Bologna Process
Launched in 1999, the Bologna Process created the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). The overarching aim of the reform is to foster exchange programmes and boost the competitiveness of Europe as a location for education. Important cornerstones are the three-cycle degree system (Bachelor, Master and PhD), the ECTS credit system, cooperation on quality assurance and the introduction of national qualifications frameworks.
History of the Bologna Process in Europe
The foundations for the Bologna reform were laid in 1998 on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the Sorbonne University in Paris with the Sorbonne Declaration. This outlined the vision of a Europe of Knowledge.
In the Bologna Declaration of 1999, the education ministers of 29 European countries, including Switzerland, specified and supplemented the aims of the Sorbonne Declaration.
In particular, they decided to create a European Higher Education Area by 2010 with the aim of fostering exchange programmes and boosting the competitiveness of Europe as a location for education. To this end, they agreed on a range of closely interlinked measures.
These measures were further refined and supplemented in part at subsequent conferences. There was also a considerable geographical expansion. Forty-nine countries are now participating in the reform process. As planned, the European Higher Education Area was launched in 2010 at the extraordinary ministerial conference in Budapest and Vienna. Since then, the EHEA has undergone continuous consolidation and further development.
Key pillars of the Bologna Process
In order to create a common European Higher Education Area, the ministers of education agreed on concrete measures in the Bologna Declaration of 1999. The following three key elements are intended to reinforce European cooperation:
- The creation of a two-cycle system of degrees (Bachelor’s/Master’s) based on the ECTS credit system, which was supplemented by a third cycle (PhD) in 2003.
- Implementation of the European Convention on the Academic Recognition of University Qualifications (Lisbon Convention)
- The establishment of quality assurance based on jointly agreed standards and guidelines since 2025
At subsequent conferences, ministers agreed on additional measures, guidelines and recommendations addressing quality assurance, recognition of prior learning, development of qualifications frameworks, (lifelong) learning, innovative and socially responsive teaching, exchange programmes, the social dimension and the participation rights of students and staff. They also reaffirmed the core values of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), called for greater synergies with the European Research Area (ERA) and expressed support for dialogue with other regions and continents. At the 2020 Ministerial Conference, ministers also adopted the vision of establishing an inclusive, innovative and interconnected EHEA by 2030. Further information on these topics is available on the European Higher Education Area website.
The next Bologna Ministerial Conference will be held in Iaşi (Romania) and Chişinău (Republic of Moldova) in 2027. The Bologna Follow-up Group (BFUG) has been responsible for the continuous development of the process since 2001. The group comprises representatives of all signatory countries, the European Commission and key partner organisations. It is jointly chaired by the country holding the presidency of the Council of the European Union and a non-EU member of the EHEA. In the first half of 2029, Switzerland will co-chair the BFUG together with Luxembourg.
Coordinated implementation in Switzerland
When implementing Bologna reforms in Switzerland, it was essential to take into account the federal structure of the country and to preserve the diversity of its higher education landscape. At the same time, the reforms had to be applied in a consistent and coordinated manner. For this reason, various binding guidelines were issued starting in 2002. With entry into force of the Higher Education Act (HEdA) in 2015, swissuniversities requested that the Higher Education Council issue two sets of guidelines: the Bologna-Richtlinien UH for cantonal universities and federal institutes of technology; and the Bologna-Richtlinien FH und PH for Swiss universities of applied sciences (UAS) and universities of teacher education (UTEs). These documents consolidated the content of earlier guidelines. In 2020, they were replaced by the Higher Education Council Ordinance on the Coordination of Teaching at Swiss Higher Education Institutions. This ordinance introduced uniform regulations on the following aspects: levels of study and transitions between them, consistent naming of degrees, permeability and transfers between and within the various types of higher education institution in Switzerland.
During the implementation phase, the federal government provided financial support, with responsibility for execution entrusted to the rectors’ conferences. As the Bologna guidelines only set out minimum requirements, Swiss higher education institutions retained considerable flexibility in implementing the reforms and designing their study programmes.
This approach enabled Switzerland to swiftly implement new models of teaching and learning in line with the Bologna Declaration. The first Bachelor’s degrees were awarded at cantonal universities and federal institutes of technology in 2004. Since the 2009/10 winter semester, all degree programmes – including medicine – have been offered exclusively under the Bologna model.
The new study structure was introduced across all universities of applied sciences and universities of teacher education in the 2005/06 academic year. In 2008, the first Bachelor’s degrees – considered the standard professionally qualifying degree at Swiss UAS – were awarded. Since the autumn semester of the same year, (consecutive) Master’s programmes have also been offered.