Bologna Process

As the Bologna Process aiming at a pan-European harmonization of study programs and degrees as well as on international student mobility Transnational higher education reform is called, which is aimed at creating a single European Higher Education Area. The term dates back to a 1999 by 29 European Ministers of Education in Bologna, Italy signed policy-program declaration.

Essential elements of the intentioned convergence process is a two-stage system professionally qualifying academic degrees ( typically in the form of Bachelor and Master), the consistent establishment of the European Credit Transfer System ( ECTS), a continuous quality assurance in higher education, and especially in Germany on employability ( employability ) targeting the labor market orientation of study programs. Of critical observers of the Bologna process is sometimes noted that the supranational level has been politically exploited in order to achieve reform goals that you do not have at national level alone can realize with the reference to European harmonization efforts and global adjustment pressures yet.

The accompanying critique of the associated with the Bologna process by cross- conversion of the higher education system, both on the practical implications for university teaching and student directed (insufficient inter alia preparation and resources among universities, material overload usually courses and an exuberant, too small-scale test practice ) and on the university issues resulting potential or actual consequences ( including increasing separation of research and teaching; Verschulung of higher education at the expense of individual academic freedom and maturation; market-oriented, externally- dependent high school structures, neglecting basic research).

4.1 Differentiated courses
4.2 Multiple overload
4.3 Precarious university funding
4.4 rework ideas and Excellence Initiative

6.1 Aspects of deficit analysis
6.2 Fundamental criticism
6.3 resistance

Development context

To mark the 900th founding year of the oldest European university signed 388 university presidents from around the world in 1988 in Bologna Magna Charta Universitatum one in which the universities will be awarded a significant role for the auszubauenden close relations between all European nations as autonomous central social institutions. The non-negotiable unity and freedom of research and teaching as well as the legitimate educational interests of the students are in it as well as emphasized the need intensive support both the research-related information exchange of among European universities as well as the transnational mobility of teachers and students.

A first international agreement on the mutual recognition of qualifications developed the Euro Europe together with UNESCO on 11 April 1997 in Lisbon Convention. In it the recognition in principle of all degrees of the signatory countries was agreed among themselves. In turn, each country should be allowed to define additional conditions for the continuation of an already launched to study abroad in its borders, with the transparency of the procedure should be given.

The initiative to unify the existing European university life goes back to a joint declaration by the Ministers of Education of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom in 1998. The occasion was celebrating the 800th anniversary of the Sorbonne. Because of their signature resort, this Joint Declaration on Harmonisation of the Architecture of the European Higher Education of 25 May 1998 was known as the Sorbonne Declaration. In it, a two-stage system professionally qualifying academic degrees already been provided. A semester abroad students should be promoted; service provided outside wanted to let recognize future in an open European area for higher education on the basis of the ECTS credit point system. Should be promoted as an important general qualifiers language skills and the application of new information technologies.

Due to the Bologna Declaration of 19 June 1999, laid down in the Sorbonne declaration intentions were put on a broader basis and partly concrete. Were in prospect, mechanisms to sustainable quality assurance in conjunction with the development of appropriate benchmarks. . The undersigned ministers of education of 29 European nations also decided regular follow-up conferences every two years and an implementation period until 2010 Facing Europe's position in the world said: " We need to Ensure did the European higher education system Acquires a world -wide degree of attraction equal to our extraordinary cultural and scientific traditions. "

Objectives

The Bologna Process has three main objectives: the promotion of mobility, international competitiveness and employability. As a sub-objectives, this includes, among other things:

The creation of a system of easily readable and comparable degrees, also through the introduction of the Diploma Supplement,
Creating a two-tier degree system ( consecutive courses, undergraduate / graduate, implemented as Bachelor / Bachelor and Master / Master in Germany and Austria )
The introduction of a credit system, the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS),
The Promotion of mobility by overcoming obstacles to mobility; meant is not just geographical mobility, but also cultural skills and mobility between universities and courses,
Promotion of European cooperation in quality development,
The promotion of the European dimension in higher education,
Lifelong and life-long learning,
The student participation ( involvement in all decisions and initiatives at all levels),
The promotion of the attractiveness of the European Higher Education Area,
The teeth of the European Higher Education Area with the European Research Area, in particular through the integration of doctoral studies in the Bologna Process.

Organization and implementation

In accordance with the Bologna Declaration, the European Higher Education Area should be created by 2010. The process has, however, made in the various participating countries vary in difficulty and time delays, so that the target time has been moved to another decade. It is a - non-binding on purely legal level - to be agreed between the education ministers of 47 European countries now. In the most every two years at the ministers' meeting (2001 in Prague, 2003 in Berlin, 2005 in Bergen, 2007 in London, 2009 in Leuven, 2010 in Vienna and Budapest, 2012 in Bucharest ) establish and officially determine which objectives in the Bologna Process to be achieved in each priority (eg concerning the convergence of degree programs, student mobility or quality assurance in research and teaching). At the same time, ministers are responsible for the implementation of various concepts at the country level. They are supported by a working group at European level, the Bologna Follow- Up Group ( BFUG ), and national committees, the national Bologna Group.

In the BFUG representatives of the various Bologna countries and the European Union are working on specific plans for the implementation of the Bologna objectives, taking and of European Associations of Universities ( EUA and EURASHE ), students ( ESU), the economy ( Business Europe ) will advise the Council of Europe. Other organizations such as CESAER or SEFI act unofficially with the Bologna process, by developing recommendations for individual areas. The BFUG meets several times a year in order to clarify open questions about the reforms and to report on progress.

Among the important priority levels of implementation of the Bologna Process, which have to provide their contributions for a total success all State Parties to include the convergent structure and grading of the courses, the promotion of student mobility and the quality assurance of teaching and research.

Stepped cycles and degrees

One of the most famous results of the Bologna process is the establishment of a system of three successive cycles in higher education. These cycles are defined in the Bergen Declaration through a coarse framework of qualifications and ECTS credits.

Bachelor degree study programs lay the academic foundations, provide methodological skills and job-related qualifications are obtained. Master's programs are differentiated by the profile types "more practice-oriented" and " more research-oriented " to differentiate. The academic conclusion of the first cycle is called Bachelor or Bachelor, the completion of the second cycle is called the master or masters, each complemented by a department- specific specification ( of Arts, of Science, science, etc.). Bachelor 's and Master's degree programs can be established at universities and at colleges.

For accreditation, a Bachelor's or Master's degree program is to provide evidence that the program is modularised and provided with a credit point system. For consecutive courses, the total standard period of study may not exceed ten semesters (300 LP ) amount, which is usually implemented by a six-semester bachelor and building upon the four-semester Master's program. One year full-time study corresponds to a power of 60 ECTS or 1,500 - 1800 hours an assumed total expense for all learning tasks.

Student mobility and exchange semester

A lifted out in common motive for countries participating in the Bologna process is the internationalization of European higher education, particularly in order to promote student mobility. Conditions were the Erasmus program for 1987 created on can be set up: partial scholarships for meanwhile more than 200,000 students, which will support study visits of up to one year at partner universities in another European country. The partnerships of the universities involved include that the study achievements earned abroad for individual study programs and degrees are recognized respectively.

The effected by the Bologna Process effects in terms of increase of semesters abroad, the improved recognition of study abroad services are not yet very pronounced around for German students. According to one estimate, there has been an increase in temporary foreign studies from 19 to 27 percent of the students. On the other hand, students complain representatives that of the promised mobility is not much to see. Studies showed that the tightly timed undergraduate programs hardly air left for a semester or internship abroad. " Even a simple change of location in Germany, is also due to the formation of federalism, often prevented by the narrow module plans of individual universities or colleges "

A survey of the German Academic Exchange Service in 2009 states that only 50 percent of study abroad benefits would be fully recognized (where 33 per cent on the basis of preliminary agreements ). 18 percent of the students, however, had the experience that they would not be counted any service provided outside.

Ulrich Teichler has on mobility issues in the Bologna process suggests that it was possibly not gone primarily to the mobility of students in their own countries the university leaders of those states and go, but to make the universities in Europe more attractive to students about from countries in East and Southeast Asia, so they are not increasingly being determined exclusively for English-speaking countries.

Quality assurance and academic feasibility

The projected goal of a European Higher Education Area, the Bologna Declaration has been connected with the work towards the development of common criteria and methodologies on quality assurance for higher education in the European grid. Primary importance received this accreditation process for universities and degree programs. Specifically, the reorganization of measures comprehensively affected German higher education should therefore be reorganized.

One of the Ministers of Education (KMK ) initiated Accreditation Council with 18 members - the four representatives of the universities and the federal states, five representatives from the professional practice, two students, two accreditation experts and a representative of the accreditation agencies belong - are the guidelines for the accreditation process before and controls the activity of authorized accreditation agencies. At the predetermined by the Accreditation Criteria for approval of courses of study include, among others:

Harmonious combination of the individual study modules formulated in terms of qualification targets;
Information on admission requirements and the rules of recognition for services rendered elsewhere;
Concept adequate study organization.

To ensure the academic feasibility of the proposed programs, the accreditation should be made dependent on, among other things:

Appropriate curriculum design;
Plausible statements or judgments about student workload;
Adequate and appropriate stress testing frequency and organization;
Care services as well as technical and professional student counseling.

A possible simplification of the so-called program accreditation - so the above accreditation each individual study programs - it has recently come through the possibility of system accreditation. The quality assurance of study programs offered at individual universities is transferred back after an accreditation agency has certified the related suitability of the institution concerned. As a criterion of the Accreditation Council for a university- wide quality assurance system in conjunction with the evidence that at least one degree program has already passed through this system.

Monitoring and sequelae in the German higher education system

The essential elements of the Bologna Declaration were included in the German higher education reform debate of the 1990s already and have already been partially tested under voluntary participation. However, according to the Science, the Bologna process was instrumental in the conversion sustainable and accelerating to a new study programs and their accreditation.

The national Bologna group in Germany consists of representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF ), the German Academic Exchange Service ( DAAD), the German Rectors' Conference ( HRK), the Standing Conference ( KMK), the free union of students (fzs ), the Confederation of German Employers ' Associations (BDA ), the trade Union for Education and Science ( GEW), the Accreditation Council and the German students (DSW ). Together they worked out solutions for the implementation of the Bologna objectives at the federal level, reported to the BFUG and conducted workshops on the contents of the Bologna process. The PRO has compiled an overview of important decisions at the federal level for the implementation of the Bologna process in Germany.

Differentiated courses

The Bologna process has within a few years an unexpected variety of bachelor's and master's programs produced: more than 13,000 alone in the period from beginning of the century to 2012, the proportion of such courses is less than its at about 85 percent.. Among them were up to 2,000 accredited programs that are currently not yet offered it, that they have expired, been heavily modified, or operating under a new name was. This also shows, according to Science, the dynamics has the range of courses in Germany.

While the reformed courses have become established at German universities on the one hand wide, on the other hand sometimes held to tradition, can occasionally be noted also reverse movements. Thus, with the change of the Higher Education Act in Mecklenburg -Western Pomerania by the provincial autonomy exercised on 15 December 2010 and the universities allowed again to award the academic degree of Diplom- engineer. In Saxony, it was decided due to prolonged by the Bachelor / Master system training time for elementary and middle school teachers, which led to a decline in the number of students and impending teacher shortage, return to the previous four -year study by the state exam as a conclusion. The change of the degree programs with state examination ( teaching, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, food chemistry and law ) is already only partially under way.

The sometimes critically observed diversity of the newly created range of subjects has been conducted solely with the bachelor's degree programs to a large number of peculiar - original names. From a " fragmentation of the courses offered in more specialized courses " is mentioned, whereby the required transparency and comparability of financial statements would be " virtually impossible " made . As a solution to the new complexity and for the production of comparisons can u serve u the Diploma Supplement. It will possibly be awarded in addition to the degree certificate and performs in English, the operations in the respective course contents and competences. It aims to promote transparency and thus improve the acceptance of qualifications at national and international labor markets.

Multiple overload

Although in some ways groundbreaking high school reform debate of the 1990s, the Bologna turnaround met the majority of local stakeholders unprepared. Many high school teachers were the innovations hostile to and examined by the traditional save for what could be saved. However, the challenges also proved significant: had to be designed New courses of study and examination procedures and tested in time verknapptem frame and revised where necessary. Parallel to continue was the training of graduate programs for all students who had not yet started with them. Added to this was the consideration of change specifications or requirements of the accreditation agencies if necessary. Relief for such additional expenditure incurred was not provided - the universities should make the radical reform operation from available funds cost-neutral. "The fact that this transition could be total managed with simultaneous growth in student numbers and without a proportional, task-specific increase in funding of university budgets, is not, of course ," says the Science. Inadequate staffing, equipment and facilities also include three-dimensional because of the often identified serious deficiencies in the transformation process.

From interviews with students about their experiences with the Bologna reform often speaks dissatisfaction with the quality of teaching, especially in apparently little dedicated faculty. Defendant also is the tendency to Verschulung, the high test load, unrealistic workload assumptions, lack of choice, disregarding the competence development and a low integration of theory and practice.

The target of the German implementation of the Bologna Process provides for a degree a year before 1800 hours. This workload results from the fact that students should spend on their studies 40 hours a week and this, that is, there are approximately conceded in 45 weeks of the year six weeks vacation per year; added accumulates the statutory holidays. It follows that per semester 30 credit points (CP) are for purchase and that power per point of an average student 30 hours to be expended, divided on attendance times, testing times, self-study and internships. Since the ECTS is normally implemented so that part marks can be acquired through course-related module examinations and weighted by the associated power points, the test load is distributed over previous diploma and master's degree programs with their interim and final examinations significantly different and is partially perceived as higher.

With the introduction of the Bachelor / Master system piled up at Bachelor students show signs of overwork and stress. This has meant that more and more students are also affected by burn-out and depression. Also, the risk of social selection by the increased pressure on student was criticized by various counseling centers and university psychologists.

Thus, the curriculum of a four-year master 's degree has been compressed into a three-year bachelor's degree at some universities, which led to work overload and frustration. Proponents of the change is, however, stressed that it is the modularization and the credit points system for the first time take into account the pre-and post time for the workload ( the work overload of students), rather than just be present on site in hours per week. If teachers fail to comply with to be drawn up by the college amount of time that was not to be seen as criticism of the Bologna process.

A large part of the workload due to the fact that place during the course after the implementation of the Bologna process the tests. Required earlier diploma and master's degree programs in some cases only one or two tests per semester, it was partially completed by the Bologna reform each individual course with an exam, the high school teachers tended to the same qualitative and quantitative requirements for these examinations to set as before. With ten courses of two each SWS ( hours per week) could this be tantamount, in extreme cases to ten individual tests, the end of the semester also be cumulative. The nationwide student protests in the autumn of 2009, the KMK prompted future provide only one test per module in order to reduce the testing burden on students.

Precarious university funding

The government's share in the financing of higher education in Germany is approximately 90 percent, the private funding proportion accordingly at about ten percent. The states contribute about 80 percent of the total budget, the federal budget and about ten percent. But while the basic state funds in the period 1995-2008 almost stagnated, the third-party funds have more than doubled. Despite this increase in third-party funds, real total budget for research tasks remained approximately constant while the university teaching - flow in the little third- media - still significantly grown in the Bologna Process and care demands more came under pressure.

Tuition fees, the average of almost 5 percent of the university total receipts in 2008, are by their re abolition in most states to help finance the teaching hardly available. At the same time enough to master study places it is absent; and the structural rehabilitation needs in many places considerably.

On the part of employers' organizations criticized that associated with the Bologna reform entitlement to improved quality of teaching has failed the lack of the required funding. One laments the low private financing share with the consequence lack of demand orientation and underfunding. It must be possible for all young people financially, take a university degree.

Student representatives nordrheinwestfälischer universities complained in 2012, public funding was per study place inflation, decreased by more than 20 percent since the 1970s. At some universities there are already seminars with about 600 participants. Sometimes events would be transmitted via video stream into more classrooms. " This loss can be connected to the quality of teaching and we will not accept. " In other ways too get it for financial reasons to unreasonable conditions of study. Some students waited for months for the processing of their federal financial aid application; many did not know how to pay their rent.

In an international comparison of the OECD countries, Germany was in 2007 not in the top 20 in terms of the ratio of public education spending to gross domestic product. Especially in higher education are complaining relatively strong financial loss of funding for the past decades in Germany: " The public expenditure would have to be tripled to reach the value per student of the year 1975 again. " In the cause reflection in turn come the specific modalities of the German educational federalism into account. For individual states would arise in incentives, not even train because they would either have to fear that their successful graduates " snapped up " would, or could count on for academics immigration even without this, to be attractive enough. In other federal states such free-riding is so prevented Clement Himpele either a significant proportion of the central level to the financing of higher education or with compensation systems between the individual member states.

Improvement ideas and Excellence Initiative

The in some areas significantly outcropping financial shortages German universities correlated with an ever comparatively low government expenditure ratio for investment in education. In any Member State of the OECD, the German Rectors' Conference (HRK), the share of public expenditure on education at all public expenditure is lower than in Germany. Targeted financial assistance from the federal government for higher education but are currently still being hampered by the primary country of responsibility for the universities. The more pages required to facilitate the cooperation of federal and state would require a constitutional amendment, which is also supported by many university leaders. On the other hand, the Higher Education Pact 2020 only serve to absorb the successive pressing through school shortening high school graduates to universities double vintages makeshift.

Easily perceived the precarious financial resources in teaching and in such a way that the working places to qualification academic Mittelbau - lecturers and research assistants under the professorship of life - is employed usually only temporary, so it is no lasting material security. To alleviate the situation of the " academic precarious " and at least outstanding doctoral graduates to gain a reasonably motivational perspective, the function of the junior professor has been established. As a workaround to the restriction of the covenant in university affairs is also more recently the creation of so-called Federal professors suggested that bring the teaching relief, open up new research capacity and also to offer better prospects for young academics.

With the Excellence Initiative by the German federal and state governments to promote science and research at German universities " a jerk " at German universities was parallel to the Bologna process from the Joint Commission of the German Research Foundation and the German Science view a hitherto unique movements triggered. In a multistage competition for excellence cluster, graduate schools and future concepts could be in competition at the German universities in 2006, first three and in 2007 a further six and 2012 finally established a total of 11 as a so-called elite universities. As in the case of non- use of funds is also in this case the research focus is support because the federal government is heavily involved in the financing of the program.

Unclear is the continuation of the Excellence Initiative and placed by them on the road projects beyond 2017. For (only ) until then extends the promised funding. However, the additional burden that has brought for profiting as well as for empty outgoing, universities, competition and partly produced on, are not negligible. Thus, the Joint Commission of the DFG and the German Science warns: " The from the establishment of new bodies and organizational structures and the increasing formalization of coordination processes resulting additional tasks for scientists should be critical to keep in mind. The big challenge is the bureaucratic procedures not so multiply ( parallel structures ) that they lead to over-regulation and unreasonable burden on the scientists. "

Situation in Austria and Switzerland

In Austria, the courses are largely converted to the Bologna structure. The implementation also took aim at the secondary objective of the study time reduction. The 2011 adopted university Quality Assurance Act (HS -QSG ) led from 2012 comparable quality assurance procedures for the Austrian universities (public universities, colleges and private universities ) a. The HS -QSG thus forms the basis for quality assurance and accreditation process under the umbrella of a university types overarching agency for quality assurance and accreditation: the AQA.Austria.

As in Germany, ignited violent protests against the workload and the Verschulung of study programs. So there was a program begun in October 2009 occupation of the lecture hall 'of the University of Vienna. The cast was later extended to other universities and is considered as an impetus for further protests, also in Germany. The criticism of the Bologna Process in Austria aimed, inter alia, against a " market-based discipline " of students in a highly schooled " training mode" against education as an investment in the " Ich-AG " and Employability against a target of study. The transition rates from bachelor's to a master's program in Austria amounted to about 80 percent of unequal height than in Germany. Protests refer in this field mainly to the fact that men are significantly more likely than women in the position to take up a master's degree.

The fall state universities in Switzerland ( universities such as colleges ), apart from the supported federally Federal Institutes of Technology ( ETH) in Zurich and Lausanne, the responsibility of the cantons. By occurs but the federal government as a grant giver, various ministries have influence on the accreditation requirements of the various types of institutions. On 30 September 2011 the parliament passed a university promotion and co-ordination Act ( HFKG ), which makes future depends for all types of higher education, labeling law, the title protection and access to federal grants from compulsory institutional accreditation. The responsibility for it passes to the the Swiss Accreditation (AR) imputed Swiss Accreditation Agency ( AA).

Defect analysis and fundamental criticism

" At its core, the conversion of the university education system was in the last ten years of the bachelor as" first professional degree ". Which by the way only in this country as was done from the Bologna Declaration of 1998 derivation of an unconditional demand for " employability " of graduates has an almost complete transformation of the university job after pulled. Away from the " universal human education through science ', through to vocational training "

In associated with the Bologna process public reception and discussion there is on the one hand the critical- constructive assistance influential contributor as the German Rectors' Conference and the Science Council, on the other hand, examples pronounced procedural and fundamental criticism - especially in the humanities and social scientists - and finally approaches to organized resistance among students and in specialist areas such as theology and medicine. Also societal stakeholders such as employers' associations and trade unions are trying to take through the articulation of its own positions to the changing higher education structures influence.

Aspects of the deficit analysis

Although the Science acts as a strong supporter of the Bologna reform program, it can have hardly find a quality improvement in higher education with the help of the program accreditations. In particular, he criticized the poor student-teacher ratio of students to professors, particularly in view of the growing with the introduction of tiered study structure need for an intensive supervision and support. In this respect improvements, eg with the help of specialized centers for higher education and by directed to the focus on teaching additional staffing of universities, he looks at as a matter of urgency. " At the center of all efforts to secure the academic feasibility should be. For this purpose, it is important to structure the courses of study in all subjects clearly to ensure the substantive coordination and temporal coordination of the course to make requirement level and learning goals transparent. "Similar priorities in terms of improving the quality of teaching is the Science in the recent calls for a Pact for the Future the science system, which should operate for at least the period up to 2025.

Significantly negative, the Humboldt Society expresses to development, implementation and results to date of the Bologna process in Germany. It is a cardinal error to abandon the principle of maintaining custom of proven alone in favor of entirely new. The destruction of the internationally recognized German education system with its " proven graduations " Magister, Diplom, state exams, PhD and Habilitation at the Humboldt Society is incomprehensible. The accreditation agencies are regarded by it as unnecessary, as were the subject-specific tasks under the responsibility of the faculties. There were a bureaucratic monster, which had created university budgets with hundreds of millions of euros per year and may not even be compatible with the Basic Law. The implementation of the Bologna agreement is to certify after 10 years, to be practically failed. In corrections, the Humboldt Society calls inter alia, the " restoration of the required personnel to sustainable ensure the continuity of long-term research and teaching occupied the central building as a supporting pillar academic "; this elite promoting both for the students as well as young scientists and by the acquisition of funding non- harmonious teaching and research.

Deficit analysis and demands of employers' organizations, welcome the Bologna reforms and quickly want to see continued, are of a different kind you see in the professional qualification of graduates particularly in the context of undergraduate courses leading target. Of crucial importance for the acceptance of the bachelor's and master's degrees was the participation of representatives of professional practice. Important but be, " that the required by law employability is actually given. Here universities have significantly more closely with companies and their associations than has been the case. "

The Union for Education and Science ( GEW) advocates in their interim assessment of the Bologna process for a deceleration in the sense of the primacy of quality. The supervision of students must be significantly improved, so that the Bologna reform could ever be successful. A key point of the GEW receivables include the full permeability in the transition from bachelor to master's program, where one accepts neither a quota nor a note dependent admission to the master program. In Duns is also a powerful study funding and the expansion of mobility grants.

Fundamental criticism

Julian Nida- Rümelin complained in the wake of the Bologna process, inter alia, the tendency to Verschulung across the board, especially in Germany. " It is characterized by extremely long office hours, and little room for personal study. And there is the tendency that the doctrine of the current research disconnects. Verschulung means always implies that canonical, solidified, set forth in specific textbooks knowledge is conveyed. " It 'll at universities increasingly to distinguish between pure research and pure teaching professorships. On the education market private providers play an increasingly important role - dangerous in terms of the quality of the offers. Trying to prevent the level of loss through accreditations, which are carried out by non-university entities could jeopardize the guaranteed in the Basic Law of freedom of research and teaching, warns Nida Rümelin. Not more, but less mobility is the result of a Verschulung: " When the compressed three-year degree programs, a change happens to be risky. Since the points system does not help, which is used incidentally not uniform throughout Europe, but quite different. Not only in this question applies: In terms of the original objectives of the Bologna process must now be considered as failed, " because the targets to increase the number of places to intensify supervision and to reduce the dropout rate, had been missed. . While decreasing the dropout rate in the Reformed humanities and social science courses, but for that they get into the other subjects and to take the average. The necessary reform of the reform, Nida- Rümelin must be connected to a renaissance of the Humboldtian university ideal.

Richard Münch developed in his synoptic view "Academic capitalism. On the political economy of higher education reform, " the image is one of market interests and their protagonists increasingly dominated science system. He aims to provide a critical evaluation of university research and teaching in the everlasting tension between academic freedom and social purpose. The already well three decades of existing German mass university speaks Münch from the necessary conditions for a vibrant academic community. The relevant actions of all parties had now meant that you have high hopes on competition, benchmarking, monitoring and quality management in connection with the conversion of the academic administration to New Public Management. This is part of a wider social change, in the " hierarchies markets, quasi- markets and pseudo markets " would be replaced. With the transition of the quality control of courses for accreditation agencies (instead of the ministerial controlled societies as before) university education will be exposed to the practical requirements of business and government defenseless. The prepared in the new courses examination density destroyed, Münch, the pedagogical relationship between teachers and students: "Both are just so busy doing the controls enough. The thing itself fades into the background. This is all the more, the more the doctrine in mass production and in student-teacher ratios of 1 takes place at 100. " The quality of the Bachelor's degree provides Münch future " just above the technical assistants with specialized education ". The Master will probably lead beyond the average level of prestige and income, "but not as a complete replacement for the old comprehensive diplomas ". Their claim to mediation of full scientific education would rather retreat to the doctoral programs.

"From the Bologna Process will be able to release no European country. Otherwise it will be suspended and placed on a siding in no man's land. It is possible to just editing the consequences. Also, nothing will be changed to the replacement of the professions through marketable skills with their repression of expertise through personal profile and property values by prestige. "

In the new, entrepreneurial oriented university research, according to Münch is selectively channeled into areas that promise profit, primarily applied research, based on mainstream and fashion trends. This goes hand in hand urging of university administrations to apply the research externally- compliant. As a very questionable ( mis) steering effect also had the recent scientific publication fees and practices constitute that amounted on beating from the same work as much capital: the whittling away of the smallest publishable unit. Münchs Conclusion states that can shrink the other hand, the innovation potential of science without timely market exploitation opportunities overinvestment in currently profitable research on the one hand and under-investment in risky research. So it came to a delicate " narrowing the knowledge evolution."

Resistance

In protest against the consequences of the Bologna process occurred in several European countries, including France, Greece, Germany and Austria, repeatedly demonstrations, university occupations and strikes. In the summer of 2009 were estimated at more than 230,000 students, pupils and trainees for education strike on the street, around the slogan: " We are here, we are loud, because they are stealing our education" to put forward reasons and motives of students at German universities heard that

The condensed three-year bachelor's degree program to a less qualified conclusion leads;
Will the student taken by the streamlined form of training and the most prescribed curriculum the opportunity to work out their own areas of interest and to contribute scientific experiment;
The conversion of the old master's and diploma courses too often according to the motto " compress, verschulen, rename " happened;
That would bring forth the demand of students is far from covering range of master's degree courses and the related access barriers, inter alia, a high competition, grades and performance pressure from the first semester of Bachelor;
The promises of the Declaration would (especially mobility) redeemed only for a very small part of the students;
The social impact of reforms, and in particular the equality of different social groups and to promote equality between women and men, too little would be considered and the situation even worsened.

The rejection of the Bologna process as a whole or at least in part, was in these protests, so the student strike in Germany in 2009 or at the student protests in Austria in 2009, mostly though not the only, but one of the main themes.

For the study of medicine of the German Medical Assembly has repeatedly rejected the introduction of Bachelor-/Master-Studiums in medicine. The German Medical Association and the Association of Academic Medicine reject such a structure. In particular, a loss of quality of medical education is concern. The Bachelor of Science is to qualify for medical oriented vocational areas, but not for a medical activity. Which activities should the bachelor's degree entitle exactly is unknown as yet. At the University of Oldenburg is planned for the winter semester 2012/2013, in close cooperation with the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, a model course offer human medicine with the state examination and for this purpose a medical school, the European Medical School Oldenburg- Groningen set up. The Science announced in November 2010 to a positive opinion, which was heavily criticized.

List of education ministries Educational accreditation Erasmus Programme German Council of Science and Humanities German Rectors' Conference Stress (biology) Major depressive disorder Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft German Universities Excellence Initiative Physician Herlind Gundelach Integrated Authority File

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