Der Bologna-Prozess aus Sicht der Hochschulforschung

Seite 54 | Where does Germany stand in international comparison?
Certainly it is difficult to compare countries with regard to their quality assurance
mechanisms and link this to statements about the quality and performance of a given
institution or national higher education system. It makes even less sense to establish some
kind of ranking in this respect. Quality continues to be a contested notion and more a social
construct based on reputation than something that can be measured and expressed in hard
facts. I am convinced that the fact that five out of eight German accreditation agencies are
members of EQAR indicate a well established external quality assurance practice conforming
to European standards of good practice.
3. Conclusions
The Independent Assessment (CHEPS, INCHER-Kassel, ECOTEC 2010) as well as other
studies have shown that the two-cycle structure is attractive for students from other regions
of the world but clearly less important for student mobility within Europe. A recent study (cf.
Janson/Schomburg/Teichler 2009) has also shown that there is a declining professional
value of temporary (ERASMUS) mobility in terms of income advantages. This might indirectly
contribute to the increase in degree mobility and we might see a further increase in the
future.
A second conclusion is that indicators used in benchmarking or comparative exercises
should be well conceptualised and carefully chosen because otherwise results are not
sufficiently valid. It still happens frequently in European comparisons that comparative results
are artefacts due to calculations based on inappropriate indicators. Furthermore, there are
many examples in the Bologna literature in which indicators and comparisons are generated
on the basis of questionable, simplified or incomplete data.
Finally it is interesting to note that it is so important for politicians to know whether their
country is or their higher education institutions are in the top, middle or bottom group. For
higher education researchers it is much more important to produce results on the basis of
clearly defined and shared indicators and conceptualisations. This might sometimes take
longer but the results are better.
Literature
CHEPS, INCHER-Kassel, ECOTEC (2010): The Bologna Process Independent Assessment:
The First Decade of Working on the European Higher Education Area. 2 Volumes.
Download: http://ec.europa.eu/education/higher-education/doc1290_en.htm, accessed on
01.03.2011.
EURYDICE (2010): Focus on Higher Education in Europe 2010: The Impact of the Bologna
Process. Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency. Brussels. Download:
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/thematic_reports/122EN.pdf,
accessed on 01.03.2011.
Janson, K./Schomburg, H./Teichler, U. (2009): The Professional Value of ERASMUS
Mobility. Bonn.
Kelo, M./Teichler, U./Wächter, B. (Hg.) (2006): EURODATA. Student Mobility in European
Higher Education. Bonn.
Schwarz-Hahn, S./Rehburg, M. (2003): Bachelor und Master in Deutschland. Empirische
Befunde zur Studienstrukturreform. Kassel. Download: