As the magazine 'Europe' reports, the list expanded significantly during a meeting of education ministers from countries participating in the integration of the education system. It took place in Berlin in September 2003. Seven more states joined the process, which came to be known as the Bologna Process.
One of the main tasks is to simplify student travel for study abroad. No less important is providing the same opportunity for teachers. If this issue is resolved, students will gain access to more diverse, effective, and forward-looking education. As for teachers, they will be able to exchange experience with their foreign colleagues more easily and give students from foreign universities additional knowledge.
Another task is the creation of unified grading systems for academic performance. This will allow future employers to clearly understand the capabilities of a new employee regardless of the country and university where he or she studied.
Another important point is the recognition by participating countries of diplomas and academic degrees obtained abroad. It is clear that this too will greatly facilitate the hiring of foreign employees.
But 2010 is drawing ever closer, and there is still a great deal of work to be done. First, not all countries are equally active in carrying out the necessary reforms of their national education systems, and among the states that have landed on the blacklist are two EU members - Spain and Greece.
Things are not entirely smooth with the common European grading system either. Ideally, the average grade should be assigned to students based on their attendance at lectures and participation in seminars, which would allow an objective assessment of their abilities. But this rule is interpreted arbitrarily in most cases. For example, in Germany, teachers give students grades depending on class attendance. Clearly, such a method does not always reflect students' actual knowledge.
Moreover, in most countries the common academic grading system operates alongside national ones. And this is not surprising: it is difficult for any country to abandon familiar practices.
At the Berlin meeting, education ministers analyzed the measures taken and defined the main directions for future work.
Going forward, within the framework of the Bologna Process, it is necessary, first, to continue reforming national education systems in order to eventually bring them to a common standard. However, in doing so, the national peculiarities of each country must also be taken into account.
Second, for fuller integration, universities should cooperate more closely.
Finally, it is planned to create two cycles of study within higher education, with the first lasting at least three years. Increased attention will also be paid to research work: the number of those writing dissertations should increase.
Interest in the Bologna Process is shown not only by students, teachers, and education ministry officials, but also by the heads of European states.
As early as 2000, at a session of the European Council at the level of heads of state and government in Lisbon, participants expressed hope that in the coming years it would be possible to create a European economy based primarily on scientific knowledge. This would accelerate economic growth and increase Europe's competitiveness on the world market. Russia, along with six other non-EU countries, will also be able to benefit from the common higher education system.
Of course, not all states are integrating into the common educational space with equal success. Ministers will probably have to hold many more meetings to resolve contentious issues. Moreover, the recent meeting in Berlin showed that on some specific issues the points of view of different countries differ. But at the same time, all participants in the Bologna Process understand that a unified system is necessary. Such interest is the best guarantee that the goal will ultimately be achieved. And this is not just a beautiful dream.