Today and tomorrow (May 17-18) ministers responsible for higher education in most European countries meet in London for a bi-annual meeting on the Bologna process. A very interesting document that was developed in preparation for the meeting is the
Trends V report prepared by the European University Association. Of special interest to this blog is the section on lifelong learning (pages 62-70). It is not surprising to read that many universities are not giving lifelong learning the priority they should, focusing instead on the Bologna related structural changes. I would predict that only a small fraction of the universities in each country would develop a specialization in degrees for working professionals, and that in most other universities it will remain marginalized. Developing truly effective lifelong learning requires significant vision and leadership, as well as specific knowhow and skills that are relatively rare in traditional institutes of higher education. It is my experience that such a task is best achieved by harnessing the knowhow and experience of the private sector, to better understand the needs of the lifelong learning market, and to prepare the infrastructure to serve this emerging market segment.
As one who is interested in the development of online international academic programs, I have no doubt that the Bologna Process is creating a system that is much more welcoming to such initiatives, since it increases transparency on issues such as quality assurance, and facilitates mutual recognition of courses and degrees.
For more information see the commissioner press release, and this overview of the Bologna process.
