Mobility 2007-2009
Mobility
Mobility of staff, students and graduates is one of the core elements of the Bologna Process, creating opportunities for personal growth, developing international cooperation between individuals and institutions, enhancing the quality of higher education and research, and giving substance to the European dimension.
Ministers responsible for Higher Education in the countries participating in the Bologna Process,
London Communiqué, May 2007
Mobility is at the core of the Bologna Process
Facilitating mobility is one of the main goals to be achieved with the creation of a European Higher Education Area, as Ministers have confirmed once again at their meeting in London in May 2007 (see London Communiqué). Ministers acknowledged that a lot of obstacles still existed and reaffirmed their willingness to work for decisive progress in overcoming them.
Many challenges remain, especially with regard to the following issues:
- visas, residence and work permits;
- recognition of qualifications;
- financial incentives (including portable student loans and grants);
- pension arrangements;
- joint programmes and flexible curricula.
Initiatives
Initiatives to promote mobility
- A section dedicated to the Information for international students and scholars was created on the official Bologna Process website.
- European Union funding programmes, such as Erasmus, Erasmus Mundus and Tempus
- The European Researchers' Mobility Portal
European Parliament report on Bologna process and student mobility
Doris Pack (Member of European Parliament) presented a report on the Bologna Process and student mobility to the Parliament's Committee on Culture and Education, including a motion for a European Parliament Resolution. Read the full report.
Bologna Activites
Actions carried out in the Bologna work programme 2007-2009
EI and ESU organised the mobility campaign “Let’s Go” in order to stimulate mobility among students and staff by providing information on its benefits.
- Mobility Campaign "Let's Go" carried out by Education International (EI) and the European Students' Union (ESU)
- Validation conference of the Mobility Campaign , 6-7 October 2008, Lille
Moreover, a series of Bologna seminars were held to promote work in the area of mobility.
- Bologna Seminar "Fostering student mobility: next steps?", 29-30 May 2008, Brussels
- Bologna Seminar "Penalized for Being Mobile? National Pension Schemes as an Obstacle to Mobility for Researchers in the EHEA" , 12-13 June 2008, Berlin
- French Presidency Conference on Mobility "The Europe of Higher Education: Strengthening Pan-European Mobility", 4-5 November 2008, Nancy
The Network of Experts in Student Support in Europe (NESSIE) was endorsed to exchange information and to encourage countries to make student support accessible and portable.
Network of Experts in Student Support in Europe (NESSIE)
The BFUG set up a Coordination Group on mobility. The report of this Coordination Group called for a multilevel strategy to make substantial progress - formulated in terms of concrete quantitative targets - in increasing mobility in the next decade.
Bologna Coordination Group on Mobility
Bologna Coordination Group on Mobility Report 2009
Past activities
- 2005-2007 Working Group on Social Dimension and Data on Mobility of Staff and Students
- Bologna Seminar "Making Bologna a Reality - Mobility of Staff and Students", London, February 2007
- Dutch EU Presidency Conference "Designing policies for mobile students" , Noordwijk, October 2004