AGM/Conference 2005

1. AGM/Conference 2005 Post Bologna developments at the Pan-European level Jonathan Slack

2. The Bologna Declaration - 1999 • Easily readable (transparent?) and comparable degrees. • Introduction of the Diploma Supplement. • Adoption of a common system of degrees essentially based on two cycles: the first degree should be no shorter than 3 years and relevant to the labour market. • Access to the second cycle normally requires the successful completion of the first. • Establishment of a system of credits eg ECTS to promote student mobility. • A European dimension in quality assurance. • Removing obstacles to mobility of students and staff.

3. What was not stated! • Bachelors and Masters titles (eg France L,M,D where L stands for licence) • 3, plus 2, plus 3 • No room for short cycle qualifications (so eg, UK Foundation degrees were not ruled out)

4. Ministerial meeting in Prague 2001 • 32 signatories (including Croatia, Cyprus and Turkey) • Use of the words bachelors and masters degrees • Support for ECTS - Mobility action plan • Support for ENQA (European Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education • Support for more ‘European content’ in degrees • Support for Lifelong Learning • Promotion of EHEA (European Higher Education Area) Involvement of EUA (European Universities Association), EURASHE (European Association of Institutions in HE) and EBIS (National Unions of Students in Europe)

5. Ministerial meeting in Berlin 2003 • 40 signatories (including Albania, Andorra, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Holy See, Russia, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro) • Development of National quality assurance systems by 2005. • Commitment to start implementation of two cycle system by 2005. • Second cycle degrees to give access to doctoral studies. • Explore how ‘shorter higher education’ may be linked to the first cycle. • Central role for ECTS. • Lifelong learning via ECTS • Support for networks at doctoral level.

6. Ministerial meeting in Bergen 2005 • 45 signatories (including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine). • Two cycle system being introduced ‘on a wide scale’ (?). • Need to increase employability of ‘bachelor’ graduates including in the public services. • Commitment to three cycles (including within national contexts, the possibility of intermediate qualifications), generic descriptors for each cycle based on learning outcomes (UK) and competences (Tuning project). • Creation of an EHEA overarching framework by 2010 and to start on this by 2007. • Adopt ENQA standards and guidelines for national QA systems. • Welcome the principle of a European Register of QA agencies • Inclusion of research and doctoral studies into the process

7. Bologna Follow up group (BFUG) • The so-called E4 met in Copenhagen in 2005. E4 comprises: EUA, ENQA, EURASHE and ESIB. • Focussing on QA and the Register: So: European standards, Five year cyclical reviews of national agencies, Creation of a European Register Committee to act as ‘gatekeeper’, Production of the Register, Establishment of a European Forum for QA in HE. • Next formal ministerial meeting will be in London in 2007.

8. So where are we now? • Based upon the formal reports of each country in 2005, there appear to be three groups: early adopters, next wave and laggards • 10 Early adopters: • Czech Republic, France, Ireland, Latvia, Leichenstein, Netherlands, Norway, Macedonia, Turkey and UK. So first cycle graduates emerging from 2005 to 2007. • 10 countries in the next wave, ie. all necessary laws have been enacted and implementation is now underway: • Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Romania, Slovak Republic and Switzerland. So first cycle graduates emerging from 2008 to 2010

9. Laggards • 25 in this group (ie. late signatories and counties with legislation still going through): • Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Boznia-Herzogovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia & Montenegro, Slovenia, Spain (*), Sweden (*) and Ukraine. • (*) No direct financial support from Governments for reform process. • So first cycle graduates emerging from 2009 onwards.

10. For 03/04 progression rates were as follows: UK: 24% go on to further study, 64% of business undergraduates go directly into employment and 12% are not known. Germany: 77% (Univ) and 58% (Fachhochschulen) students carry onto Masters level estimated that by 2010 this will drop to 50-30%. 30 of the biggest German companies have agreed among themselves to employ bachelors students. Poland 62% currently continue to full Masters level.

11. Developments specific to Business Schools • EQUAL (the group of sixteen European Associations and ‘think tank’ for EQUIS), has agreed a set of Guidelines and position papers on: • First degrees, • Doctoral degrees, • The designation of Masters’ degree titles in Management Education in Europe, • MBA, • Collaborative provision. • Available on the efmd’s website: www.efmd.org (in Services for Business Schools section).

12. Accreditation • AMBA is extending accreditation to Pre-Experience Masters in Management (PEMMs) and DBAs • EFMD has extended the range of accreditation systems beyond EQUIS to include: CLIP (Corporate Learning Improvement Programme) CEL (Certification of e-learning) and the newly launched EPAS (European Programme Accreditation System). It will cover all three cycles and include the MBA. It will utilise the EQUAL Guidelines/papers and EFMD is seeking ‘registration’ via ENQA for these systems.

13. So By 2010 ? • Everything in place and all strongly influenced by the UK. • The last few, currently non-participating, European countries will sign up (Belarus and the other former Soviet States) to create a single pan-European system. • Increasing competition between the bodies on the European Register. • Accreditation reports and outcomes (full/conditional/fail etc) will be in the public domain. • Increasing recognition of first cycle graduates into employment and therefore falling rates of direct progression to second cycle.

14. So By 2010 ? • Up to 12,000 new ‘Masters degrees’ across EHEA. Many of them taught in ‘English’ and with English titles. • Huge additional costs upon those schools undergoing reform inc: curriculum development, QA, promotion, publications, website etc. • Higher costs of new Masters degrees combined with falling, direct progression rates of students, may lead to fewer staff and/or redundancies but this will create a new recruitment pool for UK schools and thereby a more international mix of staff in line with EQUIS requirements. • Growing pressure across Europe to move to one year Masters.

15. So by 2010? • For UK Business Schools there will be a huge increase in competition at all three levels but conversely, great opportunities based on our experience, QA, market positioning, reputation and cost structures. • Homogenisation of core general degrees at all levels. • Concerns over 3 year Bachelors (eg in France) which might contain 6-9 months on placement. Pressure to upgrade to 4 years or downgrade to Foundation degree equivalent.

16. So by 2010 ? • A competitive market in accreditation. • The emergence of a clear set of EQUIS schools, to include Europe’s top 75-100. • The launch of a new ‘Global’ accreditation scheme with the aim of identifying and branding the world’s top 100 business schools. (Probably a joint AACSB, EFMD and GMAC scheme). • Widespread additional programme accreditation, particularly at Masters and Doctoral levels but provided by only a few international accreditation bodies. • Falling demand for existing programme accreditation bodies such as FIBAA, ASFOR, CEEMAN, RABE, Polish Forum, CAMBAS and possibly even AMBA.

17. Useful websites • www.enqa.net • www.bologna-bergen2005.no/ • www.efmd.org