Texts for reading and discussion Text 1 bologna process

In May 1998, the European Ministers in charge of higher education of France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Germany signed the Sorbonne Declaration on the "harmonisation of the architecture of the European Higher Education System" at the Sorbonne University in Paris. Other European countries subscribed to the Declaration later. In June 1999, 29 European Ministers in charge of higher education met in Bologna to lay the basis for establishing a European Higher Education Area (EHEA) by 2010 and promoting the European system of higher education world-wide. The European Ministers decided to meet every two years. While confirming their support to the general principles laid down in the Sorbonne Declaration, they agreed to focus on the following six action lines of the Bologna Process: -  adoption of a system of easily readable and comparable degrees;

-  adoption of a system with two main cycles (undergraduate/graduate);

-  establishment of a system of credits (such as ECTS);

-  promotion of mobility by overcoming obstacles;

-  promotion of European cooperation in quality assurance;

-  promotion of the European dimension in higher education.

In the Prague Communiqué (2001), three additional action lines were introduced: -  Lifelong learning; -  Higher education institutions and students; -  Promoting the EHEA. In the Berlin Communiqué (2003), another action line was introduced: -  Doctoral studies and the synergy between the EHEA and the European Research Area (ERA).

Fill in the gaps in the given statements:

1. Originally … signed the Sorbonne Declaration.

2. European Ministers met in Bologna to … .

3. Initially there were … priority spheres for the participants of the Bologna Process.

4. Lifelong learning is one of … introduced by the Prague Communique.

5. Nowadays there are … main directions in the activities of European higher education institutions aimed at the establishment of the European Higher Education Area.

Text 2

Participants of bologna process

Ukraine joined the Bologna Process. The decision on that was adopted during the Ministerial Conference at Bergen, Norway on May 19, 2005.

Ukrainian Delegation led by Minister of Science and Education also takes part in joint work to identify priorities in establishing Common European Space of Higher Education until 2010.

Bologna Convention has been signed by all countries of Central and Western Europe. The main objectives of the document are standardization of approaches to higher education system and study process in the EU.

45 countries participate in the Bologna Process: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium (Flemish Community and French Community), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, the Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, Serbia and Montenegro, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, „the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

Fill in the gaps in the sentences:

1. Ukraine became the member of the Bologna Process in … .

2. The main task of the Bologna Process is … .

3. The countries of … signed the Bologna Convention.

4. … implement the strategy of the Bologna Process.

5. The participants of the Bologna Process do their best to establish … until 2010.

Text 3