система учёта учебной нагрузки, состоящая из системы зачётных единиц (credits), подсчёта суммарных оценок по критериям количества (GPA) и качества (QPA), а также дополнительных баллов за успешную учебную и научную работу (Honors) ^[19] .

Вводимая в России многоуровневая система высшего образования, ориентированная на унификацию с европейской системой образования и интеграцию в неё, — коренным образом отличается от исторически сложившейся в Российской Федерации. Многое придется менять, а что-то — ломать кардинально и строить заново. В этом и достоинство вводимых инноваций, и потенциальные угрозы ^[20] . Существует опасность потерять то ценное, что было достигнуто за предыдущую историю отечественного высшего профессионального образования. И эта опасность является вполне реальной в связи с отменой специалитета как уровня подготовки профессионалов в техническом университете.

По оценкам российских экспертов в области образования, присоединение России к Болонскому процессу может привести к временной путанице с учебными программами ^[21] . Работодателей, которые учились во времена СССР , нужно информировать о том, что все современные степени высшего образования являются полноценными, но некоторые степени в большей мере предназначены для научно-педагогической деятельности в вузе , например степень магистра и доктора философии. Степень специалиста в ЕС и большинстве стран, которые участвуют в Болонском процессе, отсутствует ^[22] . Одна из серьёзных проблем интеграции российской системы образования в Болонский процесс — недостаточно полная информированность должностных лиц как о текущем положении дел в российском и европейском образовании, так и о целях Болонского процесса.

• Великая Хартия университетов
• Система образования США
• Студенческое движение
• Кредит (образование)

• Bologna Process: Problems and Prospects / Ed. M. M. Lebedeva . - Moscow: Orgservice-2000, 2006. - ISBN 5-98115-066-1 .
• Dialogue of organizational cultures in the creation of a pan-European space of higher education: Implementation of the principles of the Bologna process in international educational programs with the participation of Russia / S.V. Lukov (supervisor), B.N. Gaidin, V. A. Gnevasheva, K. N. Kislitsyn, E K. Pogorsky; Mosk. humanity. University, Institute of foundation. and butt. research; Int. Acad. Sciences, Dep. humanity. Sciences Rus. sections. - M .: Publishing house Mosk. humanity. University , 2010 .-- 260 s. - 100 copies. - ISBN 978-5-98079-651-8 .
• Implementation of the Bologna process in the countries of the Tempus project (2009/2010) . - Brussels, 2010. - T. 2. Archived copy of August 17, 2011 on the Wayback Machine

• New official website
• Old official site (English)
• Bologna process on the website of Tomsk State University
• National Projects Magazine - A national project in the field of education. Bologna Declaration and Competitiveness of Graduates of Russian Higher Education
• The Bologna Process in Russia map on the MGIMO website -
• “Has the concept changed?” - Anna Ochkina follows “the footsteps of reformers from education”, clarifying the essence of the national project “Education” and the Bologna system
• Education system in Spain
• Fursov A.I. Universities prepare puppets
• Burik M. Bologna process in the world and in Ukraine
• Ivanova V.I. Implementation of Bologna ideas in Russia: normative contradictions // Knowledge. Understanding. Skill . - 2005. - No. 3 . - S. 70-74 .
• Kislitsyn K. N. The Bologna process as a project for Europe and for Russia // Electronic Journal “ Knowledge. Understanding. Skill . " - 2010. - No. 11 - Higher education for the 21st century .