Bologna: The Basics and the Big Picture

On his first trip to Europe in office, President Obama is working to re-establish the crucial alliance between the US and European States. One way to do this is to encourage Transatlantic collaborations in higher education. In fact, funding mechanisms, such as the Atlantis program are designed for this purpose. However, US universities must appreciate the reforms of the Bologna Process to build effective European partnerships.

Later this week I'll lead a class discussion in the MU Honor's College to elaborate on this point. During this discussion, I'll draw mainly on two sources.

The first source is Bologna for Pedestrians, provided by the Council of Europe. It provides an easy-access reference in FAQ format.

The second is a recent paper presented by John Yopp, called Systems of Higher Education in the US and Europe: Convergence and Collaborative Opportunities. The is a pretty lengthy power point presentation available in a somewhat awkward format. However, it's worth the time to read because it describes:

1. the nature of the opportunities afforded to US universities through the Bologna Process
2. the reasons why we may not fully appreciate them.