The Ministers issued this brief communique to summarize Bologna achievements, and to announce shared priorities for continuing reform through 2020.
In brief, the Ministers emphasized involvement of all stakeholders (e.g., students, employers, faculty, regional authorities) in planning and implementation. They are committed to student-centered learning, and to improve access to higher education. They also emphasized the roles that higher education institutions will play in economic recovery, and in supporting lifelong learning.
Finally, they highlight the importance of student mobility - or, in our terms - study abroad.
Here's an excerpt.
...mobility of students, early stage researchers and staff enhances the quality of programmes and excellence in research; it strengthens the academic and cultural internationalization of European higher education. Mobility is important for personal development and employability, it fosters respect for diversity and a capacity to deal with other cultures. It encourages linguistic pluralism, thus underpinning the multilingual tradition of the European Higher Education Area and it increases cooperation and competition between higher education institutions. Therefore, mobility shall be the hallmark of the European Higher Education Area. We call upon each country to increase mobility, to ensure its high quality and to diversify its types and scope.
Within each of the three cycles, opportunities for mobility shall be created in the structure of degree programmes. Joint degrees and programmes as well as mobility windows shall become more common practice. Moreover, mobility policies shall be based on a range of practical measures pertaining to the funding of mobility, recognition, available infrastructure, visa and work permit regulations. Flexible study paths and active information policies, full recognition of study achievements, study support and the full portability of grants and loans are necessary requirements.
