Every two to three years, a Conference of Ministers of Higher Education of the countries participating in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) is organised to assess the progress made in the EHEA and to decide on the next steps to be taken. The latest conference took place on 29-30 May in Tirana (Albania), which approved a new ministerial communiqué.
Over the last 25 years, thanks to the drive of governments, students, higher education institutions (HEIs) and their staff, the EHEA has been successfully deployed. The ministerial declarations and communiques have acted as a road map for the deployment of the EHEA, and have incorporated the recommendations and debates that have been generated between these groups and in society. In the 2024 Tirana Communiqué, the ministers consider that permanent collaboration between the different stakeholders is essential so that everyone is guaranteed access to quality higher education, given that, in the face of global challenges, higher education is vital for promoting democracy and address inequalities. Higher education institutions contribute to fostering diversity, critical thinking and peaceful dialogue.
The ministers consider that, in the face of global challenges, higher education is vital for promoting democracy and address inequalities, and contributes to fostering diversity, critical thinking and peaceful dialogue.
Ministers are committed to academic integrity, allowing institutions to function without undue interference and ensuring that students and staff of institutions can participate freely in their governance. They also recognise public authorities' duties towards the education sector and society, and the higher education community's social obligations.
The three-cycle system aligned with the EHEA Qualifications Framework (QF-EHEA) and based on learning outcomes and the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), the recognition of qualifications and the culture of quality through assessment processes aligned with the ESG (Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the EHEA) remain pillars of the EHEA.
The press release specifies four actions that will have to be carried out over the next three years:
- The development and publication of action plans to solve the implementation problems of the Bologna Process and the promotion of the exchange of knowledge within the EHEA.
- The Ministerial Conference asks the Bologna Follow-up Group (BFUG) a review of the ECTS user guide by 2027 to include the latest developments in higher education, such as micro-credentials.
- The BFUG is asked for a revised version of the ESG for 2026 that addresses the new challenges and can be adopted at the 2027 Ministerial Conference (in Romania and the Republic of Moldova). It also calls for the revision of the European Approach to quality assurance of joint programmes (European Approach).
- The fight against fraudulent grades and academic misconduct, taking advantage of platforms such as the ETINED and ENIC-NARIC networks to guarantee, among others, quality transnational education.
In addition, the Ministerial Conference has considered that stronger structural arrangements are necessary to ensure a steady and stable development in view of the long-term nature of the EHEA:
- The Rule of Procedure for the EHEA (RoP-EHEA) which provide the general framework for the operation of ministerial conferences and the BFUG.
- The study of an independent and permanent secretariat to support the BFUG and equipped with international staff. The feasibility study must be presented at the next Ministerial Conference in 2027. The chosen option will be evaluated after two work periods.
The ministerial statement concludes with the commitments adopted by the ministers until 2027. In summary, these commitments are as follows:
- Vision of the EHEA for the year 2030: make the EHEA an inclusive, innovative and interconnected space.
- Support to Ukraine: maintain the suspension of Russia and Belarus in all EHEA structures and activities.
- Academic freedom: reaffirmation of the commitment to academic freedom, integrity and institutional autonomy.
- Action plans: develop and publish action plans to address Bologna Process implementation issues and promote knowledge sharing.
- Review of key documents: update of the ECTS user guide and ESG to reflect current developments and improve quality assurance.
- Fight against fraud: countering diploma mills and fraudulent academic qualifications and services.
- Social dimension: measure progress in the development of Principles and Guidelines to Strengthening the Social Dimension of Higher Education in the EHEA which were adopted at the 2020 Rome Ministerial Conference and improve data collection.
- Facing socio-economic challenges: address the rising cost of living and improve access to higher education, especially for refugees.
- Support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the green transition: improve the contributions of higher education institutions to sustainable development and digitisation.
- Flexible learning paths: foster flexible, quality-assured and recognised learning pathways, including micro-credentials.
- Ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI): ensure responsible use of AI in education and research.
- Internationalisation: promote mobility and remove barriers to achieve at least 20% student mobility.
- Hybrid mobility: support hybrid mobility and virtual exchanges.
- Automatic recognition: making automatic recognition of qualifications and periods of learning abroad a reality (Lisbon Recognition of Qualifications Convention).
- Global collaboration: strengthen dialogue and collaboration with other regions of the world.
- Follow-up and future plans: ensure adequate follow-up of political commitments and plan the future priorities of the EHEA.
- Procedural rules: adopt the new Rules of Procedure for the EHEA and assess the feasibility of an independent secretariat to provide permanent support to the BFUG.
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