Denmark assumes Chairmanship of the Bologna Process

On 1 January 2012 Denmark assumed the chairmanship of the Bologna Process together with Azerbaijan. Launched in 1999, the Bologna Process today counts 47 countries in and around Europe that work together on creating a joint European Higher Education Area (EHEA).

Making study destinations in Europe more attractive

The main goals of the EHEA are the free movement of students and scholars and the development of common standards to ensure that higher education in Europe is comparable and attractive to students not only from European countries but also from other continents. Thus, by participating in the Bologna Process, Denmark has become a more transparent and attractive study destination.

One of the major objectives during the Danish Presidency is to further develop and consolidate European co-operation to promote student mobility, quality assurance, recognition of qualifications, employability, student-centred learning and other non-binding policies among the participating EHEA countries.

Denmark to drive process forward

The Danish Presidency in 2012 will be marked by the EHEA Ministerial Conference on 26-27 April 2012 in Bucharest. The conference is held every two to three years and brings together the ministers of higher education from the 47 participating countries who will present their political priorities for the next period until 2015.

About 500 participants are expected in Bucharest, including 40 delegations from Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America. They will gather at the Bologna Policy Forum to share experiences and intensify policy dialogue on cooperation and challenges in higher education.

Preparation of ministerial communiqué
In addition to the Ministerial Conference, the so-called Bologna Follow-Up Group will meet at the University of Copenhagen on 19-20 March 2012. The group consists of approx. 90 senior officials from the participating countries and organisations and works to drive the process forward between the ministerial conferences.

When the follow-up group meets in Copenhagen the focus will be on the preparation of a ministerial communiqué to be signed by the ministers at the Ministerial Conference. The communiqué will outline the future priorities of the European Higher Education Area – an important policy document.

Another focal point will be a report that looks at how the 47 EHEA countries are performing in facilitating student mobility, quality assurance, recognition, learning outcomes and transparency in their higher education systems.

Denmark excels in the Bologna Process

Denmark has since the outset of the Bologna Process been among the countries most advanced in implementing the Bologna Process objectives.

The Danish higher education system has become more transparent with the introduction of a degree structure with three levels: undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees. Furthermore, Denmark has implemented the ECTS system and established an international grading scale for its higher education.

In April 2009, Denmark ranked second in the annual "Bologna Scorecard" taking stock of the Bologna Process in the participating countries. We await the 2012 implementation report to see how Denmark fares this time.

Visit the official website of the European Higher Education Area

About the Bologna Process
The aim of the Bologna process is to create a joint higher education area by establishing common standards for academic degrees and quality assurance, thus making higher education systems more comparable and compatible throughout Europe.

The Bologna Process currently has 47 participating countries of which 27 are EU Member States. The European Commission participates as a full member, and a range of organisations such as the Council of Europe, the European Students’ Union, the European University Association and UNESCO participate as consultative members.