Bologna Coordinating Commission
What is the Bologna Process?
The Bologna Process is a reform process that aims to create a European Higher Education Area by 2010. It is an extraordinary process, created and maintained by 47 member states (the number of member states increased from 45 to 46 with the declaration of independence of Montenegro, and to 47 with the inclusion of Kazakhstan in the process) with the cooperation of many international organizations. Membership in the process is not based on any governmental/interstate agreement. Papers published within the scope of the Bologna Process are not legally binding. The process is a formation in which every country participates with their free will, and countries have the right to accept the goals stipulated by the Bologna Process.
Citizens of countries within the European Higher Education Area, which the Bologna Process aims to create, will be able to easily move around Europe for the purposes of higher education or working. Europe will be made preferred by people from other parts of the world in terms of both higher education and job opportunities.
The most undesirable thing in the European Higher Education Area is to make the education systems of the member countries a uniform higher education system. The main aim in the European Higher Education Area is to establish a balance between diversity and unity. The aim is to make higher education systems comparable and compatible with each other while preserving their distinctive differences. In this way, it is planned to facilitate the transition from one country or higher education system to another, thereby increasing the mobility and employment of students and lecturers.
What happened after 1999?
Two years after the publication of the Bologna Declaration, with the participation of three new countries (Turkey, Croatia and Greek Cyprus), including our country, the Ministers responsible for higher education of 32 European countries were held in Prague on 19 May 2001 to monitor the Bologna Process and gathered to set priorities for the years.
In Prague, 3 more targets have been added to the Bologna Process:
7. Promoting lifelong learning
8. Ensuring active participation of students and higher education institutions in the process
9. Making the European Higher Education Area attractive
The Ministers of Higher Education of 33 European countries, meeting in Berlin in 2003, participated in the Bologna Process with the theme of "Establishing a synergy between the European Research Area (ERA) and the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and PhD studies". they added the 10th target; In addition, in order to speed up the process and make due diligence in the member states, they have determined the following 3 priority areas to be carried out before the 2005 Bergen Conference:
• Two-stage degree structure in higher education (undergraduate and graduate).
• Recognition of higher education diplomas and/or degrees and periods of study
• Quality assurance
At the Conference in Berlin, 7 more countries (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Vatican Republic, Russian Federation, Serbia-Montenegro, Macedonia and Andorra) joined the Bologna Process and the total number of countries reached 40.
At the fourth European Education Ministers Conference held in Bergen, Norway on 19-20 May 2005, the number of member states increased to 45 with the admission of 5 new countries. In this meeting, 4 priority areas targeted to be realized between 2005-2007 were determined. These priority areas are:
1. Creating a synergy between the European Higher Education Area and the European Research Area
2. Strengthening the Social Dimension of the Bologna Process
3. Mobility of Students and Instructors
4. Making the European Higher Education Area attractive and ensuring and strengthening cooperation with non-European countries
At the meeting, it was also decided to prepare an evaluation report (Stocktaking Report) in order to determine the practices and developments in the member countries on the following 4 main issues, which are expected to be realized until 2007:
1. Applications in member countries of the "Quality Assurance Standards and Implementation Principles" for higher education institutions in the European Higher Education Area, developed by the European Association of Quality Assurance (ENQA)
2. Applications of National Qualifications Frameworks
3. Joint higher education programs, including doctoral programs
4. Creating flexible learning paths in higher education
Citizens of countries within the European Higher Education Area, which the Bologna Process aims to create, will be able to easily move around Europe for the purposes of higher education or working. Europe will be made preferred by people from other parts of the world in terms of both higher education and job opportunities.
The most undesirable thing in the European Higher Education Area is to make the education systems of the member countries a uniform higher education system. The main aim in the European Higher Education Area is to establish a balance between diversity and unity. The aim is to make higher education systems comparable and compatible with each other while preserving their distinctive differences. In this way, it is planned to facilitate the transition from one country or higher education system to another, thereby increasing the mobility and employment of students and lecturers.
What happened after 1999?
Two years after the publication of the Bologna Declaration, with the participation of three new countries (Turkey, Croatia and Greek Cyprus), including our country, the Ministers responsible for higher education of 32 European countries were held in Prague on 19 May 2001 to monitor the Bologna Process and gathered to set priorities for the years.
In Prague, 3 more targets have been added to the Bologna Process:
7. Promoting lifelong learning
8. Ensuring active participation of students and higher education institutions in the process
9. Making the European Higher Education Area attractive
The Ministers of Higher Education of 33 European countries, meeting in Berlin in 2003, participated in the Bologna Process with the theme of "Establishing a synergy between the European Research Area (ERA) and the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and PhD studies". they added the 10th target; In addition, in order to speed up the process and make due diligence in the member states, they have determined the following 3 priority areas to be carried out before the 2005 Bergen Conference:
• Two-stage degree structure in higher education (undergraduate and graduate).
• Recognition of higher education diplomas and/or degrees and periods of study
• Quality assurance
At the Conference in Berlin, 7 more countries (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Vatican Republic, Russian Federation, Serbia-Montenegro, Macedonia and Andorra) joined the Bologna Process and the total number of countries reached 40.
At the fourth European Education Ministers Conference held in Bergen, Norway on 19-20 May 2005, the number of member states increased to 45 with the admission of 5 new countries. In this meeting, 4 priority areas targeted to be realized between 2005-2007 were determined. These priority areas are:
1. Creating a synergy between the European Higher Education Area and the European Research Area
2. Strengthening the Social Dimension of the Bologna Process
3. Mobility of Students and Instructors
4. Making the European Higher Education Area attractive and ensuring and strengthening cooperation with non-European countries
At the meeting, it was also decided to prepare an evaluation report (Stocktaking Report) in order to determine the practices and developments in the member countries on the following 4 main issues, which are expected to be realized until 2007:
1. Applications in member countries of the "Quality Assurance Standards and Implementation Principles" for higher education institutions in the European Higher Education Area, developed by the European Association of Quality Assurance (ENQA)
2. Applications of National Qualifications Frameworks
3. Joint higher education programs, including doctoral programs
4. Creating flexible learning paths in higher education
How Does the Bologna Process Work?
The Bologna Process is mainly carried out at three levels: international, national and institutional. At the international level, the body responsible for the development and coordination of the process is the Bologna Follow-Up Group (BFUG). The BFUG was established at the 2001 Prague European Ministerial Meeting in order to decide on the measures to be taken to achieve the objectives envisaged by the Bologna Process and to follow the process development, and consists of representatives of the countries involved in the Bologna Process. BFUG is also supported by the European Commission (European Commission), European Council (Council of Europe), European University Association (EUA), European National Unions of Students in Europe (ESIB), European Higher Education Institutions. The European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE) and the UNESCO Center for Higher Education (UNESCO-CEPES) are included in the BFUG as consultant members. In general, the duties of the BFUG Board, established to support BFUG activities, are to ensure the successful execution of the Process, to monitor and coordinate the implementation of the work program.
A Ministerial Conference is held every two years with the participation of the Ministers responsible for higher education of the Bologna countries in order to determine the priority areas planned to be realized in the next two years with the methods to be followed and to evaluate the progress made in the last two years. After the conference held in Bologna in 1999, it was held in Prague in 2001, Berlin in 2003, Bergen in 2005, London in 2007, Leuven in 2009 and finally Budapest in 2010.
In addition to these, many seminars, meetings and workshops are organized in Europe under the name of "Bologna Seminars" on the priority issues determined at the Ministerial Conferences, the difficulties related to the implementation of the objectives stated in the declarations published at the end of the conferences and the establishment of cooperation.
At the national level, the Bologna Process is carried out by the countries' ministries responsible for Higher Education, national rectors' conferences/committees, national university associations, national student unions, quality assurance organizations, employers, etc.
At the institutional level, the Bologna Process is carried out by higher education institutions, their faculties, departments, and representatives of students and lecturers.
Bologna Follow-Up Group (Bologna Follow-Up Group – BFUG)
Consisting of Bologna Process member states and representatives of the European Commission, Council of Europe, European University Association (EUA), The National Unions of Students in Europe (ESIB), Bologna Monitoring Group (BFUG), in which the European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – Higher Education Center (UNESCO-CEPES) are involved as advisor members, 2001 Prague It was established by the decision taken at the Ministerial Conference.
The main task of the BFUG, which is responsible for the development and coordination of the Bologna Process, is to decide on the measures to be taken to achieve the objectives envisaged by the process and to follow the process development.
The BFUG consists of the Board of Directors and the Secretariat:
To ensure the successful execution of the process is to follow and coordinate the implementation of the work program.
BFUG Board of Directors
The duties of the BFUG Board, which was formed to support the activities of the BFUG, are as follows:
• Providing the necessary support for the realization of Bologna events
• Assisting new members aiming to achieve the Bologna Process objectives
• Coordinating the necessary activities for the preparation phase of the due diligence
• Establishment of Working Groups from BFUG members and/or experts on specific issues identified by the BFUG
• Supervising and managing the preparation process for the next Ministerial Conference
The BFUG may appoint the Board of Directors on various issues, if it deems appropriate and necessary for the achievement of the Bologna Process objectives. However, official decisions are within the responsibility of the BFUG.
Secretariat
Duties of the Secretariat:
- Execution of work related to the organization of the next Ministerial Conference
- Execution of work assigned by the BFUG and the Board of Directors
- Fulfillment of tasks related to the implementation of the Work program under the responsibility of the BFUG and its Executive Board.
Our University Bologna Coordination Commission Members:
- Prof. Dr. Erdoğan BADA (President of the Commission)
- Prof. Dr. Erdoğan BADA (ADEK President )
- Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Mehmet Bahattin ALPHAN (Member)
- Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Mithat KURBAN (Member)
- Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Metehan KUTLU (Member)
- Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Ali Rıza DENİZ (Member)
- Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Çiçek EDİZ (Member)
- Öğr. Gör. Murat GÖZÜBÜYÜK (Member)
- Öğr. Gör. Dilehan AVŞAR (Member)
- Öğr. Gör. Yusuf DİLBİLİR (Member)
- Öğr. Gör. Hasan ALKAN ( Erasmus+ Coordinator) (Member)
- Öğr. Gör Mehmet Faruk BİLİCİ (Member)
- Arş. Gör. Şehmus AYDIN (Member)
- Arş. Gör. Osman SEYİTOĞULLARI (Member)
- Faruk KARA (Student Registrar’s Office Department) (Member)
