1. First Meeting of the BICG in Brussels on 5 June 2018

The group discussed the mandate and deliverables of the BICG, based on the Terms of Reference adopted at the Ministerial Conference. The BICG further discussed the concept of peer support and agreed on its next concrete steps.

Outcomes:

• The Co-chairs of the BICG were chosen: Austria, Bulgaria and Croatia;
• The BICG decided to send a letter to all BFUG members to ask them to complete a questionnaire to survey their planned involvement in the Peer Groups based on the three key commitments. The letter was sent and the survey was carried out.

 

2. Second Meeting of the BICG in Brussels on 30 August 2018

The survey results were presented and the Thematic Peer Groups were established according to the country’s and consultative members’ willingness to co-chair and participate in the various groups. The BICG established 3 Peer Groups, one on each of the three Key Commitments. Member countries and organisations in the Peer Groups are encouraged to form smaller thematic groups (3-6 members) within the larger Peer Group, to work on specific themes which contribute to the outcomes of the entire Peer Group.

Outcomes:

• An overview of membership of the different countries and organizations in the three Thematic Peer Groups was elaborated;
• Elaboration of Guidelines for BFUG peer support;
• Organization of informal networking opportunity to prepare project proposals and sub-groups during the BFUG meeting;
• Proposal of Co-chairs for the Thematic Peer Groups on the basis of the willingness to Co-chair indicated in the survey to be approved by the BFUG.

 

3. Third Meeting of the BICG in Vienna on 28 September 2018 

The BICG and the new Co-chairs of the Thematic Peer Groups met to speak about the organization and management of the Peer Groups and sub-groups. The networking activity that took place during the BFUG meeting was evaluated and the next steps were planned.

Outcomes:

The following Co-chairs for the Thematic Peer Groups were approved by the BFUG:

• Thematic Peer Group A on QF: the Czech Republic, Finland and Kazakhstan;
• Thematic Peer Group B on LRC: Albania, France, and Italy;
• Thematic Peer Group C on QA: Belgium Flemish Community, Cyprus and Georgia.

 

4. Fourth Meeting of the BICG in Brussels on 22 October 2018

The results achieved during the networking sessions at the BFUG meeting in Vienna and the final composition of the Thematic Peer Groups (TPGs), where almost all BFUG members participate in at least one of them, were presented. The dates and practicalities of the first Peer Group meetings were announced and the BICG discussed the Thematic Peer Groups work plans and further organization. The project proposals for the umbrella projects were presented and discussed with the EACEA representatives.

Outcomes:

• Evaluation of the networking sessions at the BFUG meeting;
• Three “umbrella” projects to organize the meetings of the Thematic Peer Groups were elaborated;
• Organization of the first Thematic Peer Group meetings.

 

5. Fifth Meeting of the BICG in Vienna on 26 February 2019

The Thematic Peer Groups' Co-chairs reported back from their first meetings held in December and January and organizational issues, like communication, reporting, assessment of outcomes and management of the groups were discussed to improve the present and future work of the BICG.

Outcomes:

• Evaluation of the three first TPG meetings;
• Reflection on improvements in the work of the BICG and the TPGs;
• Elaboration of the report to the BFUG.

 

6. Sixth Meeting of the BICG in Brussels on 16 September 2019

The BICG met to discuss the current state of the art of the Thematic Peer Groups, the first draft final report to the BFUG and its content and structure, both on the BICG as well as on the TPGs. The BICG also discussed the future of the peer approach after 2020 and agreed to include a recommendation to the EHEA Ministers.

Outcomes:

• Update from the three TPGs activities, meetings, projects and results;
• Decision on the structure and first draft of the BICG's Final Report to the BFUG.

 

7. Seventh Meeting of the BICG, online, on 8 April 2020

The Co-chairs of the three Thematic Peer Group reported on their activities and provided an update on the projects carried out within their groups. The first results of the BICG questionnaire were presented and the report to the BFUG was discussed. Based on the assumption that the BFUG already supports the continuation of the peer approach, the group discussed the future and the possibility of opening the peer approach to new topics. The European Commission gave an overview of the EHEA call on support to the Bologna Reforms. As the Ministerial Conference has been postponed to November 2020, the TPGs have some more months to finish their work.

Outcomes:

• Update from the three TPGs activities, meetings, projects and results;
• Preparation of the BICG's Final Report to the BFUG;
• Presentation of the first BICG feedback survey results;
• Discussion regarding the future of the peer support approach and possible topics in the next period;
• Overview of the European Commission call and the selected projects.
  

 

8. Eighth Meeting of the BICG, online, on 13 May 2020

The focus of this meeting was to discuss the Final BICG Report and the roadmap for the next months until the Ministerial Conference in November 2020. The BFUG Secretariat has clustered the participants of all TPG meetings in a typology file to find out what kind of institutions participated in the single peer approach activities. This and other information was the basis for a discussion about the lessons learned on possible improvements. The observations were incorporated into the Final Report.

Outcomes:

• In-depth discussion on the BICG's Final Report;
• Discussion regarding the typology of participants in the single peer approach activities;
• Discussion about the lessons learned from the peer approach activities;
• Planning of the next months until the Ministerial Conference.

 

9. Ninth Meeting of the BICG, online, on 12 June 2020

The BICG discussed all the chapters of the BICG’s Final Report and worked in more detail on the executive summary. The TPG Co-chairs prepared the parallel sessions that are organized during the Split BFUG meeting to get feedback from the BFUG on the lessons learned and outcomes of the work based on the peer approach mechanism. The BICG planned and updated the roadmap for the next months until the Ministerial Conference and prepared the call for expression of interest to participate in the future TPGs.

Outcomes:

• In-depth discussion on the single chapters of the BICG's Final Report;
• Preparation of the parallel sessions at the BFUG meeting moderated by the TPG Co-chairs;
• Organization of the call for expression of interest to participate in the future TPGs;
• Planning of the roadmap for the next months until the Ministerial Conference.

 

10. Tenth Meeting of the BICG, online, on 9 July 2020

The BICG incorporated the comments received by the BFUG to the BICG’s Draft Final Report and reviewed the single chapters according to the indications given by the BFUG. The last steps towards the Ministerial Conference were discussed and planned.

Outcomes:

• Discussion on the single chapters of the BICG's Final Report;
• Planning of the roadmap for the next months until the Ministerial Conference. 

   

11. Eleventh Meeting of the BICG, online, on 27 August 2020

The BICG finalized the Final BICG Report for the Ministerial Conference and discussed the proposal for Terms of Reference for the BICG's work plan 2021-2024. The last steps towards the Ministerial Conference were discussed and planned.

Outcomes:

• Finalization of the BICG's Final Report;
• Proposal for Terms of Reference for the work plan 2021-2024;
• Planning of the next steps towards the Ministerial Conference.

 

12. Twelfth Meeting of the BICG, online, on 18 September 2020

The BFUG Members and Consultative Members had expressed their interest to participate in the Thematic Peer Groups during the next period 2021-2024 on a survey. The BICG evaluated the survey results and elaborated the composition of the new Thematic Peer Groups. The chairing and composition of the BICG and the Thematic Peer Groups was proposed to the BFUG at its Berlin online meeting on 24 September 2020.

Outcome:

• Proposal for the composition of Thematic Peer Groups in the period 2021-2024 to be approved by the BFUG.