Ministers need to listen to students on European university reforms

Vienna - European education ministers admitted Friday that they need to listen more to university students and teachers, as their Vienna conference on higher education reform was accompanied by demonstrations. The ministers' meeting marked the 10th year of the so-called Bologna process which aimed to streamline various European university degrees and curricula, making it easier to study and work abroad.

"We commit ourselves to working towards a more effective inclusion of higher education staff and students in the implementation and further development of the European higher education area," the 47 ministers said in their statement.

Student organizations have criticized the Bologna process for increasing pressure on students, tying science too closely to business interests and for leading to higher education fees.

Some 2,000 students and researchers protested at the conference on Thursday and held a parallel meeting in Vienna on Friday, continuing the demonstrations they have staged across Europe in past months.

The ministers gave a positive review of progress made in the past decade and said cross-border cooperation between institutions had improved and that European higher education had become more visible internationally.

"Anybody who is saying that this process is perfect is not saying the truth," Hungarian Education Minister Istvan Hiller said, referring to the fact that reforms have not been fully implemented in all countries.

According to a new study by the European University Association, the new unified system of bachelor and master degrees have created problems in some countries where businesses do not recognize bachelors as fully-fledged academic qualifications.

In addition, the study found a lack of national funding for the Bologna reforms, and said there was little data on how the process had improved student mobility.

The Bologna process is named after the Italian city where its founding member countries signed a declaration in 1999.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/313785,ministers-need-to-listen-to-students-on-european-university-reforms.html.