The Bologna Process is based on a non-binding agreement between European Ministers of Education to create a European higher education area. It currently has 45 countries as signatories. At the European level, the process is coordinated by the Bologna Follow Up Group (BFUG). In Germany, the introduction of consecutive two-tier (i.e. Bachelor's and Master's) degrees is supported by the National Bologna Group, which includes the following institutions:
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[Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)]
[Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK)]
[German Rectors' Conference (HRK)]
[German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)]
[National Union of Students in Germany (fzs)]
[Accreditation Council]]
[Employers/Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA)]
[Trade unions/Education and Science Trade Union (GEW)]
Equal opportunity commissioners and gender specialists are not currently represented in the Group.
Legal basis and resolutions with regard to the integration of gender issues into the Bologna Process. Since the resolution by the European Ministers of Education in the Berlin Communiqué in 2003, "taking into account the gender-specific impact of all decisions" – i.e. gender mainstreaming – has been established in the Bologna Process by a series of rulings and resolutions … [full details available in German only]
Accreditation process. The accreditation of degree courses by independent accreditation agencies, themselves accredited to an Accreditation Council, is a peculiarity of the German system. The objective of accreditation is (1) to guarantee the quality of teaching and studying, (2) to increase student mobility, and (3) to improve comparability between degrees internationally. Gender issues were first introduced into the guidelines issued by the Accreditation Council in December 2005 … [full details available in German only]
Current status of integration. Gender issues have not yet been integrated systematically into the Bologna Process. The low level of participation of women in the accreditation process is a reflection the falling numbers of women in higher levels of academia: there are hardly any women in the most senior body – the Accreditation Council – or in leading positions in the accreditation agencies. However, women are more strongly represented in the agencies at consultant level ... [full details available in German only]
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