Research & Innovation
Research and innovation are among the key missions of higher education, broadening the advanced knowledge base for our societies. Whereas the Bologna Process does not activate directly in the field of research and innovation, across the years the ministers of higher education in the European Higher Education Area have underlined the quintessential relation between higher education and research, highlighted the role of state-of-the-art research feeding into the curricula and called for synergies between the EHEA and the European Union’s European Research Area (ERA).
Ministers affirmed that higher education is at the crossroads of research, education and innovation (Bergen Communiqué, 2005), with the synergies between them acting as a key solution for overcoming economic challenges (Leuven/ Louvain-la-Neuve Communiqué, 2009). When referring to these synergies, the Bologna Process takes a holistic perspective, addressing issues such as mobility, recognition, internationalisation or the differentiation between higher education cycles.
While research should contribute to all higher education cycles, the ministers emphasised the particular role of Masters and Doctorate degrees in conducting and preparing students for research, especially the latter being a cycle where students are also early-career researchers (Bergen Communiqué, 2005).
In order to achieve high-quality, internationalised research, the ministers promoted the mobility of researchers across Europe (Prague Communiqué, 2001) and underlined the importance of maintaining EHEA’s attractivity for international researchers through attractive working conditions and career paths, as well as open international recruitment (Leuven/Louvain-la-Neuve Communiqué, 2009). At the establishment of the EHEA through the Vienna-Budapest Declaration (2010), researchers are listed, alongside with institutional leaders, teachers, administrative staff and students as part of the academic community "having the key role in making the EHEA a reality".
The Bucharest Communiqué (2012) dwelled deeper into the impact of research, highlighting its implications for the development of critical thinking, the pursuit of academic learning and research, and enabling students to acquire the ability to confidently assess situations and ground their actions. It also stated that study programmes must reflect changing research priorities and emerging disciplines, with research underpinning teaching and learning. Moreover, emphasis was placed on doctoral programmes, with the EHEA and the European Research Area being linked through the implementation of doctoral programmes in line with the Salzburg Recommendations and the Principles for Innovative Doctoral Training.
The Yerevan Communiqué (2015) encouraged research-based activities that develop creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship, equipping graduates with the necessary skills and promoting employability.
The Rome Communiqué (2020) recognised higher education institutions as actors of research and innovation, critical to solving societal challenges, especially post-COVID. The Sustainable Development Goals were mentioned as an overarching objective considering the challenges that society must tackle with the help of research-based higher education. The Communiqué set forth the idea of research-based learning, open science, digital technologies, and academic and scientific freedom as key pillars for the development of society.
The Tirana Communiqué (2024) gave a renowned emphasis of the interlinks between higher education and research under the conceptualisation of fundamental values in higher education, agreeing on standard-setting definitions of academic integrity, academic freedom and the public responsibility of higher education that further tie together higher education and research.