Consultations on Bologna Goals
The Bologna Process has been continuously expanding, with additional priorities, thematic areas or policy goals incorporated into the European Higher Education Area based on the political, socio-economic or higher education developments and the increased coherence between higher education systems.
In order to keep the Bologna Process adjusted to the emerging trends and realities, the BFUG organised various consultations with the key stakeholders, established dedicated working groups, supported the commissioning of studies and monitored developments through the Bologna Process Implementation Report.
In the 2020-2030 cycle, based on the decisions of ministers in the Rome Communiqué, the overarching political priorities are achieving an inclusive, innovative and interconnected EHEA.
Governance and thematic priorities after 2010
In preparation for the Leuven & Louvain-la-Neuve Ministerial Conference (2009) and the Budapest-Vienna Ministerial Conference (2010), the BFUG mandated the elaboration of a Bologna Process Independent Assessment Report, conducted by a consortium of CHEPS, INCHER-Kassel and ECOTEC. Furthermore, the Benelux BFUG Secretariat prepared a Report on the development of the European Higher Education Area - Bologna beyond 2010, that together with the Bologna Process Stocktaking Report 2009 and the publication Bologna Process - 1999–2010 Achievements, Challenges and Perspectives formed the backbone of the political discussions in Leuven/Louvain-la-Neuve and Budapest/Vienna for the political priorities of the newly established European Higher Education Area.
Working Group on Policy Development for New EHEA Goals 2015-2018
The working group on “Policy development for new EHEA goals” was dedicated to new priorities for the future of the EHEA. The group served as a platform for finding policies to follow new EHEA goals and innovation. The topics in the WG were focussed on new goals as adopted in the Yerevan Communiqué and the publication The Bologna Process Revisited: The Future of EHEA presented at the Yerevan Ministerial Conference.
The WG proposed the following new policy topics for the EHEA: Promoting active and responsible citizens, Linking EHEA and the European Research Area, Using digital technologies, Supporting students from non-traditional backgrounds, Enhancing teacher support and Improving professional recognition. See the final report of the Working Group here.
Governance and thematic priorities after 2020
At the Ministerial Conference in Paris in 2018, the Ministers agreed that the EHEA should become more important and specifically invited the BFUG to prepare proposals for 2020 which can facilitate the EHEA's commitment to pursue the UN's Sustainable Development Goals which are set for 2030 and to fully play its role in meeting the challenges faced by our societies.
An online survey on the governance and thematic priorities of the EHEA after 2020 was carried out in October 2018 under the aegis of the BFUG Co-chairs Austria and Switzerland, with results were presented at the BFUG meeting in Bucharest in April 2019: Outcomes of the online survey and Outcomes of the online survey presentation
At this meeting - building on the results of the survey - the BFUG Co-chairs Romania and North Macedonia and the Italian Vice-chair presented a "concept note" that was distributed to all the 4 breakout groups to make discussion more fruitful. Within the BFUG it was agreed to conduct a follow-up consultation at national level and among member organisations. Guidance on how to organise this phase of the discussion can be found in the Future of the EHEA - Follow-up Consultation document and in the summary of the current state of affairs (June 2019).
Governance and thematic priorities after 2030
The Tirana Ministerial Communiqué included a mandate to the BFUG to submit to ministers in 2027 proposals for the main priorities for the next decade, in close cooperation with higher education institutions, staff and students. In this sense, the BFUG established within the 2024-2027 Work Programme the Task Force on the Future of Bologna, with the remit of preparing policy discussions for the BFUG meetings in order to determine the future political priorities of the process.
Consultations on the future of the Bologna Process had also been conducted through different fora, most notably through the regular organisation of the Bologna Process Researchers’ Conference (BPRC), with the objective of promoting the perspective of the research community on the developments in the Bologna Process and their impact and bringing forward the evidence-based conclusions and policy suggestions of researchers towards the decision-makers.