The Bologna Process and the Transformation of European Higher Education

Abstract

In July 2007, ECAR initiated preliminary efforts to extend its research understanding of information technology practices outside of the United States and Canada. For generations, European universities have existed in an environment shaped by incompatible national systems of education. That legacy is giving way to the creation of a new European Higher Education Area (EHEA) whose attributes parallel those that have made the European Union a global economic powerhouse. If the goals underlying these changes are successfully achieved, the 46 countries that have signed on to be part of the EHEA could alter the worldwide educational landscape and will present a powerful new competitive challenge to the global leadership position of American universities within the next decade. This ECAR case study focuses on The Bologna Declaration, a comprehensive roadmap to guide the sweeping changes necessary to create the EHEA. The declaration sets out an ambitious agenda leading to a greater level of harmonization in pan-European degree structures, academic outcomes, quality assurance, and, perhaps most importantly, increased mobility for students and academic staff.

Citation for this work: Dodds, Ted, and Richard N. Katz. “The Bologna Process and the Transformation of European Higher Education” (Case Study 5). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Analysis and Research, 2009, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.