HE student mobility within the Higher Education Development Strategy
Bulgaria , Unknown to Ongoing
Compendium: Higher Education
Background
The Bulgarian state promotes all the opportunities for mobility of students studying in Bulgarian HEIs – both inside the country and abroad.
Due to factors as increasing number of educational institutions, diversification of higher education, development of different mobility schemes, etc., academic recognition always requires full information about the place of study, duration, educational contains and assessment of the educational programmes. In order to ensure such information, to facilitate the mobility and to assist to the academic recognition, the European diploma supplement and ECTS are introduced in Bulgaria in 2004. It is legislatively regulated the Bulgarian HEIs to develop and publish its own rules for organization of student mobility, recognition of educational credits and periods of study in other HEI or acquired by study in another specialty.
National legislation and mobility:
1. Amendments and supplements of the Higher Education Act (1995):
- Published, State Gazette issue 48 / 04.06.2004
The aim of these amendments and supplements is to overcome the basic obstacles for transparency of qualifications, given by the Bulgarian higher education institutions and to facilitate the student mobility. - Published, State Gazette issue 83 / 18.10.2005
These amendments and supplements provide equal conditions and rules for accepting and training students, who are citizens of the member-states of the EU in the higher educational institutions of Republic of Bulgaria as the order, rules and conditions available for Bulgarian citizens (to be in forces since the date of accession of Republic of Bulgaria to the EU – 01.01.2007).
2. Ordinances:
- Ordinance on the state requirements to the contents of the basic documents issued by the higher schools and the European diploma supplement (published, State Gazette issue 75 / 12.08.2004);
- Ordinance 21 of 30.09.2004 for implementation of a system for credit accumulation and transfer in the higher schools, issued by the Minister of Education and Science (published, State Gazette issue 89 / 12.10.2004), which introduces the ECTS.
Incentives:
- The legislative initiatives stimulate the free movement of students and postgraduated students and specialists with higher education;
- Participation in Erasmus Programme, as well as in a variety of mobility schemes based on international and bilateral agreements;
- Exchange of teachers, students, and Ph. D. students with foreign HEIs and organizations is one of the National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency’s criteria for institutional accreditation.
Aims and targets
Strategy and actions
Monitoring and evaluation
Funding/Cost effectiveness
Sustainability/Transferability
Outcomes/impacts
Achievements
Student / academic mobility – a criterion for institutional accreditation.
In order to promote the mobility, the National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency takes in account during the institutional accreditation of the higher educational institution, as follow:
In order to promote the mobility, the National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency takes in account during the institutional accreditation of the higher educational institution, as follow:
- Number of creative official trips and specializations abroad per academic for the last 5 years;
- Relative number of students (Bachelors and Masters) who have participated in the European programmes for students exchange and in mobility schemes based on international or bilateral agreements;
- Relative number of doctoral candidates educated in joint degree programmes between Bulgarian and foreign HEIs and scientific organisations.
- Participation in SOCRATES II – ERASMUS / Lifelong Learning Programme
Bulgaria enjoys full rights membership in the second phase of SOCRATES programme since 2000, according Decision 3 of the Association Council of the EU. Human Resources Development Centre (HRDC), which is external unit of the Ministry of Education and Science, is nominated to be a national agency which realizes the financial policy of the EU in our country in this field, and assists in implementation and management of these programmes in our country.
Constantly following the directions in the European policy and taking in account our concrete national needs, the Bulgarian project initiators show continuously rising interest in the European programmes, in particular – in Erasmus programme. During past 8 years the number of funded project proposals, and, on another hand, the number of submitted project proposals is many times greater. It is evidence for popularity of Erasmus programme among the Bulgarian society and for great interest that it enjoy in our country.
Two examples:
- In 2006/2007 38 Bulgarian HEIs total have participated in European mobility schemes for students and academics;
- In 2006/2007 38 contracts for Erasmus mobility schemes, 2 contracts for funding intensive Erasmus language learning courses, and 2 individual contracts for receiving grants for participation in Erasmus intersive language learning courses have been signed.
Rising number of projects is evidence that our country is opening to the new opportunities for mobility, practice and approbatory periods in another Member State of the EU or to realization of joint educational project with several partner organizations from another European countries targeted to implementation of innovative methods and approaches in the educational systems of the participating countries.
Our national policy is directed to maximum absorption of funds granted during particular years of selection. 100 % of grants by ERASMUS programmes have already negotiated for the recent 8 years. For example, absorption of EUR 12 736 687.81 total has been done during 2000 – 2007 by SOCRATES programme.
For example, the averaged monthly grant for student mobility for 2006/2007 academic year is EUR 465.53, while the absorption of funds is 91.96 %; the averaged monthly grant for academic mobility is EUR 479.39, while the absorbtion of funds is 108.61%.
Regarding absolute values, the absorption of funds shows that on one hand, the European funding for the sectoral programmes, in particular for Erasmus programme increase continuously and this tendency will presents in the next 7 years too. The priorities are targeted to implementation of the Bologna’s objectives and stress towards development of the European labour market, and modernization of the European higher education.
Another indicator for measuring the success of the programme is the number of beneficiaries that have participated in it. Durable tendency in Bulgaria is increasing of the number of beneficiaries by Erasmus programme and from all target groups. Bulgarian HEIs demonstrate continuously increasing interest in participation in mobility schemes for students and teachers
Our national policy is directed to maximum absorption of funds granted during particular years of selection. 100 % of grants by ERASMUS programmes have already negotiated for the recent 8 years. For example, absorption of EUR 12 736 687.81 total has been done during 2000 – 2007 by SOCRATES programme.
For example, the averaged monthly grant for student mobility for 2006/2007 academic year is EUR 465.53, while the absorption of funds is 91.96 %; the averaged monthly grant for academic mobility is EUR 479.39, while the absorbtion of funds is 108.61%.
Regarding absolute values, the absorption of funds shows that on one hand, the European funding for the sectoral programmes, in particular for Erasmus programme increase continuously and this tendency will presents in the next 7 years too. The priorities are targeted to implementation of the Bologna’s objectives and stress towards development of the European labour market, and modernization of the European higher education.
Another indicator for measuring the success of the programme is the number of beneficiaries that have participated in it. Durable tendency in Bulgaria is increasing of the number of beneficiaries by Erasmus programme and from all target groups. Bulgarian HEIs demonstrate continuously increasing interest in participation in mobility schemes for students and teachers
During the recent 8 years Erasmus programme in Bulgaria has achieved remarkable success. Up to 5000 students and up to 2000 teachers in higher education have participated in mobility schemes in 24 member States of the EU. Mobility by Erasmus is the most popular and the most attractive network for academic exchange in Europe and in Bulgaria too. More than 2/3 of all the HEIs in Bulgaria are caring out active inter-university cooperation by projects and mobility schemes, as well as in transnational networks, have jointed to it. ERASMUS programme in Bulgaria contributes to successful and effective integration of the Bulgarian higher schools in the EHEA and their transforming to preferred educational destination in Europe. Increased number of students entering in Bulgaria during the recent years is remarkable for the image of the Bulgarian universities – active academic partners with high quality of training and with European standards of provided educational services.
During the recent years, mobility schemes by ERASMUS programme are realized in all the 16 areas of knowledge. For example, since the start of the programme in Bulgaria till the end of 2006/2007 academic year have been implemented:
- 5100 student mobility schemes total, as the most out of them are in the field of Engineering and Technologies (898), followed by Business Studies and Management Sciences (592), Mathematics and Informatics (561), Languages and Philological Sciences (485) and Social Sciences (462);
- 2 081 academic mobility schemes total, as the most out of them are again in the field of Engineering and Technologies (447), followed by Mathematics and Informatics (330), Languages and Philological Sciences (259), and Business Studies and Management Sciences (143).
Biggest number of mobility schemes in the field of Engineering Sciences and Technologies is due to strong participation of technical higher education institutions in the programme, and to their relatively big number as well. Raise of student mobility schemes in the field of Business Studies, which are very popular in the programme as a whole, makes impression too.
Priority partner country has not been identified in these projects. Choice of partner or accepting country depends on the projects’ initiators and on the economic of preparation and submission of a given proposal.
Typical feature of the geographic balance of students’ practices by ERASMUS programme is the outlined advantage of Germany as a country, which accepts the most of the Bulgarian students and academics, followed by France. Number of mobility schemes in the UK decrease, as these in Belgium and Spain increase due to lower expenses for subsistence allowance in these countries. Greece keep constantly high number of student practices and academic mobility schemes due to low travel expenses related to mobility. Fact that mobility of students and academics depends on existing bilateral agreements has its influence to certain degree to relatively high coincidence related to the countries, which are leading by number of accepted students and teachers, but there are certain differences too.
When talking about concrete impact of the particular educational programmes onto the Bulgarian economy and our national educational system, it has to mention, that the HEIs in Bulgaria recognize in ERASMUS programmes the tool for communication with institutions from the other countries, the tool for introducing innovations in the educational process and for creating new stimuli for students and teachers, the way for practical realization of the European dimension. Satisfaction from collaboration on topic of mutual interest, active involvement of students, team work, experiencing different cultures, communication in foreign languages, opportunities for visits in partner countries are only part of the total impact of the projects that the Bulgarian HEIs share. However long-lasting rewards coming from the project work are more – increased interest of students in the educational process, increased motivation for work, better team work among the teachers and better interdisciplinary approach in teaching, adoption of good practices for long-lasting and steady HEI development, building new partnership networks for cooperation and mutual assistance, etc.
Priority partner country has not been identified in these projects. Choice of partner or accepting country depends on the projects’ initiators and on the economic of preparation and submission of a given proposal.
Typical feature of the geographic balance of students’ practices by ERASMUS programme is the outlined advantage of Germany as a country, which accepts the most of the Bulgarian students and academics, followed by France. Number of mobility schemes in the UK decrease, as these in Belgium and Spain increase due to lower expenses for subsistence allowance in these countries. Greece keep constantly high number of student practices and academic mobility schemes due to low travel expenses related to mobility. Fact that mobility of students and academics depends on existing bilateral agreements has its influence to certain degree to relatively high coincidence related to the countries, which are leading by number of accepted students and teachers, but there are certain differences too.
When talking about concrete impact of the particular educational programmes onto the Bulgarian economy and our national educational system, it has to mention, that the HEIs in Bulgaria recognize in ERASMUS programmes the tool for communication with institutions from the other countries, the tool for introducing innovations in the educational process and for creating new stimuli for students and teachers, the way for practical realization of the European dimension. Satisfaction from collaboration on topic of mutual interest, active involvement of students, team work, experiencing different cultures, communication in foreign languages, opportunities for visits in partner countries are only part of the total impact of the projects that the Bulgarian HEIs share. However long-lasting rewards coming from the project work are more – increased interest of students in the educational process, increased motivation for work, better team work among the teachers and better interdisciplinary approach in teaching, adoption of good practices for long-lasting and steady HEI development, building new partnership networks for cooperation and mutual assistance, etc.
European educational programmes reveal to the Bulgarian teachers in higher education rich opportunities for professional development and improvement by setting their professional skills and competences in competitive-based educational environment. Participation of Bulgarian higher schools in ERASMUS programmes is perceives as a tool for improving their prestige and authority.
Compulsory element in implementation of projects by the European programmes is knowledge in the corresponding foreign language. In this sense ERASMUS programme appear also a power tool for foreign language learning, for improving knowledge and competences of the young people, and for acquisition of practical skills in the corresponding foreign language. Foreign language learning in our country is already in unison with the other European countries where foreign language learning is introduced in early primary general education stage. Foreign languages study in Bulgaria is recognized as a necessary element of the professional and intercultural integration of youth in the member States of the EU. Studying foreign languages, Bulgaria demonstrates its openness to the world and its desire to communicate free with the other European nations. ERASMUS programme actively and successfully contribute to implementation of this objective, providing opportunity for acquisition, development and improving of language skills and competences of its participants.
ERASMUS programme’s contribution for promoting language diversity and language wealth of Europe should be noted too. Currently /for fifth consecutive year/ Bulgaria organizes and implements intensive courses in Bulgarian language for Erasmus students and teachers coming in the country. Interest for participation in these courses has increased several times, jointing more and more young people and academics from other European countries to Bulgarian language and cultural identity.
From all presented above, one could make conclusion that our participation in ERASMUS programme contributes for the Bulgarian higher education development, for higher quality of training, and for improving competences of the working power as well. This programme appears a supplementary tool for integrating an additional European component in the Bulgarian higher education.
Set of good practices and successful presentations of Bulgarian participants in SOCRATES programme deserve to be known and awarded for their good job and diligence. That’s why since December 2006, Bulgaria has started a national initiative for nomination with “European Quality Label” the best projects by this programme. This initiative is part of the European programme for awarding the European Quality Label, which covers 14 European countries and which is supported by the European Commission as a qualitative step towards the new Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) as well. Project “European Quality Label” performs public analysis and evaluation of the contribution of all participants in SOCRATES programme for development of the European educational system, and by this quality it appears necessary precondition for successful start of the LLP. By participating in the “European Quality Label” project, Bulgaria as its indisputable contribution to full valued development of the European educational area and to fulfillment of the LLL’s ideas and objectives.
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