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For this page we propose you a short introduction to the main topics which
“Education Unlimited!” project focuses on:


The Bologna-Process

The Bologna-Process is a package of aims and goals agreed by the ministers of education of the participating countries that should lead to the single European Higher Education Area by 2010.

Since the idea was put in force the group of participating countries grew to the actual number of 45:

  • 1999: EU 27, Norway and Iceland
  • 2001: Croatia, Cyprus, Liechtenstein, Turkey
  • 2003: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Holy See, Macedonia, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro
  • 2005: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine

In 1994, based on Art. 149 and 150 of the European Commission’s agreement the first mobility programmes started. Hand in hand the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) was developed to unburden mobility through recognition of exams.

The general aims of the Bologna-Process are the following:

  • easy understandable and comparable degrees
  • 2-cycle system for studies of Bachelor and Master (together 5 years)
  • Ph.D. as the 3rd cycle
  • credit system for easy recognition of exams
  • promoting mobility among student and academic staff
  • strengthening European dimension in higher education
  • establishing Life-Long-Learning
  • quality assurance of curriculum and teaching

The forthcoming of the Bologna-Process is secured by thematic working groups and regular (all two years) meetings of the ministers responsible for higher education in the so-called Bologna-Process Follow Up Groups.

Discussion: Risks and Critics

The implementation of agreed measures is only in the responsibility of the participating countries. So nothing changes in the hierarchy of decisions: still the national assemblies assign the education policy.

The Bologna-Process mainly focuses on how Higher Education (HE) is structured. All questions of research, supporting young students/scientists, financing and organisation of Higher Education Institutions (HEI) as well as the structure of staff are excluded from
decisions.

The Bologna-Process is used to implement more and more economic controlling models in HE as it is focused on benchmarks which should be fulfilled.

The national systems of HE in Europe grew for years; all of them have their advantages, their specific attributes and their interdependencies with other sub-systems. It is desirable to enable students to spend part of their studies abroad in order to experience these differences, which are as well a part of cultural heritage and non-formal education. It might be better to have slower but more sustainable changes that give the opportunity of mobility as well as preserving specifics.

The whole Bologna-Process is guided by goals set in the Lisbon-Agenda to make Europe the ‘the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world’. Therefore the focus is laid on employability and other values like the development of the personality, skills and knowledge gained through non-formal education as well as interests play a minor role.

The right to education turned into the obligation to always reproduce the own ability to work and being personally responsible for all failures.

Open Method of Co-ordination

The countries involved in the process do not have any competences to put pressure or sanctions to other countries not fulfilling the agreements. That is why a new approach had to be found in order to encourage co-operation to achieve the goals set by the involved countries. The Open Method of Co-ordination (OMC) is therefore used.

OMC rests on soft law mechanisms such as benchmarking and best practise. It uses guidelines and indicator, which show the performance of a country and allow rankings. Mutual learning from the best (as well as from the worst) practise can give countries ideas how to develop a more effective strategy in order to gain the aims. It can also turn attention to failures in the own system which were not identified until then.

Get involved:

A crucial point is the transparency and competences of the involved parties. The ministers of the participating countries who are responsible for (higher) education agree on the European level on policies, measures and aims. As already mentioned it is not only European Union since there are much more countries involved. The ministers attending the meetings are – naturally – responsible for the education policy in their country of origin but of course again the respective government as a whole has to agree and/or realise the policies. They are not bounded to the policies agreed on the Bologna Following Up Group meetings…

So the question is posed how to lobby for measures or whom to address if you are a student so actually the target of the whole Bologna Process.

First you need to find out which ministry is responsible to attend the meetings. As the field of competence vary across Europe. Then you should find out whether your country has a centralised or federal system what again influences the actual responsibility.

What might be best: you join AEGEE, Educational Working Group – and of course – our actions (conferences, action days, workshops, …) in the framework of the flagship-project Education Unlimited!

We discuss, we pose questions, we evaluate and we promote the exchange of ideas! When we find points that we agree on (like the necessity to validate Non-Formal Education) everyone of us can lobby for it on the national level.

Read more:

AEGEE: www.aegee.org

EU: http://ec.europa.eu/education/index_en.html (general)
http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/educ/bologna/bologna_en.html (BP)

Following up group
http://www.bologna-berlin2003.de/index.htm (Berlin, check links and even find AEGEE!)
http://www.bologna-bergen2005.no (Bergen, check links)

Why not?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bologna_process

Non Formal Education (NFE)

  • What is NFE

    Non Formal Education is a term usually described as the instruction in which the participation is on voluntary basis and is focused on meeting the learner’s individual needs, rather than institutional learning outcomes. It takes place outside the frame of the formal education system, however it is still planned and structured.

  • Aims of NFE

    Non Formal Education aims to:

    1. complete the knowledge offered by the Formal Education;
    2. facilitate the learning process for individuals (“learning how to learn”) rather than offer “ready-prepared information”
    3. break through stereotypical thinking patterns, by sharing experience, opinions and values of people with different social, cultural and educational backgrounds;
    4. develop practical skills and abilities;
    5. relieve the pressure posed by the formal, institutionalized context and leave room for people to express themselves freely in order to increase interaction, creativity and motivation
  • The Methods of NFE

    The Methods of Non Formal Education are very diverse and address to a wide variety of learning needs. Such methods are Workshops, Training courses, Seminars and conferences, Simulations, Case Studies, Case Study-Trips, Debate, Role playing, team-building games, theatre, problem solving techniques, etc.

    There are several methods, easy to implement educational method to develop interpersonal and communication skills, such those used within YnterACT project (www.ynteract.eu) focused on promoting interactive methods of education:

    1. Debate: the method consists in building two teams of two or three persons, which will confront each other on a certain issue, each team sustaining its own point of view. The participants will discuss in the presence of a moderator and the public and will try to convince them about the correctness of their position, using the power of arguments. The debate, as an education method, develops the communication and presentation abilities, the capacity to analyze and synthesize the
      information.
    2. Forum Theatre presents a scene or a play that must necessarily show a situation of oppression that the Protagonist does not know how to fight against, and fails. The spect-actors are invited to replace this Protagonist, and act out - on stage and not from the audience - all possible solutions, ideas, strategies. The other actors improvise the reactions of their characters facing each new intervention, so as to allow a sincere analysis of the real possibilities of using those suggestions in real life. All spect-actors have the same right to intervene and play their ideas. Practically Forum Theatre is a collective rehearsal for reality.
    3. Lateral Thinking Techniques: Lateral thinking is a concept developed by Edward de Bono who comes to complete the common, vertical (logical) way of thinking. Thus, for example, instead of using only the available information and structuring it in already existing patterns, the lateral thinking is able to create new support information and also new structures in order to reach different new results. Lateral thinking is a key concept in order to develop creativity.
    4. Intercultural Communication and Perception Games are a very efficient way for people experimenting for themselves what intercultural differences are, how they are perceived by different people and how these people react to them.
  • Perceptions of NFE

    There are different perceptions of Non Formal Education. They range from the opinion that it is just “kids-play”, thus not serious and not useful to that that only Non Formal Education can truly educate people as it s much more focused on the practical side. The reality is that both formal and Non Formal Education, as well as the informal education are indispensable to a complete learning with maximum effects, since all of them have their advantages and disadvantages.

  • Where are the boarders/links between the Formal Informal and Non Formal Education?

    If no less than 15 years ago, the first thing that came to people minds when talking about education was school and university, nowadays, education gives place to a much larger perspective. Education has become a study topic itself, and the informal and non-formal types are starting to be given more credit than before. The formal system itself is starting to go beyond just offering factual information, and recognizing the actual role of education: an abstract process that gives a framework applied to the reality of everyone providing information, new attitudes, values, mentalities, but also developing new skills.

    Even in the old times, people were conscious that only the classes at school are not enough for succeeding, as the well-known saying about the “school of life” shows. Formal education is organised and recognised, but many complain that the top-down approach often kills motivation, and also there is not enough room for creativity. On the other hand, the Non Formal Education, having a more flexible approach and interaction, facilitates learning, but looses from efficiency as it lack long-term planning and at the same time it is hard to compare different Non-Formal Education courses exactly because of the high flexibility. Informal education always comes as a side effect to both formal and Non Formal Education. It always bring the practical side in the front, and also you are able to learn from others experiences, however in the process you can get influenced by customs and rituals you are not aware, the information can be incomplete or lack quality, while actually you do not realize always that you are learning.

    In the last years also new concepts of education have been developed that are actually built on the three forms mentioned above, as a proof that they are all interdependent and needed. Thus life-wide-learning represents the combination of all three forms at the same time (e.g.: you are following some trainings at work, while studying for your master’s and of course also informal education takes place at every moment) or blended learning (usually a programme that comprises formal and Non Formal Education together, like Non Formal Education methods applied in a formal education system). Finally, to express the idea that true education is taking place all the time, and is not finishing with the “school years”, but actually goes on throughout the entire life: life-long-learning.

Mobility and its importance

Mobility is probably the most crucial part of our education and the question is: why is not recognised as such? Young people active in youth Non Governmental Organisations (NGO), like AEGEE, know its importance better than anyone else. Going abroad is the most intensive way of learning about other cultures, about oneself, about life in general from a different angle. We learn how to work in teams with people whose ideas may differ strongly from ours and to respect each other.

We may also learn of different methods of approaching the same subjects/obstacles thus widening our general perspective. As we move towards a global system for higher education, it is more important than ever to share experiences and difficulties with foreign colleagues and work together in order to analyse where are our both weakest and strongest points and how we should develop them further in the future.

Furthermore, as we are leading towards a global economy and trade market, these points are more important than ever. We need to know how to work in multicultural teams, how to deal with global issues and most important of all how to move and introduce ourselves in the European jungle of public institutions, research programmes and private/international companies.

Mobility is also an integrated part of youth involvement in Europe, of non-formal education. Mobility means participation in international events, meetings, projects. Cooperation with people from other backgrounds, cultures brings along learning of different values and attitudes - going abroad is an important part of this learning experience.

Involvement. “Let´s rock it!”

Changes cannot be made without your contribution. Young people active in youth NGOs, like AEGEE are aware not only of the benefits of mobility, but also of all the cooperation it requires between all the parties concerned. By working alongside universities, institutions, other NGOs, companies and students great developments and ideas can be achieved.

What can students do about it?

Start with some questions about ‘mobility’ and through discussions identify the obstacles and work out a plan to solve them. It can be done in smaller or bigger scale, so, also at your own faculty, with your own professor.

  • First of all, what do we have? Are we aware of all the European programmes offered? If not, why then?
  • We know that exchange experiences are always unforgettable in the end, but could be we have got more out of it? (job/research/”hands on” experience). Do we actually realise how much we learn while being abroad? And then, do we share and use this learning experience?
  • From students´/ teachers´/institutions´ point of view: What difficulties did we find? Were there any solutions?

Being active, especially in AEGEE, means being mobile. Attending European-wide events should not be an obstacle, but unfortunately it still is. Why should not our universities recognise our work in NGOs towards a better Europe? How can we create a real cooperation with universities? AEGEE (as many others) has huge experience in mobility in practise and additionally counts on highly motivated and creative members working on different topics at different levels.

Realising the benefit from being mobile is not so hard. Making mobility more common and more beneficial – this is the task for all of us together! Start at your own university – Education Unlimited! project is there to support your idea and your efforts!

Let’s rock it! Let´s make a difference!

Mobility programmes in the EU

It’s important to fight against the misinformation students suffer regarding mobility programmes and the opportunities offered both by European and national institutions. Here is a short list of existing opportunities to experience educational mobility:

  • European Programmes supported by the European Commission :

    • ERASMUS
    • ERAMUS MUNDUS
    • TEMPUS
    • LINGUA
    • LEONARDO DA VINCI
    • GRUNDTVIG
    • MARIE CURIE
  • There are programmes in the frame of international cooperation of Europe with overseas countries, these are the following:
    • USA, Canada.
    • South America
    • Asia
    • Africa
    • Australia & New Zealand
    • ...
  • Private & Public Foundations, Companies
  • National Institutions & local universities

Useful links