Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is a pan-European organisation established in 1949 to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
Its headquarters are in Strasbourg. The Council of Europe currently has
47 members, while 50 countries are party to the
European Cultural Convention.
The work of the
Council of Europe in higher education policy focuses on issues related to
qualifications (qualifications frameworks, recognition), public responsibility
for higher education and research, higher education governance and other fields
relevant for the establishment of the European Higher Education Area by 2010. It
is currently engaged in a
project looking at the roles and functions of higher education in modern
societies, with particular emphasis on
democratic
culture and intercultural dialogue. The Council of Europe also supports
reform of higher education in the so-called priority regions, mainly South East
Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States.
The Council of Europe has contributed to the Bologna Process almost from its inception and is a consultative member of Bologna Follow-up Group (BFUG) and Board:
Sjur Bergan, Head of the Department of Higher Education and History teaching (BFUG and Board)
Radu Damian, Chair of the Steering Committee for Higher Education and Research (BFUG)
The Council of Europe also spoke at the Ministerial conferences in
2005 and
2007.
The Council of Europe’s contributions to the Bologna Process include:
-
Providing, with UNESCO, the only legally binding text of the Bologna Process: the Council of Europe/UNESCO (Lisboa) Recognition Convention
-
Development of recognition policy and practice through the ENIC and NARIC Networks, with UNESCO and the European Commission;
-
Work on qualifications frameworks, in 2007 – 2009 as Chair of the Bologna Coordination Group on Qualifications Frameworks;
-
Membership of the BFUG Working Group “European Higher Education in a Global Setting”;
-
Work on the public responsibility for higher education and research; leading to a policy recommendation by the Committee of Ministers
; -
Work on higher education governance;
-
A particular responsibility, within the Bologna Process, for working with countries that have joined the Process in 2003 or later;
-
Publication of the Council of Europe Higher Education Series; in which most volumes are relevant to the Bologna Process.