Bologna system in the Russian education system. What is the Bologna system? Bologna education system in Ukraine

The Bologna process is a movement aimed at harmonizing the education systems of European countries. It was launched in the city of Bologna (Italy) on June 19, 1999, when 29 ministers of education from different European countries signed the Bologna Declaration. Official site:

The goal of the Bologna Process is to create a single scientific and educational space in Europe (EHEA, or European Higher Education Area) by 2010. This means that the countries participating in the process will have the same rules for the recognition of diplomas, conditions for employment of people, mobility of students and teachers will become possible, cooperation and exchange of experience between universities in different countries will be strengthened.

One of the main demands of the Bologna Declaration is the establishment of a common system of academic degrees. In countries that have joined the Bologna process, three-cycle training should be introduced. The first cycle, lasting at least three years, ends with a first academic degree and gives access to a second cycle, which can result in a master's degree, and after that a third, leading to a doctorate.

So, the Bologna process sets itself the following tasks:
increase the prestige of European higher education
create a single zone of higher education, which will ensure mobility of residents of different countries with employment opportunities
strengthen the scientific, technical, social and intellectual potential of Europe
achieve compatibility of higher education systems
provide students with the right to choose disciplines to study
improve the quality of education in participating countries
ensure the competitiveness of European universities
control the quality of education

In order to become a participant in this movement, a country representative must sign a corresponding declaration. Countries are accepted into the Bologna process only on a voluntary basis. By signing the declaration, countries undertake a number of obligations. For example, universities should begin issuing free uniform European supplements for bachelor's and master's degrees to graduates. Until 2010, participating countries are obliged to reform their educational systems in accordance with the requirements of the Bologna Process.

Participating countries and the years of their entry into the Bologna process:

1999: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, UK, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

2001: Croatia, Cyprus, Liechtenstein, Türkiye

2003: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vatican City, Russia, Serbia, Macedonia

2005: Arenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine

2007: Montenegro

The six main provisions of the Bologna Declaration are:
The adoption of a system of comparable degrees, including through the issuance of the Diploma Supplement, will provide employability for Europeans and increase the international competitiveness of the European higher education system.
Introduction of two-cycle training: undergraduate and postgraduate. The first cycle lasts at least three years. The second should lead to a master's degree or doctoral degree.
Introduction of a European system for transferring work-intensive credit units to support student mobility (credit system). It also ensures that the student has the right to choose the disciplines he studies. It is proposed to take ECTS as a basis, making it a cumulative system capable of working within the framework of the concept of “lifelong learning”.
Significant development of student mobility (based on the implementation of the two previous points). Expanding the mobility of teaching and other staff by crediting the time spent working in the European region. Setting standards for transnational education.
Promote European cooperation in quality assurance and the development of comparable criteria and methodologies.
Promoting the necessary European outlook in higher education, especially in the areas of curriculum development, inter-institutional cooperation, mobility schemes and joint study programmes, practical training and research.

Criticism of the Bologna Process

In post-Soviet states
In post-Soviet countries, bachelors to this day are often not perceived as people with completed higher education.
There is concern that the introduction of a two-tier system will destroy the traditional Soviet model, which many believe has worked well.
The adherence to the Bologna process can be seen as a hidden way to reduce budget funding for higher education, since master's degrees are often paid.
If diplomas from graduates of post-Soviet states begin to be recognized in the West, there will be a great risk of brain drain, which will lead to the decline of domestic science and education.
Officials are not fully informed both about the current state of affairs in domestic and European education, and about the goals of the Bologna process.

In the world
Professor of sociology at the University of Ljubljana Rastko Mocnik believes that the Bologna process will lead to a decrease in the quality of education and will also create barriers to higher education for the majority of the population of countries taking part in the neoliberal reform of their social systems.
At the University of St. Gallen, which was the first to switch to the new system, most professors and associate professors do not hide the fact that the reform had a negative impact on the educational process. The standardization of studies and the introduction of the ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) credit system hit the humanities departments the most noticeably.
In some European countries (for example, in Serbia), teachers, students and schoolchildren are protesting this education reform.
In Spain, the majority opposes the introduction of the Bologna system.

Additional materials:
parta.com.ua – “Bologna process in Ukraine”
vedomosti.ru – “Bologna Process: Catastrophe or Panacea”
almamater.com.ua – “Bologna process of Ukrainian”
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In connection with the reform of higher education today, the so-called Bologna system is increasingly mentioned. What kind of system is this? What is its main concept? And how is it implemented? These are the main questions we will try to answer.

The emergence of the Bologna education system dates back to 1999, when in the Italian city of Bologna 29 ministers of education of European countries signed an agreement on the introduction of a unified educational system within the European Union. To date, 47 countries have introduced this system. On the transition to the Bologna system, the Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation A.A. Fursenko stated back in 2006. By the way, you can see what courses and education are available on the Internet, and also sign up for them on the website artox-media.ru.

In his opinion, the Bologna system will allow Russian students to receive high-quality education not only in their homeland, but also in foreign universities. For example, a Russian student, having studied at his institute or university before the winter holidays, will continue his studies at some European university from the second semester. However, this does not take into account the fact that our educational programs are far from consistent with pan-European ones. Therefore, it is necessary to bring them into balance.

The very concept of the Bologna system involves graduating bachelors and masters instead of ordinary specialists. The main goals of the system were determined: the creation of a single European zone of higher education, the development of the cultural potential of Europe, and ensuring competition between European and American higher education institutions.

In addition, it is planned to introduce the so-called unified cumulative credit system into European universities. That is, if a student moves from one country to another, and at the same time changes place, the years spent and the tests taken are credited to this educational institution. Thus, the developers of the concept of the Bologna system intended to create conditions for accelerating mobility among students and improve the quality of all European higher education.

Today this system is difficult to implement, especially in our country. It turned out that it is not so easy to find common ground between national educational programs and the standards implemented under the Bologna system. However, according to its supporters, a balance can be found. To do this, it is necessary to create a three-level higher education.

State universities will work according to their own programs. Institutes and universities that have switched to the Bologna system. And finally, universities that will teach using a mixed program. In this case, applicants have a choice: whether to study according to the old program or choose the Bologna system.
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Education reform is now being actively discussed in the press and on television, where politicians and scientists argue about the advisability of its introduction. But the most lively discussion on this topic takes place on the Internet, in thousands of forums, where opinions about the Bologna system are expressed by those who will be directly affected by it - students and university teachers. Just enter these two words into a search engine, and you will be able to see hundreds of abusive posts about this experiment of our government and several dozen statements by those who support this innovation.

Most “little Ukrainians” agree that the Bologna system is not written about our country, that its implementation here is impossible for dozens of reasons, ranging from an outdated material and technical base to the mentality of the nation. Many call the education reform premature, suggesting that first we experiment at several universities in Ukraine and see what happens.

Meanwhile, an education system that is as similar as possible to the one proposed by the Bologna Convention has been operating for the fourteenth year in one of the most popular Ukrainian universities - the Kiev-Mohyla Academy. And, I must say, it works very successfully.

From the author’s point of view, most of the abusive articles, reports and posts are written about the Bologna system due to the fact that the majority of Ukrainian citizens simply have no idea what it will look like in practice. The author has been studying according to this system for three years now, and this article is an attempt to explain what the postulates voiced by the Bologna Convention look like in real life.

So, the Bologna system offers several innovations that will radically change Ukrainian higher education as a whole. Next, the author will present these innovations point by point and tell how each of them works in specific Ukrainian conditions.

1. Credit transfer system

It means that for each course taken, the student receives a certain number of credits, in Mogilyanka, usually from one to three. In order to receive a bachelor's degree, a student must earn at least 120 credits over four years of study; for a master's degree, it is necessary to complete at least 60 credits in two years.

In fact, this gives the student the opportunity to control his own learning process. He himself makes sure that by the last year of his bachelor's/master's degree it does not suddenly turn out that his level of education is not enough to obtain a diploma. In practice, this forces students to pay close attention to how many credits each course is worth and whether the amount of credits is enough to graduate. Therefore, the picture is when fourth-year students, at the beginning of each trimester, rush around the departments, re-enrolling somewhere in order to gain the necessary credits. Sometimes it also happens that a careless student sits in his fifth year of bachelor’s, completing one or two courses in 10 months, which he lacks to receive a diploma.

However, Mogilyanka students actually have much fewer problems than other Ukrainian students when trying to transfer to a university abroad. Loans are actually recalculated, and education in Europe can be continued from where you graduated in your home country.

2. Two-tier education system

Following the Bologna Convention, bachelor's and master's degrees are two different stages of higher education, where the bachelor's degree is more focused on practical activities, and the master's degree is more focused on scientific and pedagogical activities.

At the Kiev-Mohyla Academy, bachelor's and master's degrees in the same discipline are often very poorly correlated with each other. For example, in some specialties you have to retake courses in the magisterium that were already taught in the bachelor's degree. True, there are also positive aspects to such a weak connection. For example, you can continue your studies in any existing master’s program, regardless of your previous specialty, you just need to pass the exams. In this situation, it is quite possible to complete a bachelor’s degree in physics and receive a political science education at a master’s degree.

3. Revision of the assessment system

Theoretically, this means that it is impossible to get a satisfactory grade for the course by passing the exam with “excellent” marks if the teacher has not seen you before. In Mogilyanka, most of the trimester grade is obtained at seminars, and a person who has not attended or at least not worked most of them will not receive a grade for the course.

In practice, of course, it is possible to persuade the teacher to count your course only for the exam. But not everyone and not always. Going to seminars is easier mentally and physically, because for most courses you can get a machine gun if you score decent points for your work in the term.

4. Liberal Arts Education, or Free choice of disciplines

This question is perhaps one of the most exciting in the ongoing education reform. Many people are concerned about where education majors will go if students are allowed to take elective courses.

In reality, free choice of disciplines does not mean that you can devote all your time at university to studying only what interests you. There are three groups of disciplines: a) compulsory disciplines. Includes a cycle of general education subjects and basic professional disciplines. It is at this point that the dreams of techies who want to completely get rid of various cultural studies, political science and philosophy fail. Whether you want it or not, you will have to teach them, and when they are in your program; b) a cycle of professionally oriented disciplines. These subjects are also required to be studied, you just have the opportunity to choose when you want to study them. For example, if you are eager to learn the basics of organizing PR campaigns, you can do this already in the first year, leaving the more complex “Fundamentals of Image Formation” for the third or fourth year; c) disciplines of free choice. This is where you can make the most of it – courses from all faculties of the university are at your service. Would you like to know about the peculiarities of the philosophy of the Renaissance or get acquainted with the peculiarities of social work with the mentally disabled? Please, you can study at least at the Faculty of Computer Science. Naturally, the number of credits for such disciplines is small, so getting a second education that is in no way related to your main one will not be possible in four years. On the other hand, if the disciplines are related, such as sociology and social work, the task becomes quite realistic.

Such a system, as well as the opportunity to freely attend lectures, which the administration provides to undergraduate students, forces the teacher to make an effort to make their course interesting, and not stupidly read lectures from a textbook written, even by himself. However, the picture of less than a dozen people sitting at a streaming lecture is quite realistic. Teachers complain, swear, and sometimes lower exam grades, but they have no other way to get students to attend except to make their lectures interesting.

And now about the negative aspects of such a wonderful phenomenon as Liberal Arts Education. You can probably imagine how complicated the work of a university is, where instead of hundreds of courses they teach 5-6 times more? Of course, the groups for each subject are much smaller, but much more teachers and classrooms are needed. In addition, it is impossible to control the number of students who enroll in a particular course each year. Therefore, quite often a course in which the groups were overcrowded in one academic year does not take place in the next due to under-enrollment.

Another sore point in working with Liberal Arts Education is the schedule. With such a system, a significant part of the teachers are not on the university staff, but work somewhere else, so they can teach the course only at some clearly fixed time, which is not always convenient for students and the dean’s office. And when there is not one such teacher, but several dozen...

So it turns out that students of the Kiev-Mohyla Academy often have the first pair and the sixth, that is, they come at 8.30 and leave at 17.50. The question of what they do between ten in the morning and half past four in the evening remains open. Some manage to work. The “first, third, fifth pair” class schedule is also very “convenient”; here there can’t even be any question of any employment - who would like an employee who appears in the office for a couple of hours and immediately runs away from it?

Of course, this system is unusual for students who are accustomed to studying the old-fashioned way, when responsibility for the quality and content of their education lies on the shoulders of the university. In addition, as always, there were several major mistakes made in its implementation. However, ask any Mogilyanka student if he wants to study like his peers from the University, KPI or KIMO. The author has never been able to get a positive answer.

Education reform in Russia has always been a difficult issue. The consequence of the latest innovation in Russia was the transition to the Bologna system. Once upon a time, a variety of arguments were heard in its favor. Some voices were from opponents of the USSR legacy. Others are from supporters of globalization, they say, “in free Europe there is such a Bologna system, and in order to urgently integrate into the free democratic world we need to make the same education system as theirs!” But has our education become the same as in Europe, are there any real advantages from the Bologna education system, and what did Russia ultimately gain from the change in the educational process? These questions were answered by expert, chairman of the Reforms - New Course OOD Sergei Zhuravsky.

Sergei Vladimirovich, against the backdrop of tense events in Ukraine, internal problems were somehow forgotten. But now school graduates will enter universities and will begin to receive higher education in September. Have we managed to become closer to Europe in the quality of education or not?

First of all, I want to answer the question of whether we have managed to become closer to Europe in the quality of education. Answer: no. And the main reason is that there has not been and is not an education system in the world that would be close in quality to the Soviet one. This is recognized by everyone - both in Russia and abroad. The successes of Soviet education can be measured by the scientific achievements that were achieved in the USSR, and this is simply a huge baggage of discoveries. No other education system could provide anything like this.

Now to the issue of integration. Yes, initially the arguments in favor of the Bologna education system were as follows: when entering a university that works according to the Bologna system, a student, if desired, can transfer to another one that also works according to the Bologna system. That is, in theory, a student from a Russian university could transfer to any European university. But this is only in theory. In practice, everything is not so simple. And often it is simply impossible. For reference: in the EU, higher education diplomas are legally recognized only within the European Union. That is, if your Russian university is a participant in the Bologna Process, then your diploma will not be recognized in the EU. And vice versa. By receiving education in the EU, your diploma will not be recognized in Russia. This can literally be called legal and educational discrimination.

- It turns out that the Bologna system is not suitable for Russia?

It is important to understand that this system was created for Europe, and its goal was to create a single European higher education space. That is, the Bologna system is a tool for strengthening European integration. For Russia, if it does not intend to join the EU, this system makes no sense.

- For Russia there are no advantages in it?

There are advantages, but they are designed specifically for European countries. The biggest advantage of this system is an attempt to unify and standardize the education system. However, this is necessary for the member countries of the European Union, but not for Russia. Secondly, it can be noted that from the point of view of globalization, the Bologna system allows for a policy of internationalization, strengthening cultural, political and economic ties.
Thirdly, the opportunity to change the place of study for students and work for teachers increases. This is what I said when answering the first question. I entered one university in one country, moved to another in another country. Here are three obvious advantages, others include the following: A competitive market of specialists with higher education is being created. Flexible system for changing the training profile. The two-tier education system makes it possible to improve one's professional level. First a bachelor's degree and then a master's degree. It is also possible to obtain a bachelor's degree in one specialty and a master's degree in another.

These advantages are not entirely suitable for Russian reality. Are the cons just as “European” or not anymore?

The disadvantages are of course no longer European. Firstly, the Bologna agreement implies a division of education into elite and non-elite. In Russia, for example, Moscow and St. Petersburg state universities have received a special status and do not participate in the Bologna process. The training time is also being reduced from five to four years. This cannot but affect the quality of student training. It does not take into account that in Europe secondary education takes 12 years, and in the Russian Federation 11 years. It turns out that in any case we are losing a year of the educational process compared to the EU. And within the framework of education, this is a huge loss that is difficult to make up for.

Thirdly, this is a policy of unification of higher education, without taking into account national educational and cultural traditions. It all comes down to one faceless European format. In the future, this will only cause problems with the content of the educational process, the adoption of new state standards, and the improvement of the qualifications of teaching staff. The Bologna system is, first of all, a points system. The main goal is to score the required number of points. Each university has a main base for which students receive grades or points. But they must score the rest of the marks based on their desires and preferences. And since only a certain number of points are needed for a test or exam, everyone, of course, follows the path of least resistance.

Fifth, the goals of the Bologna process are focused on economically developed countries and do not take into account economic differences. Teachers and students are becoming more mobile, all the expanses of Europe are opening up before them. At the same time, the best domestic minds will quite easily leave for European countries, where the salary level is significantly higher. That is, the brain drain will go in favor of rich countries, making economically poor countries even poorer.

- Not the best prospect for Russia...

Exactly. I think it would be better if we preserved the Soviet standard of education, which would serve as a good basis for the integration of the Eurasian Union, rather than follow EU standards, which are completely unsuitable for us. The education system does require reform, but the reform must be linked to the social security of teachers. By increasing their salaries and increasing spending on science. We should not mindlessly copy everything Western, but only take into account their experience in some areas, without forgetting our mentality, which is fundamentally different from the European one. In the meantime, we have a ticking time bomb in our education system. But with a boomerang effect. After all, when someone tries to break and lower the general educational level of the state, counting on the effect of some vague advantages, sooner or later this will hit their children or grandchildren, for whom the level of education will be even lower.

As we see, the current education system in Russia raises many questions. Instead of a single European higher education area, we received not entirely clear prospects. Copying Western models and structures in general does not lead to modernization, but to further losses and ending up in dead-end situations.

The Bologna process or Bologna education system was organized on July 19, 1999. On this day, a special declaration was signed, which was approved by 29 European countries, and it began to be called the “Bologna Declaration”. It affirms the special importance for Europe of educational cooperation and education in strengthening and developing democratic, peaceful and sustainable societies.

The Russian Federation was included in the list of countries supporting the Bologna process in 2003

The main principles declared by the Bologna education system

2-level system of higher education (master, bachelor);

Diplomas that are recognized in all countries.

History of the Bologna process

Traditionally, all European educational institutions had four faculties:

• Preparatory (Faculty of Liberal Arts);
• legal;
• medical;
• theological.

• music;
• geometry;
• rhetoric;
• astronomy;
• arithmetic;
• grammar.

According to historical information, the oldest educational institution in Western Europe is the University of Bologna, which was opened in 1088

The oldest European universities

Parisian (Sorbonne);

Oxford - founded in 1096;

Salamanca was founded in 1218;

Cambridge founded in 1209;

Bolognese.

Cambridge and Oxford were examples of an excellent combination of humanities and technical disciplines, the Italian university located in Salerna was famous for the successful training of medical personnel

About the Bologna education system video analytics

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the features of the Bologna process and the results of its implementation in the Russian education system that are already visible today. To begin with, let’s find out what the Bologna process is and what goals were pursued during its creation.

Since 2003, when Russia adopted Bologna education system, there is an ongoing debate in our society: how effective can the Bologna process be in the conditions of Russian reality and is it needed at all? Moreover, everyone understands perfectly well that our current education system does not meet modern requirements, and therefore needs reforms. But few people understand what these reforms should look like and whether the experience of European countries and, in particular, the Bologna system is suitable for us.

To clarify this issue, we invite you to familiarize yourself with the features of the Bologna process and the results of its implementation in the Russian education system that are already visible today. To begin with, let’s find out what the Bologna process is and what goals were pursued during its creation.

What is the Bologna Process?

The Bologna Process- organization of a unified educational space with the aim of creating competitive education in relation to the educational systems of Australia, North America, Southeast Asia and other regions where there is an outflow of students from their European countries. The basic principles of this system:

1. Diplomas recognized in all countries participating in the Bologna system.

2. Higher education system, consisting of three levels:

2.1. bachelor's degree,

2.2. master's degree,

3. System for transferring and accumulating teaching hours (for example, you can enter university St. Petersburg, listen to a certain number of hours, then go to Poland, and there listen to a certain number of hours that will be taken into account at the main place of study. In general, you can not only study, but also travel, if you have money, of course).

At the same time, the Bologna system is focused on obtaining by a young person a certain set of competencies that are in demand in modern realities (that is, focused on the real labor market). American psychologists found that neither work experience nor diploma from a prestigious university do not guarantee the quality of the work performed. Only human competence can determine this. We emphasize that competence should not be confused with competency.

• Competence is the ability to achieve certain work results
• Competence is the necessary knowledge, skills and standards of behavior that allow achieving high results in work.

Today, there are different options for describing the concept of “competence”:

• American approach - description of employee behavior
• European approach - description of work tasks or work results
• Russia (and the CIS) - individual abilities, personal qualities and professional skills necessary to perform any work.

Note that such complex competency studies were carried out in order to achieve the highest quality of education and the greatest profitability for various types of commercial companies: advertising, manufacturing, selling dietary supplements, etc.

These competencies are such an interesting thing. And most importantly: competencies themselves turn into goods and can be sold. For example, until recently, economists and lawyers were in demand, but today their demand has fallen, and young people have a need to acquire other competencies. Do you want to gain new competencies? No question, pay and acquire new knowledge and skills!

It is important to understand that bachelor's degree does not give a broad outlook. It provides only a certain set of competencies that allow you to perform any one function. Thus, if the competence acquired at the bachelor’s degree ceases to be in demand, then the functionary will also no longer be useful. A wider range of knowledge, thanks to which you can cover more areas within one field of activity, is offered in a master's program. Doctoral studies are designed to prepare a specialist focused on fundamentality and creativity, capable of realizing himself in scientific activity. Unfortunately, it seems that we have not yet reached the level of doctoral studies. Therefore, this form of training is not popular among young people.

Results of the implementation of the Bologna system in Russia

What did you give? Bologna system of Russia? The first results, alas, are not encouraging. Both in schools and in higher education institutions, experts note a decline in the quality of education. This is largely due to the fact that the Bologna process was created exclusively for the countries of the European Union as a tool for strengthening European integration. And since Russia is not yet a member of the EU, it is ineffective on the territory of our country.

In particular, the Bologna agreement involves reducing education at universities from five to four years. And if you consider that we study for 11 years in schools, instead of the European 12, our students lose at least 1 year of the educational process, which within the framework of education is an almost irreparable loss.

Do not forget that the Bologna process is based on a point accumulation system. Each university has a main base for which students receive points (or grades). Students can gain missing points based on their preferences and desires. And in order to obtain the required number of points for admission to a test or exam, Russian students they prefer to follow the path of least resistance, choosing the easiest (and sometimes completely unnecessary from a professional point of view) disciplines.

How is the effectiveness of education generally assessed?

Everything is clear with the school - the effectiveness of teaching is assessed based on the results of the Unified State Examination, although the level of the Unified State Examination itself is the subject of great debate in both secondary and higher schools.

As for higher education, not everything is so simple. Today, there are several ways to assess the effectiveness of higher education.

In this case, quality assessment means:

• Quality control educational program on a separate subject
• evaluation of the curriculum as a whole
• quality of work of the university, work of teachers, research work
• the quality or practice of any educational program, such as student advising.

It is worth paying attention to the assessment by professional experts, which is most actively used in America. It looks like this: associations, for example, of lawyers or doctors (non-governmental organizations), evaluate the programs of specialized universities. They do this very strictly, since they are vitally interested in increasing the prestige of their profession.

For reference, currently education market US educational institutions are leading. This is determined by two fairly important factors:

• high share of spending on education (7% of GDP, approaching 1 trillion dollars, in Russia - about 3.5% of GDP, in monetary terms - 34 billion rubles)
• the unification of science and education, higher education institutions are the main sector for conducting fundamental research. In Russia and Europe, the centers of education and scientific research are separated.

This is something we must definitely take into account.

No one doubts the fact that the best education system was created in the USSR. Of course, no one included it in any rating lists in America or Europe, but even without this, graduates of Soviet universities were “ripped off” in foreign companies. Even now, thanks to the legacy of the USSR educational system, Russian universities and schools remain at a fairly high level. And today, graduates of leading Russian universities are in demand abroad. And all because they are distinguished by a broad outlook, rather than a specific set of competencies, as well as the ability to apply acquired knowledge in practice and bear responsibility for the social consequences of any engineering decisions.

To be fair, our country would need not to copy an education system that is alien to the Russian mentality, but to supplement the well-proven educational system of the USSR with components of the Bologna process that are suitable for Russian reality. For example, the Russian education system clearly lacks:

• orientation to the real labor market;
• student mobility;
• use of innovative teaching methods.

But in the future it would be possible to gradually introduce other provisions European education system.

With the aim of creating European higher education, in 2003 the Bologna process, unknown to anyone at that time, appeared in Russia, which, despite general criticism, today enjoys noticeable popularity. Its birth dates back to 1999, and it happened in one of the Italian cities - Bologna. Hence the corresponding name, which was approved and approved by 29 ministers of education of various European powers.

Main objectives of the Bologna process

The emergence of a new system of teaching and assessment immediately attracted the interest of modern teachers in Russia, although at first it was difficult to get used to such innovations. The main thing is to understand why the Bologna process is necessary, and then there will be much less discussion on this topic.

Its main tasks are the following provisions:

1. Expand the boundaries of higher education;

2. Increase the mobility of teachers and students;

3. Attract European traditions for further international cooperation;

4. To guarantee successful employment abroad for university graduates;

5. Modernize traditional higher education.

In simple terms, the Russian Ministry of Education received additional funding from Europe in exchange for new training standards that are attractive on the global labor market.

The main prospects and advantages of the Bologna process

The fact that the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation was switching to the Bologna process became officially known back in 2006, and this resolution was announced by the Minister of Education and Science of Russia A.A. Fursenko. The reaction was mixed, but the scientist’s arguments sounded very encouraging and promised a bright future for the development of science and education.

Firstly, Europe opened up for students, where domestic students could now also receive higher education. Students of Russian universities can complete several semesters at a Russian university, and then continue their studies at one of the European universities without any problems.

Secondly, at the same time all Russian educational programs were revised, and from now on correspond European standards, thereby improving the quality of education and, accordingly, the qualifications of university graduates.

Thirdly, the achieved European balance allows domestic students to get jobs in international companies, increasing not only your standard of living, but also your qualifications.

And lastly: a single European higher education area ensures effective competition between European and American universities, which means that the demand for domestic specialists will rapidly increase, several times over.

What you need to know about the Bologna process?

According to the provisions of the Bologna Process, specialists are no longer produced, and the European Labor Exchange receives highly qualified masters and bachelors.

Of course, today the implementation of all the tasks of this international program is problematic, since it is very difficult to find a “golden mean” between the generally accepted educational system and the innovative one. But it is still real, and the last few years are clear proof of this.

The Bologna process provides for a two-level education system, however, domestic scientists and educators openly declare that balance will be achieved only if the proposed education system is three-level and is able to harmonize centuries-old domestic traditions and European aspirations for the unity of education.

Probably the main prospect of such an innovation was unified savings system of loans, which has long been practiced in European countries.

If a student needs to move to another state, he can easily transfer to a foreign university without losing years of study, credits and exams. He simply continues his studies in another country from the point at which it was interrupted.

Such mobility among university students cannot but rejoice, especially since it has already been proven in practice that it really works.

So, we have already mentioned the two-level education system, and it is precisely the structure of the Bologna process that is worth talking about in more detail. It is characterized by the following characteristics:

1. The Bologna process provides two-level education system, where the first level covers 3–4 years of study, and upon completion awards the student a bachelor’s degree.

The second level is not mandatory, but is considered prestigious and very promising. Training in this case covers 1–2 years, and upon graduation a master’s degree is guaranteed.

For comparison: in Germany, the annual salary of a bachelor's degree is up to $20,000, and a master's salary is from $20,000. So there is something to think about.

2. Grading system – point, that is, the student, with his knowledge and active participation in student life, earns credits that determine his future.

One credit is equal to 25 study hours, which the student spends not only on passing the session, but also on lectures, practical classes and independent study of a particular subject.

Student participation in conferences, seminars, research and competitions is also accompanied by additional credits.

3. Diploma on higher education is established uniform sample, which significantly simplifies the further employment of foreign graduates in European companies. This is done in order to equalize the chances of all applicants for a promising position.

What does the Bologna process give to students and the education system?

Despite all the criticism with which the Bologna process was adopted in Russia, its significant advantages cannot be underestimated.

They can be judged based on the objectives that have already been achieved in practice:

The image of higher education has been enhanced;

Students will have a unique opportunity to independently choose disciplines;

The social and scientific potential of the European powers has been strengthened;

Well-established quality control of education was carried out;

The competitiveness of European universities has been ensured.

So the introduction of the Bologna process did not leave its mark on domestic education, and even, on the contrary, expanded the opportunities for Russian students. Now every graduate can achieve their main life goals at the global level.

Disadvantages of the Bologna process?

Like any other innovation, the Bologna process has its shortcomings and shortcomings, which should also be mentioned.

Firstly, a bachelor’s degree for many developed countries is not a qualified specialist with completed education. Such graduates are less likely to be hired, and working conditions and wages leave much to be desired. There is a stereotype that a bachelor’s degree is an incomplete higher education, that is, a student is a dropout.

Secondly, the well-established Soviet model of education was disrupted and undermined by the emergence of a two-tier education system envisaged by the Bologna Process. This, one might say, historical event had a negative impact on the mentality of the entire power.

Thirdly, since the master's degree is in any case paid, many students, due to insufficient financial resources, have to complete their higher education with the status of bachelor, which is not so prestigious.

Accordingly, the state’s maneuver to reduce budget funding for the education system is felt.

Fourthly, obtaining international diplomas will ensure a “brain drain” to the West, as a result of which Russia will become poor in qualified specialists. Many industries will suffer from this, in particular the development of science.

And lastly: it is worth recalling that in Spain many students and teachers are preventing the introduction of the Bologna system and even organizing numerous mountain rallies. In fact, one can argue about this for a long time, but the Bologna process still contains that “grain of truth” that will make it possible to unite the world education system and develop uniform standards for the cultivation of certified specialists, or rather, masters and bachelors.

Basic provisions of the Bologna process

1. The competitiveness of the European higher education system is enhanced through uniform standards of diplomas and successful employment in international companies.

2. Two levels of education - bachelor (3 - 4 years of study) and master (1 - 2 years of study).

3. The basis of the Bologna process is considered to be a unified cumulative ECTS system, which operates within the framework of the “lifelong learning” program.

4. Reducing unemployment and the possibility of increasing the intellectual potential of Europe.

5. Definition of international standards for transnational education.

6. Development of new concepts for the mobility of international students.

If these points are achieved by the Ministry of Education and strictly observed, then a Russian student will be able not only to undergo an internship in foreign companies in his specialty, but also count on further employment and bright career prospects.

To date, 47 countries have joined the Bologna process, and observing such positive growth dynamics, it becomes obvious that this is not the limit. Montenegro was the last to join in 2007, but perhaps the Bologna process will soon break into the education system of other powers.

Conclusion: The Bologna process is another step towards Europe, which Russia took back in 2006. At first there were difficulties and contradictions (which even today cannot always be avoided), but today many modern students have already experienced all the delights of such an accession and have noticeably improved their working and living conditions.

Now you know about what is the Bologna system.