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Maastricht European Studies Papers 2007/07 L. Unbehauen
Since the Bologna Declaration in 1999, there have been regular ministerial conferences
every two years. The 2001 conference in Prague issued the so-called Prague Communiqué
which added three additional elements of importance to the original core objectives.
7. Lifelong learning
The idea of lifelong learning has been emphasized in order to counter the challenges of
competition and to promote the use of new technologies and the greater social cohesion.
This also includes the recognition on vocational training and the focus on media skills
(Prague Communiqué, 2001).
8. Higher education institutions and students
Here the need to involve universities and students as active and knowledgeable partners
when conducting European-wide education policy is acknowledged. Furthermore, it is
stated that students should participate and shape the organizational structures and content
of higher education institutes because they are the first to be concerned by these issues
(ibid). Thus, in the Prague Communiqué the active involvement of the European
University Association (EUA, before named CRE) and the National Unions of Students in
Europe (ESIB) as consultative members of the BFUG has been established.
9. Promoting attractiveness of the EHEA (transnational education)
According to the members of the Bologna Process it is important to make the profile of
the EHEA more attractive for students from Europe and worldwide (ibid). In order to
improve the comparability of European higher education degrees in other parts of the
world, a common framework of qualifications and a coherent quality assurance and
accreditation mechanism have to be developed to stay competitive in regard to other
educational players such as the USA. The rationale is that as soon as ‘knowledge made in
Europe’ becomes a recognizable label of qualification, it will be also draw students and
high-skilled workers from all over the world.
At the ministerial summit in Berlin in September 2003, a 10 th action line, namely the
emphasis on doctorial studies (as the third educational cycle) and the synergy between the
EHEA and the European Research Area (ERA) has been promoted. Moreover, three
immediate priorities were singled out that were the most pressing and needed the greatest
attention in the up-coming two years. These were: quality assurance (QA), the two-cycle
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