Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik
Speech to The IVth Ministerial Conference
of the Bologna Process
Bergen, Norway, 19 May 2005
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Ministers,
Commissioner, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
It is
a great pleasure for me to address such a distinguished audience that includes
government colleagues, representatives of international organisations, national
officials, rectors and student representatives from all over Europe. And I
would like to welcome you to Bergen in the wonderful month of May. I am very
glad that you have chosen Norway to host this important bi-annual conference,
where you will take further steps towards a European Higher Education Area.
This
conference comes at a most appropriate time. The heads of state and government
of almost all the countries represented here met just two days ago in Warsaw
for the Third Summit of the Council of Europe, to discuss the further
development of the political frameworks of pan-European co-operation. They
reaffirmed their commitment to a future Europe with no dividing lines, based on
shared values and interests, and co-operation with other parts of the world.
You
are meeting here today and tomorrow to discuss practical tools for the enhanced
co-operation we would like to see in higher education in Europe – a vast area
with 800 million inhabitants. We have great challenges to meet, both in
creating equal opportunities within our own countries, and in strengthening the
European region in the global arena. Universities and other institutions of
higher education are vital in order for our societies to meet these challenges.
Ladies
and gentlemen,
As
you probably know, Norway is commemorating the centenary of its independence
this year. One hundred years ago, the union with our good neighbour Sweden was
dissolved peacefully. At that time,
Norway chose independence, not isolation. Now, we are more dependent than
ever on international co-operation and the exchange of people and ideas,
products and services.
A
meeting between responsible ministers of higher education in Europe is very
much in line with this strong dimension in Norwegian politics. Higher education
and research are international by nature, and in Norway, as in most countries,
have been at the forefront of international co-operation and exchange.
International
co-operation in education is especially important because it is at the heart of
development. We have all committed ourselves to the fulfilment of the UN
Millennium Goals for development and the eradication of poverty. The second
Millennium Goal states that we should ensure that children everywhere, boys and
girls alike, are able to complete a full course of primary schooling, and that
girls and boys have equal access to all levels of education, by 2015. This goal
should also be at the core of our policies for higher education. Capacity in
higher education must be strengthened if we are to ensure sustainable results
in building basic education for all.
The
role played by universities and research communities in securing sustainability
is a vital part of our strategy for development. Norway has been running the
NUFU (National Committee for Development-related Research and Education)
programme for several years, which aims to transfer research capacity to
developing countries and to help institutions in these countries gain access to
the international community of learning. The programme is based on equal
partnerships between institutions in Norway and in the South. The objective is
to promote mutually beneficial co-operation based on the priorities set by the
institutions in the South. Norwegian universities are actively involved in the
programme.
There
are many examples that demonstrate the success of the programme, including a
large number of PhD and Masters candidates and research publications.
I
know that many of you have the same types of programmes. To those of you that don’t have, I will
challenge you consider if it could be possible, also for you.
For
many centuries, academic institutions have been a determining factor in the
democratic, cultural and social development of Europe. And they still are
today. Europe is facing challenges in relation to democratic participation, the
deterioration of the public discourse and the transformation of multicultural
tensions into societal strengths. In response to the last of these, I have
called for inter-religious dialogue.
During
the past 10 years, religion has risen higher and higher up the international
political agenda. Religion is not usually the only or the main reason for
conflict. But religion, like patriotism, can easily be misused for political
purposes. People often express their desires, their goals and their anger in
religious terms. But although religion seems to be part of the problem in many
conflicts, we should take every opportunity to make it a part of the solution.
Co-operation
between religious leaders and religious communities can be a powerful force for
peace. Greater harmony between religions will not in itself resolve conflicts,
but it can pave the way for peaceful, durable political solutions. It can
foster greater understanding and co-operation within a country and between
countries and peoples. My government is supporting inter-religious dialogue in a number of conflict areas.
Academic
institutions are in a position to play a similar role. They are built on
globally-accepted values and are engaged in open dialogue based on mutual trust
and the exchange of people, opinions and ideas. Universities have bridged gaps
during periods of deep international division. As politicians, we continue to
rely on the role universities play in promoting a culture of peace by fostering
knowledge and understanding, combating discrimination, racism and xenophobia,
and building strong international networks. This role is enhanced by the mobility
of students, teachers and researchers in the academic world.
Ladies
and gentlemen,
The
Bologna process has played an important part in the higher-education reform in
Norway. The structures are largely in place, and now it remains to implement
the changes. We have made a great effort to allocate the funds for this reform
in close co-operation with the sector itself, including the students.
The
Bologna reforms aim at improving the quality of higher education. We believe
this also includes enhancing the quality of research at universities and other
higher education institutions. Your chair here today, Kristin Clemet, has
recently presented a white paper with proposals for promoting research. These
include measures to strengthen government-funded research activities at
universities, and to encourage privately-funded research. We call on business
and industry to boost their investment in research, and we support schemes to
stimulate active co-operation between the business sector and the universities.
We also welcome the debate at the European level on how to increase research
funding, and on building strong universities for Europe, as the European
University Association has put it.
Norway
has also been keen to contribute to improving academic quality and directing
attention to this area through the establishment of internationally recognised
prizes for scientific excellence. These prizes are awarded in areas of science
that are not covered by the Nobel Prizes, but the grants are at the same level.
The
Abel Prize is awarded for outstanding scientific work in the field of
mathematics. It is named after the 19th century Norwegian
mathematician Niels Henrik Abel.
The
Holberg Prize is awarded to scholars who have made outstanding, internationally
recognised contributions to research in the arts and humanities, social
science, law or theology. It is named after the 18th century
Norwegian/Danish writer and researcher Ludvig Holberg, and was awarded for the
first time here in Bergen last year.
Recently,
thanks to a donation from the US-based Kavli Foundation, the Norwegian Academy
of Science and Letters was entrusted with the responsibility of awarding three
prizes for outstanding research in the fields of astrophysics, neuroscience and
nano-technology They will be called the Kavli Prizes.
These
and other prizes will help to increase the general interest in scientific
research, which, after all, forms the basis of the development of our
societies. They will also draw attention to the need to raise the quality of
higher education and research, which is one of the objectives of the Bologna
Process.
Ladies
and gentlemen,
I
have had the pleasure of observing the development of the Bologna Process from
the start, when the Education Minister in my first government, Jon Lilletun,
was among the 30 signatories of the Bologna Declaration. My term as Minister of
Education in the 1980s has given me a deep interest in educational matters. The
Bologna Process has turned out to have a remarkable impact. It has led to
striking reforms in all the participating countries, and I note that the
countries that have recently joined this co-operation have already started to
implement reforms.
I
think it is important to recognise that this kind of voluntary political
process can produce such extensive results in the international arena. Progress
is, of course, vulnerable to political changes. But so far, the mechanisms of
open co-ordination from the Bologna Process have worked very well. Encompassing
so many countries, both within and outside the EU, the process serves as a
model that can be applied to other policy areas where national reforms need to
be co-ordinated at an international level.
And
what is even more important – your co-operation will help to improve the
educational opportunities for our children – or in my case grandchildren. This
will prepare them better for their future, whatever that brings, whether they
are living in a more pluralistic national setting or in the global village.
Let
me once again wish you all heartily welcome to Norway and Bergen. I
congratulate you on your achievements so far, and wish you every success with
the conference.