Ei-iE

A London Communiqué, taking stock of the progress so far and identifying areas for future work, was adopted at the Ministerial meeting of the Bologna Process in London from 17-18 May.

Issues including mobility, the social dimension, data collection, employability, and the European Higher Education Area in a global context were all identified.

Education Ministers from 46 European countries were in attendance, and the EI Pan-European Structure, as a consultative member of the Process, was present with a four-person delegation.

Towards the close of the first session, Paul Bennett, EI Vice President for Europe, took the floor to comment on EI’s commitment to the Process. The EI delegation contributed extensively to the panel sessions that took place during the conference, with Paul Bennett as chair, Monique Fouilhoux as rapporteur, and Jens Vraa-Jensen and Martin Romer as speakers across different panels. Following the presentation of the panel results, Monique Fouilhoux reminded Ministers of the importance of the issue of mobility and its related financial implications.

During the Ministerial meeting, EUA (the European University Association) presented the conclusions of its Trends V Report, and ESIB (the National Unions of Students in Europe) presented its Bologna with Student Eyes Survey. The Stocktaking Working Group of the Bologna Follow-Up Group also put forward its findings which, in common with the EUA and ESIB reports, identify significant progress since the last Ministerial Meeting in Bergen, but also areas where much progress is still needed.

At this meeting, the Ministers approved a strategy for the External Dimension of the Bologna Process - to which EI has contributed extensively through its participation in the External Dimension working group of the BFUG, and a proposal for a European Register for Quality Assurance Agencies.

Together with other organisations, EI had an exhibition stand in the area outside the Meeting room, and distributed information on academics in the Bologna Process, documentation from the Official Bologna Seminar on Mobility of Staff and Students (organised by EI and ESIB in February 2007), and other EI publications.

Further information on the Bologna 5th Ministerial Conference 17-18 May, London is available on the Bologna website: www.dfes.gov.uk/bologna