The European Higher Education Area in 2010: Preparing for Budapest and Vienna

1. The European Higher Education Area in 2010: Preparing for Budapest and Vienna János Csirik Co-vice-chair of the Bologna Process MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE FOR THE WESTERN BALKANS Ljubljana, 20 – 21 October 2009

2. Registration • Conference: 11-12 March 2010 (Thursday and Friday) • Delegations: 5 persons • Registration: www.kulturpont.hu/bologna (Both for AU and HU) • 1 contact person / delegation receives the password • Registration: 15 October 2009 – 10 January 2010 • Hotel registration: same website and same deadline • Hotel capacity in Budapest: 10/11 March • 4star: 90-110 EUR, 5star 140-210 EUR • Hotel capacity in Vienna: 10/11, 11/12, 12/13 and 13/14 • Onsite registration for the whole conference will be offered at the Hungarian Parliament and the Vienna Hofburg Congress Center.

3. Visa information • If you need a Schengen visa, please contact bolognaregistration@kulturpont.hu to receive a personalised invitation letter, which is only issued upon registration. ASAP! • Website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Hungary: • http://www.mfa.gov.hu/kum/en/bal/consular_services/Entry_of_Foreigners_to_Hungary/ • Website of the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of Austria • http://www.bmeia.gv.at/en/foreign-ministry/service/foreign-representations-in-austria-in-german.html

4. Arrival and transfers in Budapest 1. • Info desk at the airport in Budapest on March 10 and 11, 2010. • No shuttle service organised fom airport to hotels • No info desks at the railway stations • Info desks at the hotels Sofitel and Mercure Korona and the Parlament • On March 11, 2010 we will provide a shuttle service from the two hotels (Sofitel and Mercure Korona) in Budapest to the Parliament • Individual arrival by car: no entrance and parking at the Parliament (nearest parking: Szabadság tér – subterranean garage) • Embassies’ cars: entrance possible, plate number information!

5. Arrival and transfers in Budapest 2. • On March 11, 2010 we will provide a shuttle service from the Parliamentto the Nyugati railway station for the train ride to Vienna. • In the afternoon of March 11, 2010 we will arrange your transfer by train from Budapest to Vienna as part of the conference. • For participants staying at official conference hotels in Vienna, the luggage will be transferred directly from the conference venue in Budapest to the hotel in Vienna. • In case you arrive in Vienna you will need to make your own arrangements to travel to Budapest.

6. Transfer to, in and from Vienna • In Vienna, we will provide a shuttle service from the train station to the hotels listed on the online registration form, and from these hotels to the congress center both in the evening of March 11 for the ball and in the morning of March 12 for the second part of the conference. • No transport will be provided from and to hotels which are not listed on the online registration form. • We will run an info desk at the airport in Vienna from March 10 - 12, 2010. • No shuttle service from congress center at the end of the Conference • You will need to make your own arrangements back to Budapest in case you book your return flight ticket from there

7. Programme in Budapest 11.03.2010 • 10.00 – 12.00 Registration • 11.30 – 12.00Press briefing • 12.00 – 13.00 Luncheon • 13.00 – 16.00 Conference First Session • Official Opening – First Session • Input of Consultative Members • Presentation and Discussion of the Independent Assessment • 16.00 – 16.30 Transfer to the train station • 16.30 – 19.30 Transfer to Vienna on a nostalgia train (dinner on the train)

8. Programme in Vienna 11.03.2010 • 19.30Transfer to the hotels • 20.45Transfer to the Imperial Palace (Hofburg) • 21.30 – 01.00Viennese ball gala in the Imperial Palace (Hofburg) • 24.00 – 01.30Transfer to the Hotels • Dress code for the gala: • Women: long dress, traditional costume • Men: black tie, (black) suit, traditional costume

9. Programme in Vienna 12.03.2010 • 10.00 – 13.00Ministerial Conference – Second Session • Official Opening – Second Session • Input of Consultative Members • Discussion and finalisation of the Budapest-Vienna Declaration • 13.00 – 14.30Joint Luncheon with participants of the Bologna Policy Forum • 13.00Press Conference • 14.30 – 18.00 II. Bologna Policy Forum

10. II. Bologna Policy Forum • List of invited countries: to be decided • Main topics: Follow-up of first Bologna Policy Forum • Preparation with support of the WG „International Openness: EHEA in a Global Setting“ and BFUG

11. Budapest-Vienna Declaration • Declaration, not communiqué = much shorter • Input: Results of the • Independent Assessement • and reports/studies: Eurydice EUA ESU EURASHE EI • No stocktaking this year!

12. Other important information • The conference language will be English, with interpretation from and into German and Hungarian. • It will be possible to follow the conference in the internet via live streamingin English. • Briefing of embassies in Vienna and in Budapest as well • BPF: to be decided

13. Shape or suffer the Bologna Process? • Independent intergovernmental process • Self commitment • We can shape the process and implement the self-made priorities – still non-EU-countries underrepresented in WGs! • WE are the Bologna Process • System of co-chairs as of July 1, 2010 (EU and Non-EU countries)

14. Thank you for your attention! János Csirik csirik@inf.u-szeged.hu