New Impetus for the Bologna Process in Europe and Israel - Foundation Office Israel
Event Reports
Please find here a video documentation of the workshop.
The Bologna process – referring to a major European reform to create a single European Higher Education Area - Erasmus exchange, student participation, and the transition to Bachelor and Master degrees have stirred up the academic landscape in many places. And although not belonging to Europe, Israel also wants to further develop its higher education system and improve the conditions for teaching and research.
Prof. David Newman, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at BGU, andDr. Sharon Pardo, Director of the CSEPS, welcomed the participants and expressed their gratitude about the fruitful cooperation with KAS. In turn, Michael Mertes, Director of KAS Israel, thanked the co-organizers of the event for the productive and future-oriented cooperation. All three speakers agreed that the work of thenew "Bologna Training Center"could be a particularly effective tool for the future design of Israeli universities by advising and training university and college administrations across Israel during the introduction phase of Bologna structures. During the first session, three European experts gave an introduction to the Bologna process and related their experiences with the implementation. Being a passionate supporter of the European higher education reform, Since the beginning of the project in 1999 as an intergovernmental endeavor with 29 states, the number of members has now grown to 47. The Bologna process is no longer limited to the educational institutions of the member states of the Strasbourg based Council of Europe, and can therefore be of great importance to Israel. Bologna stands for transparency, openness and the promotion of diversity – not uniformity, as often negatively associated with Bologna. Further key aspects of the reform are mobility, employability, quality assurance and participation of students. Hence, Ryan explained, it was important that students were not regarded as mere "recipients", but as a partner and driving force within the complex reform process. From the very beginning, experts met on a regular basis discussing the problems and possible improvements of the reform. As Ryan concluded, "much has been achieved and yet there is still much to do". Subsequently, Nonetheless, Prof. Frankowicz believes in the idea of Bologna, responding to critics that the reform should be seen more like a fashion show: While the designers create innovative clothes, these are often unsuitable for the everyday use. However, such fashion shows can provide new trends such as the color of the season, of which the end consumer can choose those outfits that correspond to his style and preferences. Applying this metaphor to the education system, Prof. Frankowicz sees the possibility to preserve During the second session, the focus was on Israel and the question how Israel could make use of the Bologna process. Moderated by Where does Israel stand? The current status of the Bologna Process in Israel was addressed by The conference was completed by a roundtable, in which all speakers as well as the audience participated under the guidance of moderator At the end of the day, all participants agreed that the event was a great success. Although the Bologna process may not be a panacea for the various problems within Israel’s higher education system, it can offer some valuable incentives and suggestions for an educational reform and strengthen the relationship between Israel and Europe at the university level. In this respect, the Wibke Foß und Motje Seidler
Explaining the "Bologna" terminology
The Bologna Process: The aim of the Bologna process is to create a single and coherent European Higher Education Area. In 1999, 29 European Ministers of Education signed the Bologna Declaration, by now there are 47 signatories, some of which non-EU members. The reform provides for a system of comparable degrees, the introduction of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) as well as greater cooperation between institutions of higher education in Europe.
Tempus: Tempus is a program of the European Union with the aim to support the modernization of higher education systems in partner countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Western Balkans and the Mediterranean region. The program is run mainly by cooperation projects between universities.
Tempus - Corinthiam: Corinthiam is a Tempus project with the objective to foster the quality and internationalization of universities in the Mediterranean region. This includes the introduction of various “Bologna” elements, such as the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), in order to improve the mobility of students. The project is led by a consortium consisting of four Israeli and two Palestinian higher education institutions as well as seven European universities.
Erasmus Mundus: This program aims at improving the quality of higher education through scholarships and research cooperation between Europe and other parts of the world. The program provides financial assistance for higher education institutions and scholarships for individuals. It funds joint European Master's and doctoral degree programs, partnerships with non-European institutions of higher education, scholarships for students and scholars as well as projects to enhance the reputation of European higher education worldwide.
Higher Education Reform Experts (HEREs): The Higher Education Reform Experts are a selected group of higher education experts, which has set itself the goal of promoting the Bologna goals outside of Europe while taking into account national characteristics. The various country teams consist of directors, deans, researchers, and students and advise academic institutions with regard to accreditation of degrees, curriculum reform, ECTS and quality assurance.
