Implementing Bologna in south European countries: Comparative analysis of some research findings
Special Symposium - Education
The Future of European Chemical Engineering Education in a Globalized World
Keywords: Bologna declaration, EHEA, UNIMON project
Amélia Veiga(1), Alberto Amaral(1) and Adélio Mendes(2)
(1) CIPES, Universidade do Porto, Rua 1º de Dezembro, 399, 4470-399 Matosinhos, Portugal
(2) Dept. Eng. Química, Fac. de Eng. da Univ. do Porto, Rua Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
In this paper the authors argue that the analysis of policy implementation within Bologna process should focus on the state of implanted, rather than on the state of readiness. Some research findings stress that in Italy the implementation of Bologna reforms is going too fast “[members of disciplinary fields] resent the declining (or changing) role of the intellectuals inside academia. Unfortunately, the rapid pace of reform has prevented any real debate on that complicated matter” [1]. In Portugal, for several years HEIs had been waiting for the necessary legislation framework to implement the Bologna reforms. The unexpected flood of proposals presented at very short notice can only be explained by the peculiarities of the Portuguese implementation process [2]. In Spain the law approved in 2001 generated considerable controversy. Voices claim that the new law does not make provisions for funding the system of higher education. Nonetheless there are a number of pilot projects undergoing within HEIs focusing on the adaptations of different fields of specialization (Mathematics, Biotechnology and Geography) to Bologna [3].
The Bologna process officially and formally started upon the signature of Bologna declaration and expresses the interest of a significant number of European states to build up the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) based on the principles of transparency, legibility and comparability of their higher education systems. The establishment of EHEA interlocks a number of policy areas that are impacting institutions at various levels of policy making and policy implementation.
From the European and national perspectives the analysis of policy implementation tends to focus on the state of readiness. At these levels institutions offer “the vision of a triumphant march towards the objectives set for 2010” [2]. There are a number of factors fostering this perspective: policy implementation is viewed as a linear process which is an outdated perspective and obscures a number of interlocking dimensions; on the other hand, political time is not aligned with academic time preventing a reform in substance and, last but not the least, the competitive emulation practices emphasizing the role of performance indicators stresses the economic dimension [2,4]. From the local perspective the perceptions gathered at local level show that often HEIs use alternative interpretations of Bologna to suit their institutional strategies.
In this paper the complexity of the reforms will be analysed using as empirical data the material collected under the framework of two research projects - UNIMON project [5] and the survey involving all Portuguese higher education institutions that presented new degree programmes or adaptations to the new degree structure. The paper is based on comparative analysis aiming to know more how far Bologna is integrated into the academia. The paper may contribute to shed light on the state of implanted of Bologna in Greece, in Italy, in Portugal and in Spain challenging the assumption that such a fast implementation rate may not correspond to implementation in substance.
References
[1] – Moscati 2006.
[2] – Veiga & Amaral 2006.
[3] – Bonete, 2006.
[4] – Neave 2005.
[5] – Monitoring the implementation of the Bologna process in twelve European universities (six Italian universities and one from each of six different European countries – France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom).
Presented Tuesday 18, 15:45 to 16:10, in session The Future of European Chemical Engineering Education in a Globalized World - IV.
