Higher education before the introduction of the Bologna system. Bologna education system
There has been a lot of debate and talk about the Bologna education system lately: some encourage innovations associated with its implementation and see a decent number of advantages from its influence on students, while others, on the contrary, are very skeptical.
But there are those, and, I must say, quite a few, who do not even know what it is, why it is needed and whether it is worth thinking about this strange process at all. Of course, first of all, these issues affect future students - when they go to universities to seek new professional knowledge, they often do not know at all what and how it works there. Let's figure it out.
With the advent of the new millennium, a new concept, at that time still unknown to anyone, burst into the world of education - the Bologna system, which was supposed to greatly modernize and, in some places, radically change the system of higher education in Europe, as well as in some countries of the post-Soviet space .
The official start date of all reforms is considered to be 1999, when 29 participating countries signed the Bologna Declaration. Since then, 19 more countries have joined the process, including Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, which was the last to sign the agreement in 2015.
Since then, higher education in the participating countries has been brought to common standards, which has made it possible to transform it into a common European space.
Why was this necessary?
The question immediately arises: what prompted the entire European community to so actively modernize and unify the existing system of higher education? After all, as was believed for a long time, the Russian and European systems were considered one of the strongest in this regard, what has changed? And the reasons are:
- The whole world is subject to progress, development, globalization and the expansion of cultural and economic ties; it would be strange if higher education remained unchanged. As a result, it has also been included in the processes of globalization.
- Over time, the European system began to be much inferior to the American one, and in order not to lose its position and potential students (which is fraught with the drain of valuable personnel), a decision was made to transform it.
What is it?
What are the features of the Bologna education system, what is it and how does it affect the educational process? In general terms, it looks something like this: according to it, the entire educational process is divided into two main cycles of education.
The first cycle is preliminary, which can last 3-4 years and ends with a bachelor's degree and diploma. This level is already considered a completed higher education and a person who has received documents confirming a bachelor’s degree already has the right to get a job as a full-fledged specialist.
The second cycle is another year or two of study, which ends with obtaining a master's degree, which, to a greater extent, involves continued study, as well as the development of one's own scientific activity. As you can see, the duration of study in different countries and even universities in the same country can vary significantly, which is explained by the incomplete unification of the European education system.
Also, some prestigious universities have retained certain kinds of traditions, which imply certain differences in educational systems.
The next point of the Bologna system is a special assessment system called the credit system or ECTS. Here, under the credit, a special unit of measurement is raised, which characterizes the amount of academic work performed by the student in various forms: independent study, practice, lectures, and so on.
During the semester, a student must receive a certain number of credits, which characterizes the amount of material he has completed. If credits are a quantitative assessment, then there is also a qualitative assessment, which helps determine the student’s level of knowledge. It is divided according to the principle of a 7-point scale.
All of these generally accepted assessment systems allow a student studying at a university participating in the Bologna process to begin his education at one university and continue at another.
Advantages and disadvantages
The issues of the Bologna education system have many sides; its advantages and disadvantages are actively discussed by the population of various countries, including Russia, whose opinions differ sharply. Let's try to figure it out.
So, the pros
- From a global perspective, the Bologna process contributes to strengthening the economic, cultural and political ties of European countries.
- Two cycles of education allow the student to make a choice: go to work earlier or continue their professional training at a university. In addition, the credit system is a real chance to start education in one country and continue abroad, where, for example, you can significantly improve the professional skills of your chosen specialty. In addition, this opens up prospects for finding work in different countries.
- Formation of a competitive market of trained specialists.
Disadvantages of the system
- The system is largely focused on developed European countries, and differences in the economic development of different countries in the process are simply not taken into account. The mobility of students who study under this system is very attractive for the best personnel: naturally, students with the highest grades tend to move to the most developed countries with the highest wages, while less prosperous areas remain without “bright minds.”
- It is believed that diplomas received at universities operating under the Bologna system are equalized: you can get a diploma, for example, in Ukraine, and go to work in Europe. But in practice, for some reason, things are different. For example, diplomas obtained on the territory of the Russian Federation, most often, are not valued in Europe, just like vice versa, which creates considerable difficulties for young specialists.
- Reducing the duration of study to 4 years has a strong impact on the quality of graduates’ training.
Education reform in Russia has always been a difficult issue. The consequence of the latest innovation in Russia was the transition to the Bologna system. Once upon a time, a variety of arguments were heard in its favor. Some voices were from opponents of the USSR legacy. Others are from supporters of globalization, they say, “in free Europe there is such a Bologna system, and in order to urgently integrate into the free democratic world we need to make the same education system as theirs!” But has our education become the same as in Europe, are there any real advantages from the Bologna education system, and what did Russia ultimately gain from the change in the educational process? These questions were answered by expert, chairman of the Reforms - New Course OOD Sergei Zhuravsky.
Sergei Vladimirovich, against the backdrop of tense events in Ukraine, internal problems were somehow forgotten. But now school graduates will enter universities and will begin to receive higher education in September. Have we managed to become closer to Europe in the quality of education or not?
First of all, I want to answer the question of whether we have managed to become closer to Europe in the quality of education. Answer: no. And the main reason is that there has not been and is not an education system in the world that would be close in quality to the Soviet one. This is recognized by everyone - both in Russia and abroad. The successes of Soviet education can be measured by the scientific achievements that were achieved in the USSR, and this is simply a huge baggage of discoveries. No other education system could provide anything like this.
Now to the issue of integration. Yes, initially the arguments in favor of the Bologna education system were as follows: when entering a university that works according to the Bologna system, a student, if desired, can transfer to another one that also works according to the Bologna system. That is, in theory, a student from a Russian university could transfer to any European university. But this is only in theory. In practice, everything is not so simple. And often it is simply impossible. For reference: in the EU, higher education diplomas are legally recognized only within the European Union. That is, if your Russian university is a participant in the Bologna Process, then your diploma will not be recognized in the EU. And vice versa. By receiving education in the EU, your diploma will not be recognized in Russia. This can literally be called legal and educational discrimination.
- It turns out that the Bologna system is not suitable for Russia?
It is important to understand that this system was created for Europe, and its goal was to create a single European higher education space. That is, the Bologna system is a tool for strengthening European integration. For Russia, if it does not intend to join the EU, this system makes no sense.
- For Russia there are no advantages in it?
There are advantages, but they are designed specifically for European countries. The biggest advantage of this system is an attempt to unify and standardize the education system. However, this is necessary for the member countries of the European Union, but not for Russia. Secondly, it can be noted that from the point of view of globalization, the Bologna system allows for a policy of internationalization, strengthening cultural, political and economic ties.
Thirdly, the opportunity to change the place of study for students and work for teachers increases. This is what I said when answering the first question. I entered one university in one country, moved to another in another country. Here are three obvious advantages, others include the following: A competitive market of specialists with higher education is being created. Flexible system for changing the training profile. The two-tier education system makes it possible to improve one's professional level. First a bachelor's degree and then a master's degree. It is also possible to obtain a bachelor's degree in one specialty and a master's degree in another.
These advantages are not entirely suitable for Russian reality. Are the cons just as “European” or not anymore?
The disadvantages are of course no longer European. Firstly, the Bologna agreement implies a division of education into elite and non-elite. In Russia, for example, Moscow and St. Petersburg state universities have received a special status and do not participate in the Bologna process. The training time is also being reduced from five to four years. This cannot but affect the quality of student training. It does not take into account that in Europe secondary education takes 12 years, and in the Russian Federation 11 years. It turns out that in any case we are losing a year of the educational process compared to the EU. And within the framework of education, this is a huge loss that is difficult to make up for.
Thirdly, this is a policy of unification of higher education, without taking into account national educational and cultural traditions. It all comes down to one faceless European format. In the future, this will only cause problems with the content of the educational process, the adoption of new state standards, and the improvement of the qualifications of teaching staff. The Bologna system is, first of all, a points system. The main goal is to score the required number of points. Each university has a main base for which students receive grades or points. But they must score the rest of the marks based on their desires and preferences. And since only a certain number of points are needed for a test or exam, everyone, of course, follows the path of least resistance.
Fifth, the goals of the Bologna process are focused on economically developed countries and do not take into account economic differences. Teachers and students are becoming more mobile, all the expanses of Europe are opening up before them. At the same time, the best domestic minds will quite easily leave for European countries, where the salary level is significantly higher. That is, the brain drain will go in favor of rich countries, making economically poor countries even poorer.
- Not the best prospect for Russia...
Exactly. I think it would be better if we preserved the Soviet standard of education, which would serve as a good basis for the integration of the Eurasian Union, rather than follow EU standards, which are completely unsuitable for us. The education system does require reform, but the reform must be linked to the social security of teachers. By increasing their salaries and increasing spending on science. We should not mindlessly copy everything Western, but only take into account their experience in some areas, without forgetting our mentality, which is fundamentally different from the European one. In the meantime, we have a ticking time bomb in our education system. But with a boomerang effect. After all, when someone tries to break and lower the general educational level of the state, counting on the effect of some vague advantages, sooner or later this will hit their children or grandchildren, for whom the level of education will be even lower.
As we see, the current education system in Russia raises many questions. Instead of a single European higher education area, we received not entirely clear prospects. Copying Western models and structures in general does not lead to modernization, but to further losses and ending up in dead-end situations.
The Bologna process is a movement aimed at harmonizing the education systems of European countries. It was launched in the city of Bologna (Italy) on June 19, 1999, when 29 ministers of education from different European countries signed the Bologna Declaration. Official site:
The goal of the Bologna Process is to create a single scientific and educational space in Europe (EHEA, or European Higher Education Area) by 2010. This means that the countries participating in the process will have the same rules for the recognition of diplomas, conditions for employment of people, mobility of students and teachers will become possible, cooperation and exchange of experience between universities in different countries will be strengthened.
One of the main demands of the Bologna Declaration is the establishment of a common system of academic degrees. In countries that have joined the Bologna process, three-cycle training should be introduced. The first cycle, lasting at least three years, ends with a first academic degree and gives access to a second cycle, which can result in a master's degree, and after that a third, leading to a doctorate.
So, the Bologna process sets itself the following tasks:
increase the prestige of European higher education
create a single zone of higher education, which will ensure mobility of residents of different countries with employment opportunities
strengthen the scientific, technical, social and intellectual potential of Europe
achieve compatibility of higher education systems
provide students with the right to choose disciplines to study
improve the quality of education in participating countries
ensure the competitiveness of European universities
control the quality of education
In order to become a participant in this movement, a country representative must sign a corresponding declaration. Countries are accepted into the Bologna process only on a voluntary basis. By signing the declaration, countries undertake a number of obligations. For example, universities should begin issuing free uniform European supplements for bachelor's and master's degrees to graduates. Until 2010, participating countries are obliged to reform their educational systems in accordance with the requirements of the Bologna Process.
Participating countries and the years of their entry into the Bologna process:
1999: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, UK, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
2001: Croatia, Cyprus, Liechtenstein, Türkiye
2003: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vatican City, Russia, Serbia, Macedonia
2005: Arenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine
2007: Montenegro
The six main provisions of the Bologna Declaration are:
The adoption of a system of comparable degrees, including through the issuance of the Diploma Supplement, will provide employability for Europeans and increase the international competitiveness of the European higher education system.
Introduction of two-cycle training: undergraduate and postgraduate. The first cycle lasts at least three years. The second should lead to a master's degree or doctoral degree.
Introduction of a European system for transferring work-intensive credit units to support student mobility (credit system). It also ensures that the student has the right to choose the disciplines he studies. It is proposed to take ECTS as a basis, making it a cumulative system capable of working within the framework of the concept of “lifelong learning”.
Significant development of student mobility (based on the implementation of the two previous points). Expanding the mobility of teaching and other staff by crediting the time spent working in the European region. Setting standards for transnational education.
Promote European cooperation in quality assurance and the development of comparable criteria and methodologies.
Promoting the necessary European outlook in higher education, especially in the areas of curriculum development, inter-institutional cooperation, mobility schemes and joint study programmes, practical training and research.
Criticism of the Bologna process
In post-Soviet states
In post-Soviet countries, bachelors to this day are often not perceived as people with completed higher education.
There is concern that the introduction of a two-tier system will destroy the traditional Soviet model, which many believe has worked well.
The adherence to the Bologna process can be seen as a hidden way to reduce budget funding for higher education, since master's degrees are often paid.
If diplomas from graduates of post-Soviet states begin to be recognized in the West, there will be a great risk of brain drain, which will lead to the decline of domestic science and education.
Officials are not fully informed both about the current state of affairs in domestic and European education, and about the goals of the Bologna process.
In the world
Professor of sociology at the University of Ljubljana Rastko Mocnik believes that the Bologna process will lead to a decrease in the quality of education and will also create barriers to higher education for the majority of the population of countries taking part in the neoliberal reform of their social systems.
At the University of St. Gallen, which was the first to switch to the new system, most professors and associate professors do not hide the fact that the reform had a negative impact on the educational process. The standardization of studies and the introduction of the ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) credit system hit the humanities departments the most noticeably.
In some European countries (for example, in Serbia), teachers, students and schoolchildren are protesting this education reform.
In Spain, the majority opposes the introduction of the Bologna system.
Additional materials:
parta.com.ua – “Bologna Process in Ukraine”
vedomosti.ru – “Bologna Process: Catastrophe or Panacea”
almamater.com.ua – “Bologna process of Ukrainian”
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In connection with the reform of higher education today, the so-called Bologna system is increasingly mentioned. What kind of system is this? What is its main concept? And how is it implemented? These are the main questions we will try to answer.
The emergence of the Bologna education system dates back to 1999, when in the Italian city of Bologna 29 ministers of education of European countries signed an agreement on the introduction of a unified educational system within the European Union. To date, 47 countries have introduced this system. On the transition to the Bologna system, the Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation A.A. Fursenko stated back in 2006. By the way, you can see what courses and education are available on the Internet, and also sign up for them on the website artox-media.ru.
In his opinion, the Bologna system will allow Russian students to receive high-quality education not only in their homeland, but also in foreign universities. For example, a Russian student, having studied at his institute or university before the winter holidays, will continue his studies at some European university from the second semester. However, this does not take into account the fact that our educational programs are far from consistent with pan-European ones. Therefore, it is necessary to bring them into balance.
The very concept of the Bologna system involves graduating bachelors and masters instead of ordinary specialists. The main goals of the system were determined: the creation of a single European zone of higher education, the development of the cultural potential of Europe, and ensuring competition between European and American higher education institutions.
In addition, it is planned to introduce the so-called unified cumulative credit system into European universities. That is, if a student moves from one country to another, and at the same time changes place, the years spent and the tests taken are credited to this educational institution. Thus, the developers of the concept of the Bologna system intended to create conditions for accelerating mobility among students and improve the quality of all European higher education.
Today this system is difficult to implement, especially in our country. It turned out that it is not so easy to find common ground between national educational programs and the standards implemented under the Bologna system. However, according to its supporters, a balance can be found. To do this, it is necessary to create a three-level higher education.
State universities will work according to their own programs. Institutes and universities that have switched to the Bologna system. And finally, universities that will teach using a mixed program. In this case, applicants have a choice: whether to study according to the old program or choose the Bologna system.
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Education reform is now being actively discussed in the press and on television, where politicians and scientists argue about the advisability of its introduction. But the most lively discussion on this topic takes place on the Internet, in thousands of forums, where opinions about the Bologna system are expressed by those who will be directly affected by it - students and university teachers. Just enter these two words into a search engine, and you will be able to see hundreds of abusive posts about this experiment of our government and several dozen statements by those who support this innovation.
Most “little Ukrainians” agree that the Bologna system is not written about our country, that its implementation here is impossible for dozens of reasons, ranging from an outdated material and technical base to the mentality of the nation. Many call the education reform premature, suggesting that first we experiment at several universities in Ukraine and see what happens.
Meanwhile, an education system that is as similar as possible to the one proposed by the Bologna Convention has been operating for the fourteenth year in one of the most popular Ukrainian universities - the Kiev-Mohyla Academy. And, I must say, it works very successfully.
From the author’s point of view, most of the abusive articles, reports and posts are written about the Bologna system due to the fact that the majority of Ukrainian citizens simply have no idea what it will look like in practice. The author has been studying according to this system for three years now, and this article is an attempt to explain what the postulates voiced by the Bologna Convention look like in real life.
So, the Bologna system offers several innovations that will radically change Ukrainian higher education as a whole. Next, the author will present these innovations point by point and tell how each of them works in specific Ukrainian conditions.
1. Credit transfer system
It means that for each course taken, the student receives a certain number of credits, in Mogilyanka, usually from one to three. In order to receive a bachelor's degree, a student must earn at least 120 credits over four years of study; for a master's degree, it is necessary to complete at least 60 credits in two years.
In fact, this gives the student the opportunity to control his own learning process. He himself makes sure that by the last year of his bachelor's/master's degree it does not suddenly turn out that his level of education is not enough to obtain a diploma. In practice, this forces students to pay close attention to how many credits each course is worth and whether the amount of credits is enough to graduate. Therefore, the picture is when fourth-year students, at the beginning of each trimester, rush around the departments, re-enrolling somewhere in order to gain the necessary credits. Sometimes it also happens that a careless student sits in his fifth year of bachelor’s, completing one or two courses in 10 months, which he lacks to receive a diploma.
However, Mogilyanka students actually have much fewer problems than other Ukrainian students when trying to transfer to a university abroad. Loans are actually recalculated, and education in Europe can be continued from where you graduated in your home country.
2. Two-tier education system
Following the Bologna Convention, bachelor's and master's degrees are two different stages of higher education, where the bachelor's degree is more focused on practical activities, and the master's degree is more focused on scientific and pedagogical activities.
At the Kiev-Mohyla Academy, bachelor's and master's degrees in the same discipline are often very poorly correlated with each other. For example, in some specialties you have to retake courses in the magisterium that were already taught in the bachelor's degree. True, there are also positive aspects to such a weak connection. For example, you can continue your studies in any existing master’s program, regardless of your previous specialty, you just need to pass the exams. In this situation, it is quite possible to complete a bachelor’s degree in physics and receive a political science education at a master’s degree.
3. Revision of the assessment system
Theoretically, this means that it is impossible to get a satisfactory grade for the course by passing the exam with “excellent” marks if the teacher has not seen you before. In Mogilyanka, most of the trimester grade is obtained at seminars, and a person who has not attended or at least not worked most of them will not receive a grade for the course.
In practice, of course, it is possible to persuade the teacher to count your course only for the exam. But not everyone and not always. Going to seminars is easier mentally and physically, because for most courses you can get a machine gun if you score decent points for your work in the term.
4. Liberal Arts Education, or Free choice of disciplines
This question is perhaps one of the most exciting in the ongoing education reform. Many people are concerned about where education majors will go if students are allowed to take elective courses.
In reality, free choice of disciplines does not mean that you can devote all your time at university to studying only what interests you. There are three groups of disciplines: a) compulsory disciplines. Includes a cycle of general education subjects and basic professional disciplines. It is at this point that the dreams of techies who want to completely get rid of various cultural studies, political science and philosophy fail. Whether you want it or not, you will have to teach them, and when they are in your program; b) a cycle of professionally oriented disciplines. These subjects are also required to be studied, you just have the opportunity to choose when you want to study them. For example, if you are eager to learn the basics of organizing PR campaigns, you can do this already in the first year, leaving the more complex “Fundamentals of Image Formation” for the third or fourth year; c) disciplines of free choice. This is where you can make the most of it – courses from all faculties of the university are at your service. Would you like to know about the peculiarities of the philosophy of the Renaissance or get acquainted with the peculiarities of social work with the mentally disabled? Please, you can study at least at the Faculty of Computer Science. Naturally, the number of credits for such disciplines is small, so getting a second education that is in no way related to your main one will not be possible in four years. On the other hand, if the disciplines are related, such as sociology and social work, the task becomes quite realistic.
Such a system, as well as the opportunity to freely attend lectures, which the administration provides to undergraduate students, forces the teacher to make an effort to make their course interesting, and not stupidly read lectures from a textbook written, even by himself. However, the picture of less than a dozen people sitting at a streaming lecture is quite realistic. Teachers complain, swear, and sometimes lower exam grades, but they have no other way to get students to attend except to make their lectures interesting.
And now about the negative aspects of such a wonderful phenomenon as Liberal Arts Education. You can probably imagine how complicated the work of a university is, where instead of hundreds of courses they teach 5-6 times more? Of course, the groups for each subject are much smaller, but much more teachers and classrooms are needed. In addition, it is impossible to control the number of students who enroll in a particular course each year. Therefore, quite often a course in which the groups were overcrowded in one academic year does not take place in the next due to under-enrollment.
Another sore point in working with Liberal Arts Education is the schedule. With such a system, a significant part of the teachers are not on the university staff, but work somewhere else, so they can teach the course only at some clearly fixed time, which is not always convenient for students and the dean’s office. And when there is not one such teacher, but several dozen...
So it turns out that students of the Kiev-Mohyla Academy often have the first pair and the sixth, that is, they come at 8.30 and leave at 17.50. The question of what they do between ten in the morning and half past four in the evening remains open. Some manage to work. The “first, third, fifth pair” class schedule is also very “convenient”; here there can’t even be any talk of any employment - who would like an employee who appears in the office for a couple of hours and immediately runs away from it?
Of course, this system is unusual for students who are accustomed to studying the old-fashioned way, when responsibility for the quality and content of their education lies on the shoulders of the university. In addition, as always, there were several major mistakes made in its implementation. However, ask any Mogilyanka student if he wants to study like his peers from the University, KPI or KIMO. The author has never been able to get a positive answer.
Since the beginning of the new millennium, the higher education system in most countries of Europe and the former USSR has undergone changes as a result of the Bologna process. The official beginning of the existence of the Bologna education system is considered to be July 19, 1999, when representatives from 29 countries signed the Bologna Declaration. Today, the transition to the Bologna system was approved by 47 countries, becoming participants in the process.
The Bologna education system aims to bring higher education to uniform standards and create a common educational space. It is obvious that isolated educational systems have always become an obstacle for university students and graduates and for the development of science in the European region.
Main objectives of the Bologna process
- Introducing a system of comparable diplomas so that all graduates of participating countries have equal conditions for employment.
- Creation of a two-level system of higher education. The first level is 3-4 years of study, as a result of which the student receives a diploma of general higher education and a bachelor's degree. Second level (optional) – for 1-2 years the student studies a certain specialization, as a result he receives a master’s degree. The decision remains with the student. The Bologna education system determined the levels taking into account the needs of the labor market. The student has a choice - to start working after 4 years or to continue his studies and engage in scientific and research activities.
- Introduction in universities of universal “units of measurement” of education, a commonly understood credit transfer and accumulation system (ECTS). The Bologna assessment system counts points throughout the entire educational program. One credit is an average of 25 study hours spent on lectures, independent study of the subject, and passing exams. Usually in universities the schedule is drawn up in such a way that it is possible to accumulate 30 credits per semester. Student participation in olympiads and conferences is calculated in additional credits. As a result, a student can earn a bachelor's degree with 180-240 hours of credits and a master's degree with an additional 60-120 credits.
- The credit system primarily gives students freedom of movement. Since the Bologna system for assessing acquired knowledge is clear in every university in the countries participating in the process, transfer from one university to another will not be problematic. By the way, the credit system applies not only to students, but also to teachers. For example, moving to another country belonging to the Bologna system will not affect your experience; all years of work in the region will be taken into account and accredited.
Pros and cons of the Bologna system
The question of the pros and cons of the Bologna education system is being raised all over the world. America, despite its interest in a common educational space, has not yet become a participant 
process due to dissatisfaction with the credit system. In the US, assessment is based on a much larger number of factors, and simplifying the system does not suit Americans. Certain shortcomings of the Bologna system are also visible in the post-Soviet space. The Bologna education system in Russia was adopted in 2003, two years later the Bologna education system in Ukraine became relevant. Firstly, in these countries a bachelor’s degree is not yet perceived as a full-fledged one, and employers are in no hurry to cooperate. Secondly, such a plus as student mobility, the opportunity to travel and study abroad is relative for most students, since this involves large financial costs.
The Bologna education system or the Bologna process was born on July 19, 1999, on the day 29 European states signed the so-called Bologna Declaration, affirming the importance for Europe of education and educational cooperation in the development and strengthening of sustainable, peaceful and democratic societies.
Russia joined the Bologna Process in 2003
Basic principles of the Bologna education system
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Diplomas recognized in all countries
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Two-level system of higher education (bachelor, master)
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The introduction of a generally understandable system of transfer and accumulation of teaching hours in universities, which provides the student with freedom of movement.
History of the Bologna Process
Its roots go back to the Middle Ages. When a university was founded in Prague in 1348 by the will of King Charles IV, students from German lands, Scandinavia, Poland, and Hungary immediately began to flock there. And since education was conducted everywhere in Latin, there were no problems with the language of communication and teaching. Most European universities had four faculties: theology, law, medicine, liberal arts or preparatory. In it, the student learned the secrets of grammar for 5-7 years. rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music. Upon completion of this faculty, students could continue their studies in any of the first three.
The oldest university in Europe is Bologna, founded in 1088.
Oldest Universities in Europe
- Bolognese
- Oxford (1096)
- Cambridge (1209)
- Sorbonne (Paris)
- Salamanca (1218)
- Paduan (1222)
Oxford and Cambridge were famous for their successful combination of technical and humanities disciplines, the Italian University of Salerna was famous for its training of doctors
