Bologna process and student mobility
The Committee on Culture and Education adopted the report by Doris PACK (EPP-ED, DE) on the Bologna Process and student mobility, considering that an increase in student mobility and the quality of the different educational systems should be a priority of the Bologna Process beyond 2010.
The report stresses that, in order to achieve student mobility, actions must be taken across different policy areas, so that mobility can go beyond the scope of higher education and concern the scope of social affairs, finance, and immigration and visa policies.
Student mobility: Quality and Efficiency: MEPs insist on the urgent need for comparable and reliable statistics on student mobility and the socio-economic profile of students, in order to overcome the current lack of data and promote the exchange of good practices. They call on universities to improve and simplify the information provided online and off-line to students, and call on universities and Erasmus National Agencies to collaborate with student organisations in order to make available all the necessary information in due time. In order for the Bologna Process to fulfil its objective, MEPs consider it necessary to reiterate the principle of reciprocity in terms of the flow of students and scholars. They emphasise the poor mobility towards the Member States which acceded to the EU in 2004 and 2007. MEPs also point out the importance of mentoring for the social, cultural and linguistic integration of incoming students as well as the real need to improve their command of languages.
Higher education reform and modernisation of universities: MEPs call on European universities to undertake curricular reform with regards to both content and organisation, providing for greater flexibility. MEPs consider, in particular, that a ‘mobility study period’ should be introduced in all degree programmes to enable students to go abroad. They also call for the creation of a framework for a European doctorate and for all efforts to be made to promote the quality and excellence of teaching. In this respect, the presence of qualified teachers in all sectors of studies, their development and ongoing training are crucial aspects for the effectiveness of higher education and for achieving the Bologna Process objectives.
Funding and investment in student mobility and the social dimension: MEPs call for special assistance to be provided to students from disadvantaged groups in society by, for example, proposing inexpensive and decent accommodation. They suggest the introduction of a single European Student Identification Card, in order to facilitate mobility and to enable students to get discounts for accommodation and subsistence. They also call on the Member States to guarantee an equal and universal access to mobility by simple, flexible and transparent grant awarding procedures and by additional financial support for high cost destinations. MEPs consider it essential for students to receive this support before their departure to avoid placing an excessive financial burden on them. At the same time, MEPs point out that new means of financing student mobility, such as interest-free loans and/or transferable loans, should be introduced and promoted. They invite European universities to cooperate with the private sector in order to find new effective mechanisms of co-financing student mobility at each cycle (bachelor-masters-doctorate).
Quality and full recognition of diplomas: MEPs call on both the Commission and the Member States to proceed with the implementation of the European reference frameworks (Bologna Qualifications Framework, European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning, European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance, and the Lisbon Recognition Convention) in order to establish the European High Education Area. They stress, in particular, the urgency of implementing the comprehensive, unified and effective credit transfer system (ECTS), bearing in mind that students and scholars qualifications should be easily transferable throughout Europe thanks to a single common framework. MEPs emphasise that the three-cycle degree system (Bachelor degree, Masters Degree and Doctorate) could become more flexible especially by using a "4+1" instead of "3+2" system for the first and second cycles. They consider, for example, that for some studies this could be more appropriate in order to enable greater mobility and employability of graduates. They also stress that internships and other informal and non-formal mobility experience approved by universities should be granted ECTS credits and recognised as an integral part of study curricula.
Bologna Process implementation in all countries concerned: lastly, MEPs urge Member States to facilitate visa procedures and to reduce their cost for mobile students, especially as far as Eastern European Member and Candidate States are concerned.