Ministerial Decree (MIUR) of 1st August 2005

(http://www.miur.it/0006Menu_C/0012Docume/0015Atti_M/5532Riasse_cf2.htm), which determines the national typologies of university specialisation schools in the health sector, and provides the main rules for their reorganisation; the related postgraduate courses must be restructured in credits (Art. 2); at the end of each programme postgraduates are awarded the related degree (Diploma di Specializzazione in…) along with the Diploma Supplement (Art.5, paragraph 1).

Ministerial Decree (MIUR) of 29th March 2006

(http://www.miur.it/0006Menu_C/0012Docume/0015Atti_M/5532Riasse_cf2.htm), which defines the minimum standards obligatory for the accreditation of university specialization schools as well as the specific requirements for individual clinical and medical specialties.

Law No. 230 of 4th November 2005 (http://www.normeinrete.it/cgibin/

StampaFrameURN?URL=http://www.camera.it/parlam/leggi/05230l.htm); it dictates

new regulations on university teachers’ recruitment by introducing the obligation for both full and associate professors to achieve the so-called “national scientific suitability”; it also introduces a new professional category, the so-called “contract researchers”, who are to gradually replace researchers by no time-limit appointments.

Ministerial Decree of 23rd November 2005, which further defines the equivalences of the old 2nd cycle degrees (Lauree-DL) to the Lauree specialistiche/magistrali (LS/LM), the new master-level degrees according to the Bologna Process.

Ministerial Decrees of 25th November and of 21st December 2005, which define the features of the 5-year Master course in law (Corso di Laurea magistrale in giurisprudenza), newly designed and established as minimum academic requirement for admission to some legal professions (e.g. lawyers, magistrates).

 

НИДЕРЛАНДЫ

1. Describe the important developments relating to the Bologna Process, including legislative reforms, since Bergen.

The Lissabon recognition convention is implemented at universities according to

their own commitments. The grounds are in the process of being taken up in

legislation as part of a proposal for an entire new legislation for higher education

(WHOO). This has been sent to Parliament 6th June 2006. It will be dealt with by the new Parliament after November 22 2006.

 

НОРВЕГИЯ

1. Describe the important developments relating to the Bologna Process, including

legislative reforms, since Bergen.

On 1 April 2005, the Storting (the Norwegian parliament) passed a new Act relating to Universities and University Colleges (the Higher Education Act1).

The Act outlines a common framework for both state and private higher education

institutions regarding:

· their authority to establish and close down study programmes,

· quality assurance of institutions and programmes,

· the rights and obligations of the students,

· the continuance of today’s organisation of the state institutions with a large degree of

organisational and financial autonomy,

· two models for the internal leadership structure, including the strengthening of the

position of the Rector as head.

Model 1) The Rector is elected by academic staff (counting for 51–71 % of the votes),

technical and administrative staff (5–25 % of the votes) and students (15–30 % of the

votes). The Rector is the chairman of the Board.

Model 2) The Rector is appointed by the Board. The Rector is the administrative as well as the academic head of the institution.

· tuition fees. State higher education institutions do not charge tuition fees.

This forms part of the Quality Reform, the “Norwegian Bologna Process”. The Quality Reform was implemented in all higher education institutions in Norway from the autumn of 2003. At present, the Quality Reform is being evaluated by two independent research centres, which will present their final report in January 2007. Based on the recommendations of the report, the Ministry of Education and Research will introduce a white paper to the Storting later in the same year.

 

ПОЛЬША

1. Describe the important developments relating to the Bologna Process,

including legislative reforms, since Bergen.

· The Act of 27 July 2005 – The Law on Higher Education (Dziennik Ustaw. No.

164, item. 1365) and relevant implementing regulations to the Act, which are a legal basis in particular for:

- the establishment of a three-cycle structure on a compulsory basis in all higher education institutions;

- the issue of the Diploma Supplement;

- the introduction of a credit transfer and accumulation system;

- the provision of joint study programmes and the award of corresponding (double or joint) diplomas;

- the provision of degree programmes in macro-fields of study and interdisciplinary programmes; and

- the establishment of associations of higher education institutions.

· The following documents are relevant to the implementation of the Bologna Process:

- Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of 3 October 2006 on the ECTS credit transfer and accumulation system;

- Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of 13 June 2006

on the names of fields of study for degree programmes provided as firstcycle

programmes, second-cycle programmes and long-cycle programmes;

- Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of 19 December

2006 laying down the requirements and procedure for the organisation of doctoral programmes by organisational units of HEIs;

· A regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education on degree programme requirements, which contains rules for the development of curricula in HEIs, is currently being drafted.

· Actions are taken to create internal quality assurance systems within HEIs.

· A regulation on distance education is currently being drafted.

ПОРТУГАЛИЯ

1. Describe the important developments relating to the Bologna Process, including

legislative reforms, since Bergen.

(i) Law No. 49/2005, of 30 August, introduced changes in the Comprehensive Law of the Education System (Law 48/86, of 14 October: Lei de Bases do Sistema Educativo) in order to allow for the changes in the legal framework leading to the implementation of the Bologna process.

(ii) Decree-Law No. 74/2006, of 24 March, approved the three-cycle degree system, adopting the Bologna generic descriptors for each cycle based on learning outcomes and competences, and credit ranges for the first and second cycles. It also approved rules on joint degrees, and recognition of prior learning, including non-formal and informal learning. According to the available data at the moment of the elaboration of this report, in 2007 the large majority of the study programmes will comply with the framework for qualifications approved by this decree-law.

(iii) Decree-Law No. 64/2006, of 21 March, approved a new path to higher education for students older than 23 years not holding the standard requirements to access higher education. This decree-law confers higher education institutions the capacity to organize the entrance examinations of these students as well as the capacity for creditation of the professional experience and non-formal and informal learning periods of the candidates.

In 2006, about 14 500 students were approved on these examinations and were able to apply for the enrolment at a HEI (through the standard path, the number of applicants was about 48 600).

(iv) Decree-Law No. 88/2006, of 23 May, completely reorganized the level IV professional qualification programmes named cursos de especializacao tecnologica (CETs: Technological Specialisation Programmes). These short first cycle vocational programmes are offered to students that have completed or almost completed upper secondary education or that have a level III professional qualification. These programmes, with 60 to 90 credits, have a component of practical training in close relationship with the labour market and give students full possibility to pursue their studies in HEIs with creditation of this learning period. Higher Education Institutions can offer CETs, alone or in partnership, being expected that mainly the polytechnics will offer these courses.

In 2007, about 120 new CETs will offer nearly 3000 places.

(v) The Portuguese Government invited the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) to appoint a panel of international experts:

(a) To review the existing Portuguese quality assurance practices;

(b) To provide recommendations to the Portuguese government on the organisation,

processes and methods of establishment of a national accreditation system that

would meet the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the

European Higher Education Area.

The report was presented in December 2006.

Portugal 3

The creation of the Portuguese accreditation and evaluation agency, in line with the Standards and Guidelines for QA in the EHEA, will take place in 2007 first semester.

(vi) The Portuguese Government invited the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to undertake a review of tertiary education, to evaluate the

performance of the sector and to recommend how it can better meet Portugal’s strategic objectives for the sector.

The review was organised within the framework of the OECD’s education policy reviews.

Following preparation of a Background Report by the Portuguese authorities, a team of OECD examiners visited Portugal and prepared a report approved, with some minor changes, by the OECD Education Committee, the 13 December 2006.

This report will be used as a guidance instrument for the reorganisation and rationalisation of the sector. This work will be conducted during 2007.

(vii) It was launched an international independent and voluntary review of some Portuguese HEIs (universities and polytechnics, public and private) under the coordination of European University Association (EUA).

 

ФРАНЦИЯ

Since Bergen, the implementation of Bologna reforms in France was deepened and led to 4 main developments:

_ evolution of the legislation about the award of degrees within international

partnerships (joint degrees in particular) with the decree n° 2005-450 dated May 11^th 2005;

_ generalization of the ‘LMD’ reform, as we call it in France, (LMD standing for

Licence, Master, Doctorat) to all universities and other higher education institutions

(HEIs) which sign 4-year contracts with the ministry of National education, Higher

education and Research (MENESR); its extension to higher education and

programmes depending on other ministries such as architecture (i.e. the decree n°

2005-734 dated June 30th 2005 and two other decrees dated July 20th 2005); and

eventually the integration of a short cycle qualification, the University degree of

technology (DUT < diplôme universitaire de technologie) into the European higher

education area (EHEA), in line with the overarching qualifications framework

adopted in Bergen (i.e. the decree dated August 3rd 2005 about the DUT and the

EHEA);

_ the new organization (after the decree dated April 25th 2002) of doctoral schools and doctoral programmes with the decree dated August 7th 2006;

_ the completely revised French system for the evaluation of the quality of research

and higher education, with the new evaluation Agency for research and higher

education, namely the ‘ Agence d’évaluation de la recherche et de l’enseignement

supérieur ’ (AERES), created by the Research planning law.

ФРГ