This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Bologna process in Higher Education
19/09/2003
Deputy Lifelong Learning Minister
Lewis Macdonald today welcomed positive steps towards
creating a European Higher Education Area.
He was speaking following a European
Higher Education Ministerial meeting in Berlin.
Mr Macdonald said:
"I am delighted to have had the
opportunity to represent the Scottish Executive as part of
the UK Delegation at this important event.
This is the first time Scottish Ministers
have attended a Ministerial Conference as part of the
'Bologna Process.'
"Scottish Higher Education has
important expertise to share with colleagues in Europe, not
least in the key areas of quality assurance and
enhancement, and the development of credit frameworks. Both
these themes will feature strongly in the next phase of
work under the 'Bologna Process'.
"I am particularly pleased to have
been able to secure the support of the meeting for
continuing to recognise the importance of building on
national frameworks.
"This conference, and the signing of
the Berlin Communiqué, mark a significant step towards the
achievement of a European Higher Education Area. I look
forward to Scotland playing an active part in future
development to make this aim a reality.
"I believe other Higher Education
systems have much to learn, both from Scotland's
traditional strengths and our recent innovative work."
The Ministers of Education from 29
European countries (including Baroness Blackstone on behalf
of the UK) signed the Bologna declaration in June 1999.
This agreement is a commitment in
principle to reforming the higher education systems within
the countries involved in a common direction by 2010. The
overarching aim of the process is to create a comparable
and increasingly converged system of graduate and
post-graduate education across Europe, in order to maximise
transferability and mobility of staff and students.