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Signed in 1999 by 29 countries, the Bologna Declaration marked a common vision towards the European Higher Education Area – an area where students and graduates would be able to move easily from one country to another with full recognition of qualifications, engaging different academic traditions into a common vision. Over the past 15 years the Bologna Process member states have grown to 47, drawing focus to the management of this voluntary policy convergence.
Ministers for Education of the Bologna Process member states meet once every three years to evaluate the progress made and to set priorities for the work cycle to come. The BFUG meets twice every six months and oversees the work conducted in between the ministerial meetings. Organised under the framework of the Latvian Presidency, the second meeting of the BFUG is to be held on 24-25 March 2015.
Ministerial meeting in Bucharest, Romania in 2012 focused on the aftermath of the economic crisis and saw higher education primarily as a facilitator to growth and employability. However, as outlined by the BFUG meeting in Riga, the possible issues to be put forward at the ministerial conference in Yerevan, range from a solid implementation of structural reforms to strengthening ties between higher education and science. Against the backdrop of globalisation and technology development, internationalisation was also stressed as an essential aspect. The experts agreed upon a need to increase international study programmes, to develop new teaching and learning methods, and to focus on quality assurance and diploma recognition on an international scale.
The ministerial meeting in 2018 was decided to be organised in Paris, as France will be the next host of the BFUG Secretariat.
On a national level, reforms have successfully integrated Latvia into the higher education system of Europe, thus increasing student mobility and improving competitiveness of the region. Latvia has a quality assurance system that is designed in accordance with the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance, credit point system that is easily compatible with the ECTS, and students' involvement in the processes of higher education and policy making and learning outcomes which are formulated for each course, module and study programme, etc.
