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Abstract
This paper focuses on the analysis of student mobility in the EU as a means to stimulate convergence of diverse higher education systems. The argument is based on official texts and other texts of political communication of the European Commission. The following discussion is placed within the current context of the Bologna process and its aim to introduce system‐level changes towards convergence and harmonization that were not achieved through EU schemes of student mobility. Without disregarding the tension between popularity and limited impact of EU mobility programmes, I argue that promoting student mobility was not an act of a limited ambition, but on the contrary, an initiative aiming at the foundation of a system of higher education institutions at a European level.
Notes
1. This article draws in parts on a paper presented at the Third Conference on Knowledge and Politics, University of Bergen, 18–20 May 2005.
2. See two reports endeavouring to lay the foundations for a European Community action regarding education. The first report (Janne, Citation1973), prepared by a working group comprising specialists in education and chaired by Henri Janne (former minister for Education of Belgium, appointed by the European Commission in July 1972) was submitted in February 1973. Its proposals evoke the promotion of ‘European Dimension in education’, the equivalence of secondary studies degrees, the development of an education throughout life and, finally, the language teaching. In March 1974, the second report (Commission des Communautés européennes, Citation1982), under the mandate of Ralf Dahrendorf, the first Commissioner in charge of research, sciences and education, introduced the draft of an action plan titled ‘Education in the European Community’. In the promulgation of the declarations of 1971, this report presented the development of a strategy of cooperation in the field of education as the way forward and rejected any aim of harmonization.
3. A report of ‘trends’ in European higher education informed each of the three Conferences of European Ministers of Education. The first, titled Trends in Learning Structures in Higher Education (Trends I), was prepared by Haug and Kirstein (Citation1999) for the 1999 meeting in Bologna that launched the process. Trends II Towards the European Higher Education Area (Haug & Tauch, Citation2001) was presented in Prague in 2001. The third EUA report Trends III: Progress Towards the European Higher Education Area (Reichert & Tauch, Citation2003), was prepared for the Berlin Summit 2003. Trends IV: European Universities Implementing Bologna (Reichert & Tauch, Citation2005) is the most recent report prepared for the Bergen Summit 2005.
4. For the survey conducted for the Trends III (Reichert & Tauch, Citation2003) report, 1800 questionnaires were sent, with a 45% response rate.
5. Décision du Conseil du 15 juin 1987 (87/327/CEE) portant adoption du programme d’action communautaire en matière de mobilité des étudiants (ERASMUS), JOCE, n ∞ L 166 du 25/06/1987, [Council Decision of 15 June Citation1987 adopting the European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students (ERASMUS)] pp. 0020—0024.
6. Décision du Conseil du 15 juin 1987 (87/327/CEE) portant adoption du programme d’action communautaire en matière de mobilité des étudiants (ERASMUS), JOCE, n ∞ L 166 du 25/06/1987, [Council Decision of 15 June Citation1987 adopting the European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students (ERASMUS)] pp. 0020—0024.
7. Unless the reference is mentioned in English, the sentence in quotes has been taken from the French versions of the EC publications and does not necessarily correspond to the official texts in English.
8. Conclusions du Conseil et des ministres de l’Education, réunis au sein du Conseil du 6 octobre 1989 sur la coopération et la politique en matière d’éducation dans la perspective de 1993, JOCE, n∞ C 277/5 du 31/10/89 [Conclusions of the Council and the ministers for Education meeting within the Council of 6 October 1989 on cooperation and Community policy in the field of education in the run‐up to 1993].
9. Résolution du Conseil et des ministres de l’éducation réunis au sein du Conseil sur la dimension européenne dans l’éducation, du 24 mai 1988, JOCE, n∞ C 177 du 06/07/1988 [Resolution of the Council and the Ministers of Education meeting within the Council on the European Dimension in education of 24 May 1988].
10. Résolution du Parlement européen sur le rapport de la Commission Enquête sur la situation socio‐économique des étudiants ERASMUS, (Procès Verbal du 06/09/2000, basé sur le document A5‐0199/2000) [Resolution of the European Parliament on the Commission report titled Survey into the socio‐economic background of ERASMUS students] [our translation].
