Archive for June 2003
ECCR - European Consortium for Communications Research
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Summary of the ECCR meeting on the Bologna process
Brussels, 26 April 2003
(Kaarle Nordenstreng)
Kaarle Nordenstreng (University of Tampere, Finland) introduced the topic
by reminding about the joint declaration of 29 European Ministers of
Education convened in Bologna on 19 June 1999, which set out the parameters
for a European Higher Education Area (EHEA). The idea originated one year
earlier in the Sorbonne declaration (25 May 1998) and the process continued
at the meeting of 32 European Ministers of Higher Education in Prague on 19
May 2001 (for an explanation of the Bologna Declaration and links to
relevant documentation, see <http://www.eccr.info/>http://www.eccr.info/).
The latest meeting of the process, focusing on the Masters programmes, was
held in Helsinki in March. The next major step will be another Ministerial
meeting in Berlin in September 2003.
A central idea is to create a system of comparable degrees, with the first
degree (undergraduate, Bachelor) no shorter than 3 years and the second
degree (graduate, Master) ideally 2 years, followed by eventual doctoral
degree of 4 years. Thus the basic model: 3 + 2 + 4 years and the Masters
degree is expected to be reached after 5 but at least 4 years of studies.
Measured with a common ECTS system, the first degree is 180 credits and the
second degree 120 credits, altogether 300 credits.
Piet Bakker (University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands) informed about the
new BA/MA system being introduced in the forthcoming academic year. The
Bachelors degree is made up of 3 years (60 ECTS each), followed by one year
of the Masters degree (60 ECTS). The Dutch government has not authorized a
second year for the MA degree. Years are divided into two semesters
(instead of earlier trimesters). Masters degrees can have either a
practical orientation or be theoretical by nature (as is the case in
Amsterdam). This is supposed to encourage international mobility, but
assessing studies from other universities will be problematic and bureaucratic.
Carlos Llorens (Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain) informed about
the new university law which will facilitate the Bologna process determined
to be implemented by 2006. The current basic degree is 4 years, and a
one-year Masters degree is not acknowledged by the government, just by the
universities. The system seems to lead towards a model of 3,5 + 1,5 years.
Robert Picard reviewed the U.S. system relevant to trans-Atlantic
exchanges. American undergraduate degrees take typically 4 years (3
general, 1 special) while graduate degrees take normally 12-18 months,
making the total length of BA+MA studies about 5 years. Doctoral studies on
top of that take another 3-5 years.
Yassen Zassoursky (Moscow State University, Russia) explained the Russian
system where the standard length for university diploma has been 5 years
(after 11 years of general education). There is a plan to change the system
to 4 + 2 years plus 3 years for doctoral degree, although the market seems
to prefer just one basic degree (diploma) without a Bachelors intermediate
step.
Peter Goodwin (University of Westminster, UK) informed about the current
British system with 3 years BA and one year MA. In Westminster 40% of BA
students come from outside the UK, while the figure is 90% for the MA
students. Different levels for BA and MA studies don't make much sense as
the same course may be used for both levels. David Haywood (London College
of Printing) mentioned conversion courses building bridges between levels
and degrees.
Axel Zerdick (Freie Universität Berlin, Germany) pointed out that the
reform in 2004 will not be a big problem for communication studies. After
13 years of general education it will be 3 + 1,5 years.
Jan Servaes (Katholieke Universiteit Brussel, Belgium) told that in Flanders
the old system of 2 + 2 years is being transformed in 2003 into a new model
of 3 + 1 years. Francois Heinderyckx (University libre de Bruxelles)
informed about the French-speaking Belgian reform of 3 + 2 years.
Rune Hjelsvold (Gjovik College, Norway) told that the reform being
implemented in 2003 follows the formula 3 + 2 years.
Nils Enlund (Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden) informed about the plan
targeted for 2005 with the formula 3 + 2 years. Kaarle Nordenstreng told
that the same is true in Finland, a university degree reform bill to be
passed by early 2004.
Gregorios Tsourvakas (Aristotle University of Tessaloniki, Greece) told
that the current system of 4 + 2 years, whereby the MA must be paid, will
be replaced in 2006 by the formula 3 + 1 years.
Mihály Gálik (Budapest University of Economic Sciences and Public
Administration, Hungary) told that there are two categories of higher
education colleges with 3 and 5 years of studies. Universities have 5 years
and 2 levels.
Peter Goodwin asked what is desirable particularly in journalism studies to
combine it for example with foreign languages? A discussion of this and
other burning questions remains to be carried out later and for this
purpose the meeting agreed that the ECCR will create an online list.