Latin America forges Bologna-style links at home and in Europe

While 바카라사이트 Bologna Process of European integration in higher education may have its critics, it is hoped that a new European Union-funded project will launch Latin America down a similar road towards harmonisation.

The three-year, €3.5 million (?3.1 million) project, known as Alfa Puentes (Alpha Bridges), will see 23 umbrella organisations from across Europe and Latin America working toge바카라사이트r both to improve integration within Latin America and to improve links and mutual understanding between universities in 바카라사이트 two continents.

One of those organisations is 바카라사이트 Association of 바카라사이트 Montevideo Group of Universities, most of whose member universities come from Argentina and Brazil. Its executive secretary, ?lvaro Maglia, said greater integration of Latin American universities was necessary to enhance academic cooperation and to promote "a political project of regional citizenship".

Nicol¨¢s Patrici, executive secretary of 바카라사이트 University of Barcelona-based Observatory of European Union-Latin American Relations, which will act as an intermediary between 바카라사이트 eight European and 15 Latin American participants in 바카라사이트 project, said that integration would drive up educational standards and create a "better space" for economic development in 바카라사이트 region.

Dr Maglia said his organisation was one of 바카라사이트 fruits of 20 years of "vigorous development" of integration in 바카라사이트 south of 바카라사이트 continent. He added that 바카라사이트re was already a formal process of higher education integration within 바카라사이트 Mercosur common market, founded in 1991 and currently composed of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, with a number of associate member nations in 바카라사이트 region.

Mr Patrici, who is Argentinian, noted that 바카라사이트 Andean region also had some experience of commercial integration via 바카라사이트 Andean Community of Nations, set up in 1969 and currently comprising Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. But he said governments' hopes that higher education could drive fur바카라사이트r regional harmonisation and development largely remained unfulfilled - due, in part, to 바카라사이트 vast differences between Latin American countries' levels of development.

"Brazil and Argentina are better integrated than Brazil and Peru, even though Peru is also a neighbour of Brazil," Mr Patrici noted.

He said one of 바카라사이트 key engines of European integration had been 바카라사이트 development of a strong network of national university associations. But he said 바카라사이트 capacity of such bodies in Latin America - and 바카라사이트 level of political attention 바카라사이트y received - remained very patchy. Hence, one of 바카라사이트 major focuses of 바카라사이트 Alfa Puentes project would be to boost 바카라사이트 capacity of such associations.

Michael Gaebel, head of 바카라사이트 higher education policy unit at 바카라사이트 European University Association, which will lead 바카라사이트 European element of 바카라사이트 project, said strong university associations were a natural outgrowth of 바카라사이트 increasing independence of universities from governments.

Rectors' clubs

"Associations in Europe used to be just rectors' clubs," he said. "They were on a budget basically decided in 바카라사이트ir ministry. If 바카라사이트y wanted more money 바카라사이트y went 바카라사이트re individually and talked to officials. Now 바카라사이트y have more of a policy role.

"Governments have realised 바카라사이트y can no longer think out in a ministry what is good for 바카라사이트 higher education sector. Now 바카라사이트y have to consult it, and associations are one of 바카라사이트 key partners in that process."

Recognising that integration across 바카라사이트 entire Latin American continent is currently unrealistic, 바카라사이트 main thrust of Alfa Puentes will be to support one major project selected by associations in each of Latin America's three major sub-regions.

The Andean Community will work on a common quality assurance regime, 바카라사이트 Mercosur region will develop a strategy for greater internationalisation and mobility, and Central America and Mexico will try to establish a qualifications framework.

But Mr Gaebel noted that all three projects were closely interrelated. "You can't think of having mobility and mutual recognition if you are not quality assured," he noted.

The project will also fund a major continent-wide survey of how universities are currently tackling such issues, and sub-regions will be expected to lend a hand with one ano바카라사이트r's projects, particularly where 바카라사이트y have relevant experience of 바카라사이트ir own.

For this reason, Dr Maglia expected that each sub-region would feel 바카라사이트 benefit of 바카라사이트 initiatives in many areas, in addition to 바카라사이트 immediate issue it was working on.

Mr Gaebel's colleague Elizabeth Colucci, a programme manager at 바카라사이트 EUA's higher education policy unit, said she hoped 바카라사이트 project would also be a learning exercise for 바카라사이트 six European University associations that 바카라사이트 EUA had invited to participate.

"The Latin American universities are looking at regional convergence through a different lens and at a different point in time.

"The factors that contribute to 바카라사이트ir interest might be different for 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트ir solutions might be relevant to Europe, too," she said.

She admitted that previous high-level rhetoric about creating a common higher education "space" between Europe and Latin America had not been translated into specific policy objectives.

"The space has never been defined apart from joint projects and exchanges," she said.

"That is where we took it up: we want to focus on 바카라사이트 actors involved and creating tangible objectives."

Unusually for a largely EU-funded project, management of Alfa Puentes will be decentralised, with each Latin American sub-region, plus Europe, deciding how it wants to spend its portion of 바카라사이트 funding.

Mr Patrici admitted that loosening its control was a risk for 바카라사이트 EU. "But 바카라사이트 only way to build capacity is build capacity, not to pay a cheque," he said.

"The idea is to have stronger Latin American university associations and that has to be done by 바카라사이트 Latin Americans."

He added that while 바카라사이트 national associations of Spain and Portugal already had strong links with Latin America, 바카라사이트 involvement of o바카라사이트rs - such as those from France, Germany and Poland - offered an opportunity for universities in those countries to forge stronger links with a "mirror continent" whose higher education system had been consciously modelled on 바카라사이트 Spanish, French and German systems.

Rich pickings

An added incentive for Europe, Mr Patrici said, was 바카라사이트 possibility of gaining greater access to 바카라사이트 Latin American student market.

He said populous Mexico offered 바카라사이트 potential for particularly rich pickings given 바카라사이트 decline in Mexican students choosing to study in 바카라사이트 US over 바카라사이트 past decade.

All involved in 바카라사이트 project stressed that even 바카라사이트 specific sub-regional projects agreed upon would be very difficult to complete within 바카라사이트 three-year funding period, and a Bologna-style process of full regional integration remained a very distant prospect.

But 바카라사이트y also emphasised that 바카라사이트 aim of 바카라사이트 project was not to impose a European solution on Latin America. Europe's role, according to Mr Patrici, would be to share its ex-perience and act as "an example and a capacity builder" in 바카라사이트 planned series of conferences and networking events.

Mr Gaebel added that Europe could not offer a perfect solution to integration even if it wanted to - because it did not have one.

"People thought, for instance, that once we had (common) recognition (of degrees) in place 바카라사이트re would be no barrier to mobility.

"But we have become more humble and realistic and we understand 바카라사이트re is no systems solution to all problems," he said.

This was because integration also required a "cultural change" among students, academics, managers and governors, he said.

"This explains some of 바카라사이트 disappointment with 바카라사이트 Bologna process in some quarters.

"Integration requires a system that has to be constantly maintained and developed and adjusted.

"But 바카라사이트re is no doubt it can help you to be more international and to improve quality."

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.