“

Studying and training under the Lifelong Learning

Programme (Erasmus, Erasmus placement, Leonardo da
Vinci, etc.): Positive Effects of the Bologna Process

Luciano Saso
Rector’s Delegate for International Mobility
LLP/Erasmus Institutional Coordinator
luciano.saso@uniroma1.it
 www.uniroma1.it
about 150000 Students
about 5000 Teaching Staff
About 5000 Administrative Staff
Bologna Process
 To create the European higher education
area by making academic degree standards
and quality assurance standards more
comparable and compatible throughout
Europe under the Lisbon Recognition
Convention.

 To harmonise the architecture of the

European Higher Education system
BOLOGNA PROCESS &
MOBILITY
Mobility is fundamental to the Bologna Process and has
become a barometer of the success of the entire reform
agenda. It is widely regarded as both a tool and an end in itself,
due to its well-known role in fostering tolerance and diversity at the
societal level, while contributing to personal development, social
networking and employability. At the last Conference in London,
this point was widely acknowledged by Ministers: “Mobility of staff,
students and graduates is one of the core elements of the Bologna
Process, creating opportunities for personal growth, developing
international cooperation between individuals and institutions,
enhancing the quality of higher education and research, and giving
substance to the European dimension.”

BWSE 2009
Mobility as a tool and a goal for the
Bologna Process
Mobility can also be a tool for the proper implementation of the
Bologna Process, because it engages with every policy area of
it:
•qualifications frameworks
•ECTS and learning outcomes
•recognition practices
•quality assurance mechanisms
•internationalisation
•European dimension
•flexible and student-centred curricula
•significant social support
Special Attention to Mobility, Employability
and Quality in all Major Bologna Process
Documents
Sorbonne declaration (1998):
 the creation of the European area of higher education
as a key way to promote citizens' mobility and
employability.
Bologna (1999)
 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

 Establishment of a system of credits, a proper

means of promoting the most widespread student
mobility. Credits could also be acquired in non-
higher education contexts
Bologna (1999)
 Mobility for teachers, researchers and
administrative staff, recognition and
valorisation of periods spent in a European
context researching, teaching and training,
without prejudicing their statutory rights.
Prague (2001)
 The choice of Prague to hold this meeting is a symbol
of their will to involve the whole of Europe in the
process in the light of enlargement of the
European Union.
 Lifelong learning is an essential element of the
European Higher Education Area. In the future
Europe, built upon a knowledge-based society and
economy, lifelong learning strategies are necessary
to face the challenges of competitiveness and the
use of new technologies and to improve social
cohesion, equal opportunities and the quality of life.
Berlin (2003)
PROMOTION OF MOBILITY
The Ministers reaffirm their intention to make every
effort to remove all obstacles to mobility within the
European Higher Education Area. With a view to
promoting student mobility, Ministers will take the
necessary steps to enable the portability of national
loans and grants.
Berlin (2003)
Establishment of a system of credits
Ministers stress the important role played by the
European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) in
facilitating student mobility and international
curriculum development. They note that ECTS is
increasingly becoming a generalised basis for the
national credit systems. They encourage further
progress with the goal that the ECTS becomes not
only a transfer but also an accumulation system, to
be applied consistently as it develops within the
emerging European Higher Education Area.
Berlin (2003)
Recognition of degrees: Adoption of a system of easily readable
and comparable degrees
Ministers underline the importance of the Lisbon Recognition
Convention, which should be ratified by all countries participating in
the Bologna Process, and call on the ENIC and NARIC networks
along with the competent National Authorities to further the
implementation of the Convention. They set the objective that every
student graduating as from 2005 should receive the Diploma
Supplement automatically and free of charge. It should be
issued in a widely spoken European language. They appeal to
institutions and employers to make full use of the Diploma
Supplement, so as to take advantage of the improved transparency
and flexibility of the highereducation degree systems, for fostering
employability and facilitating academic recognition for further
studies.
Bergen (2005)
Recognition of degrees and study periods
We note that 36 of the 45 participating countries have now ratified
the Lisbon Recognition Convention. We will draw up national
action plans to improve the quality of the process associated
with the recognition of foreign qualifications. We express
support for the subsidiary texts to the Lisbon Recognition
Convention and call upon all national authorities and other
stakeholders to recognise joint degrees awarded in two or
more countries in the EHEA. We will work with higher education
institutions and others to improve recognition of prior learning
including, where possible, non-formal and informal learning
for access to, and as elements in higher education
programmes.
Bergen (2005)
Mobility
We recognise that mobility of students and staff among all
participating countries remains one of the key objectives of
the Bologna Process. Aware of the many remaining
challenges to be overcome, we reconfirm our commitment to
facilitate the portability of grants and loanswhere appropriate
through joint action, with a view to making mobility within the
EHEA a reality. We shall intensify our efforts to lift obstacles to
mobility by facilitating the delivery of visa and work permits and
by encouraging participation in mobility programmes. We urge
institutions and students to make full use of mobility
programmes, advocating full recognition of study periods
abroad within such programmes.
London (2007)
MOBILITY
 Mobility of staff, students and graduates is one of the core
elements of the Bologna Process, creating opportunities for
personal growth, developing international cooperation between
individuals and institutions, enhancing the quality of higher education
and research, and giving substance to the European dimension.
 many challenges remain: Among the obstacles to mobility, issues
relating to immigration, recognition, insufficient financial incentives
and inflexible pension arrangements feature prominently. ….This
includes joint programmes encouraging a significant increase in the
number of and the creation of flexible curricula, as well as urging
our institutions to take greater responsibility for staff and student
mobility, more equitably balanced between countries across the
EHEA.
Leuven-Louvain (2009)
Mobility
We believe that 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. In 2020, at least
20% of those graduating in the European Higher Education Area
should have had a study or training period abroad.
 Very positive effects of the Bologna Process

 COMPARABLE DEGREES
 INCREASING RECOGNITION OF STUDY AND
TRAINING PERIODS ABROAD
 DOUBLE, MULTIPLE AND JOINT DEGREES
 INCREASED MOBILITY
 REDUCED DROP OUT
 REDUCED COMPLETION RATES
NO TITLE RECOGNITION BEFORE BOLOGNA:
“A DENSE JUNGLE OF DEGREES”

What is an Italian “Laurea”?

THE CASE OF THE ITALIAN PROFESSIONAL

“MASTERS” BEFORE BOLOGNA
The most important educational
process in history

 A successful one!

 Interest and admiration in US and Asia

 Competitive European Higher Education Area (Erasmus
Mundus: 2004-)
 Peace, Quality and Diversity
Why so many Academics and
Students are not happy about it?
Complex and delicate issues

 Problems with any reform

 Problems related to quality assurance
 Only 10 years to reform European universities
(often very ancient and traditional: Sapienza
University of Rome found in 1303)!
Other reforms as “riders” (transvestism)

 Bologna Process has been implemented

concurrently with other reforms, which have
been attached as "riders" to the
implementation itself. These reforms go far
beyond the minimum provisions necessary
to implement the Bologna Process, and
include introducing tuition fees, overhauling
departments, and changing the organization
of universities. These reforms have been
criticized as unnecessary, detrimental to the http://bolognaburns.org
quality of education, or even undemocratic.

Make Bologna
TUITION FEES
History!
NUMERUS CLAUSUS Celebrating
SEMESTERS
Etc.
Bologna? We
don't think so.
Other reasons

 INFLEXIBLE CURRICULA
 EMPLOYABILITY OF BACHELOR’s DEGREE
 FINANCIAL ISSUES
 SOCIAL ISSUES (Students from lower socio-economic
background, with jobs, with children, with disabilities, etc.)
 BARRIERS (LANGUAGE, etc.)
 INCOMPLETE RECOGNITION OF CREDITS
 CONVERSION OF GRADES
 3° CYCLE (mobility, status, employability, etc.)
Social dimension

(BWSE 2009)
Let’s talk to the Students about the
Bologna process!
http://unicaroma2010.it

22-25 September 2010

Ten International Forums: more than 300 students
from all UNICA member country

1. Internationalisation at universities: challenges and problems.

2. The European mobility programmes (Erasmus, Erasmus placement,
Erasmus Mundus, Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie, doctoral programmes,
etc.): toward the 20% mobility by the year 2020?
3. What is the role of the university in contemporary society?
4. Unity and diversity in future of Europe: the challenge of multiculturalism.
5. Innovation, formal and informal education: can universities nurture the
creativity of students?
6. The Bologna process and the development of the European higher
education: quality, employability and social issues.
7. Student mobility and the enlargement and consolidation of the European
Union.
8. High quality universities with low fees: is it possible? How to choose the
best university to study at?
9. Sustainable development and greener universities.
10. Hard and soft skills: are the European universities helping the students
to develop both ?
Mobility programmes &
Bologna
No Bologna without Erasmus
 2 million students since 1987
 LEARNING AGREEMENTS (comparison of
the contents, grades, etc
 ECTS (credits, grades, etc.)

But now:
No high European mobility (20% by 2020!)
without Bologna
European Mobility Programmes
 SOCRATES/ERASMUS (1987-2007)
 LLP/ERASMUS (2007-….)
 ERASMUS PLACEMENT (2007-….)
 LEONARDO DA VINCI (1995-….)
 ERASMUS MUNDUS (2004-….)
 MARIE CURIE (1995-….)
 ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS
Mobility

Quality

Employability EMPLOYERS
ERASMUS (1987-): FOR UNDERGRADUATE OR
GRADUATE OR Ph.D STUDENTS

 Examinations
 Dissertations
LEARNING AGREEMENT

RECOGNITION + CONVERSION OF GRADES

ACCORDING TO ECTS CRITERIA
Recognition: still problems after 22 years
BWSE 2009
Learning agreement is the key document: NOT
ALWAYS SIGNED IN ADVANCE!!!
NOT FULL RECOGNITION EVEN WITH A
VALID LEARNING AGREEMENT
CONVERSION OF GRADES: “old” ECTS system

Grade best/next Definition

A 10 %
B 25 %
C 30 %
D 25 %
E 10 %
Fail - some more
work required
FX
before the credit
can be awarded
Fail -
considerable
F
further work is
required
LLP/ERASMUS PLACEMENTS
(STAGES) SINCE 2007
Companies, other institutions

CREDIT RECOGNITION
KEY ROLE FOR ERASMUS MUNDUS: HIGH
QUALITY MOBILITY

ACTION 1A: Masters + 1B Doctoral

Programmes (by 2013: 150 MASTERS + 35
Doctoral Programmes)

ACTION 2: Partnerships

ACTION 3: Promotion of European Higher

Education
3rd Cycle (Ph.D programmes, Doctorates,
Specialisation Schools)

 Senior Students, young researchers or employees?

 Quality in Supervision
 Mobility (Erasmus, Marie Curie, “free mobility”, etc.)
 Employability
 Financial issues
 Social issues (children, disabilities, etc.), issues
 etc.
MARIE CURIE (Marja Sklodowska) FELLOWSHIPS
(4.7 billion € for FP7/PEOPLE in the period 2007-2013)
PLACEMENT PROGRAMMES (Erasmus, Leonardo da
Vinci) to strengthen the collaboration between Academic
Institutions and Employers

Dialogue with Employers

Increased employability (Bachelor’s, Ph.D, etc.)
Higher quality
 Leonardo da Vinci Projects
“UNIPHARMA- GRADUATES
www.unipharmagraduates.it

Fifty 24-weeks placements for top Italian master’s

degree graduates in

CHEMISTRY, PHARMACY, BIOLOGY and

BIOTECHNOLOGIES

in selected chemical, pharmaceutical

and biomedical EUROPEAN research centers
 Transnational partners
 MORE THAN 100 PLACEMENTS
 IN OVER 40 RESEARCH CENTERS
Germany
 MAX-PLANCK-INSTITUTE FOR MOLECULAR
GENETICS (BERLIN)
 FRAUNHOFER  (HANNOVER)
 CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(UFZ, LEIPZIG)
 FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM KARLSRUHE

 BAYER CROPSCIENCE (MONHEIM and

FRANKFURT)
 SANOFI-AVENTIS (FRANKFURT)
UK
 BABRAHAM INSTITUTE (CAMBRIDGE)
 INSTITUTE OF FOOD RESEARCH (NORWICH)

 ELI LILLY (LONDON area)

 UNILEVER PORT SUNLIGHT (LIVERPOOL)
France

 ECOLE NORMALE SUPERIEURE (LYON)

 INSTITUT CURIE (PARIS)
 INSTITUT COCHIN (PARIS)
 CNRS (LYON)
 INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE
AGRONOMIQUE (INRA, NANTES)

 SERVIER (PARIS)
 PIERRE-FABRE (CASTRES)
SPAIN
 CENTER FOR GENOMIC REGULATION
(BARCELONA)
 CENTRO NACIONAL DE BIOTECNOLOGIA
(MADRID)
 PARC CIENTIFIC (BARCELONA)
 INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH IN BIOMEDICINE
(BARCELONA)
 CIC BIOGUNE (BILBAO)

 NOSCIRA (MADRID)
SWEDEN
 KAROLINSKA INSTITUTET (STOCKHOLM)
The placement procedure
1. Work programmes requested in advance to the hosting
laboratories
2. Selective but well disseminated call for applications
3. Ranking of all applicants (over 300 applications in
2009)
4. 5 motivated choices requested to the top 50
candidates (who are allowed to get in touch with the
former trainees by e-mail)
5. Final decision based on the scientific and technical
skills of the candidate and his/her knowledge of
English
The placement procedure

Best possible match between

CVs and work programmes
The placement: WORK
HARD…
COMPULSORY SCIENTIFIC REPORT
 Introduction
 Aim of the work
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
…AND PLAY HARD
Awards

 Shortlisted for the European Quality

in Mobility (EQIM) Award 2006 in
Graz
Acknowledgements
Antonella Cammisa
(SAPIENZA - INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OFFICE)

Matilde Capolei (SAPIENZA – LLP/ERASMUS OFFICE)

Laura Brossico (www.unipharma.it)

Thank you for your attention

luciano.saso@uniroma1.it