INTERNATIONAL
PERSPECTIVE
BOLOGNA
PROCESS AND TURKEY
The
Ministers in charge of higher education of France, Italy, United
Kingdom and Germany signed Sorbonne Declaration on the harmonization
of the architecture of the European Higher Education System. With
the Bologna Declaration in June 1999, the number of signatory countries
increased to 29 countries. Bologna Declaration has a clearly defined
common goal, which is the creation of a coherent European higher
education space within the next decade. There is a set of specified
objectives in Bologna Declaration:
• Adoption of a system of easily readable and comparable degrees,
also through the implementation of the Diploma Supplement, in order
to promote European citizens employability and the international
competitiveness of the European higher education system.
• Adoption of a system essentially based on two main cycles,
undergraduate and graduate. Access to the second cycle shall require
successful completion of first cycle studies, lasting a minimum
of three years. The degree awarded after the first cycle shall also
be relevant to the European labor market as an appropriate level
of qualification. The second cycle should lead to the master and/or
doctorate degree as in many European countries.
• Establishment of a system of credits - such as in the ECTS
system - as a proper means of promoting the most widespread student
mobility. Credits could also be acquired in non-higher education
contexts, including lifelong learning, provided they are recognized
by receiving Universities concerned.
• Promotion of mobility by overcoming obstacles to the effective
exercise of free movement with particular attention to:
- For students, access to study and training opportunities and to
related services
- For teachers, researchers and administrative staff, recognition
and valorization of periods spent in a European context researching,
teaching and training, without prejudicing their statutory rights.
• Promotion of European co-operation in quality assurance
with a view to developing comparable criteria and methodologies.
• Promotion of the necessary European dimensions in higher
education, particularly with regards to curricular development,
inter-institutional co-operation, mobility schemes and integrated
programmes of study, training and research.
Two
years after signing the Bologna Declaration, the Ministers in charge
of higher education of 33 European signatory countries met on 19
May 2001 in Prague to follow up the Bologna Process and to set directions
and priorities for the coming years. Moreover, the participation
of Turkey, Croatia and Cyprus is confirmed. Turkey is also a member
of Bologna Follow-up Group. Thus, Turkey participates all conferences,
seminars and projects related to the Bologna Process.
Participation of Turkey in the European Action Program in the Field
of Education, SOCRATES
Socrates is the European programme for education. Its aim is to
promote the European dimension and to improve the quality of education
by encouraging cooperation between the participating countries.
The programme sets out to develop a Europe of knowledge and thus
better cater for the major challenges of this new century: to promote
lifelong learning, to encourage access by everybody to education,to
acquire qualifications and recognised skills.
The first phase of the Socrates programme was for five years (1995-1999).
The programme has been renewed and the second phase will run for
seven years (2000-2006). Socrates has a budget of 1 850 € million
for the seven-year period.
Within
the framework of the Association Agreement with the EU, Turkey has
been included in the decision for SOCRATES II, which is operational
during 2000-2006. Turkey will have to establish a National Agency
that will be responsible to promote, manage, monitor and evaluate
the programmes. The Government decided on 24 December 2001 that
the National Agency be set up as a separate unit under the State
Planning Organization with the contribution of the Ministry of National
Education, High Education Board and the General Directorate for
Youth and Sports. The EU Commission has been informed of this decision.
After the legal ground is established and the Agency becomes functional,
Turkey will have to undergo a preparatory period of minimum 18 months.
The preparatory period will be devoted mainly to the promotion of
the programmes in Turkey and the training of the Agency personnel.
The work plans were signed with the Commission on 27 December 2002.
The contract for the release of € 3.8 million-worth EU funds
to support the preparatory measures has also been signed. It is
planned that Turkey will be able to fully participate in the programmes
as of the 2004-2005 academic term.
RECOGNITION
OF HIGHER EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS:
ENIC
(European Network of Information Centres)
To implement the Lisbon Recognition Convention, in general, to develop
policy and practice for the recognition of qualifications, the Council
of Europe and UNESCO have established the ENIC Network (European
Network of National Information Centres on academic recognition
and mobility). The Council of Europe and UNESCO/CEPES jointly provide
the Secretariat for the ENIC Network. The ENIC Network cooperates
closely with the NARIC Network of the European Union.
The Network is made up of the national information centres of the
States party to the European Cultural Convention or the UNESCO Europe
Region. Within the framework of its participation to UNESCO/CoE,
Turkey is also a member of this network. An ENIC is a body set up
by the national authorities. While the size and specific competence
of ENIC may vary, they will generally provide information on:
- the recognition of foreign diplomas, degrees and other qualifications;
- education systems in both foreign countries and the ENIC’s
own country;
- opportunities for studying abroad, including information on loans
and scholarships, as well as advice on practical questions related
to mobility and equivalence.
NARIC
(National Academic Recognition Information Centres)
The NARIC network is an initiative of the European Commission and
was created in 1984. The network aims at improving academic recognition
of diplomas and periods of study in the Member States of the EU,
the EEA countries and the associated countries in Central and Eastern
Europe and Cyprus. Turkey is also included in the NARIC network
through its Association Agreement with the EU. NARIC is part of
the Community's Programme SOCRATES/ERASMUS, which stimulates the
mobility of students and staff between higher education institutions
in these countries.
All EU and EEA States and all the associated countries in Central
and Eastern Europe, Cyprus and Turkey have designated national centres,
the purpose of which is to assist in promoting the mobility of students,
teachers and researchers by providing authoritative advice and information
concerning the academic recognition of diplomas and periods of study
undertaken in other States. In Turkey, National Agency is responsible
for coordinating these activities.
REGIONAL
CONVENTIONS:
Turkey participated/signed the following regional conventions on
the recognition of higher education studies, diplomas and degrees:
1. The UNESCO Regional Convention on the Recognition of Studies,
Diplomas, and Degrees in Higher Education in Asia and the Pacific;
Turkey signed this Convention in 1983 and ratified it in 1987,
2. The UNESCO International Convention on the Recognition of Studies,
Diplomas, and Degrees in Higher Education in the Arab and European
States Bordering on the Mediterranean,
3. The UNESCO Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas,
and Degrees concerning Higher Education in the States belonging
to the Europe Region; Turkey signed this Convention in 1979 and
ratified it in 1988.
The
European University Association (EUA)
The European University Association (EUA) is the main organization
of European universities and their national rectors’ conferences.
EUA’s mission is to promote a coherent system of European
higher education and research based on shared values, through active
support and guidance to its members, thus enhancing their contribution
to society. Currently EUA has a total of 673 members in 45 countries;
621 full individual members, 6 associate individual members, 34
full collective members, 3 associate collective members and 9 affiliated
members.
Totally, 34 universities of Turkey are the full members of EUA and
2 universities are the associate members of EUA. The Council of
Higher Education (YOK) is a collective member of EUA.
International
Association of Universities (IUA)
International Association of Universities (IUA), founded in 1950,
is the UNESCO-based, worldwide association of universities. It brings
together institutions and organizations from 150 countries for reflection
and action on common concerns and collaborates with various international,
regional and national bodies active in higher education. Its services
are available to organizations, institutions and authorities concerned
with higher education, as well as to individual policy and decision-makers,
specialists, administrators, teachers, researchers and students.
For the time being, 56 universities are the members of IUA in Turkey.
