Convergences 03 December 2 - 6, 2003, Alexandria, EGYPT

International Conference on the Convergence of Knowledge, Culture, Language and Information Technologies
1
CONVERGENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION: EFFECTS AND RISKS

Edmundo Tovar
1
and Jess Cardeosa
2




1
Edmundo Tovar, Universidad Politcnica de Madrid, Campus de Montegancedo s/n, 28660 Madrid. [email protected]
2
Jess Cardeosa, Universidad Politcnica de Madrid, Campus de Montegancedo s/n, 28660 Madrid [email protected]
Abstract Convergence implies advantages and risks, and
normally is decided by political criteria. Higher Education
in Europe is not an exception. Many governments have made
considerable progress with respect to the creation of legal
frameworks which allow the implementation of the
convergence principles established in the Bologna
Declaration, although it is not sufficient. Any change must
consider the acceptability criteria that universities
traditionally maintain. This paper analyses the phenomenon
of Convergence in Higher Education in Europe, making
reference to specific goals as the tier two system and the
European Credit Transfer System (ects), and its
repercussion teaching Engineering in Spain.

Index Terms Higher Education Convergence, Bologna
Declaration, globalization, Information Technologies,
digital world.
CONVERGENCE AS CONSEQUENCE OF
GLOBALIZATION
We are living drastic changes in our society as the
information technology revolution, the end of ideological
confrontation between major powers, the emergence of the
English language to a predominant position among
languages of wider communication, with economic, social
and cultural effects on humankind, often called as
globalization. Globalization is showed as through
homogenization of cultural models, tastes in music, way of
life, and finally a similar globalization in higher education.
In our society, success is increasingly based on knowledge,
skills and ability to learn, so universities play a key role.
This phenomenon has led to the adoption of news ways of
implementing Higher Education systems.

THE NEW HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEMS
University means the combination of all the branches of
learning of knowledge or the totality of things that exist. The
most popular aim of universities corresponds to a place
where knowledge is pursued by experts at the highest levels
and where students are selected for further training.
University is synonymous of Higher education, where
scholars instruct selected students face to face in classrooms
with the support of resources such as a library.

Traditional universities, over the time as consequence of
changing demands and shifting demographic profiles, have
entered a differentiation process, so new types of institutions
are born and new types of providers have entered in the
sector. Several factors feature this evolution:
Demand for enrollment in Higher education is
increasing
New technologies have led to an increment in jobs that
require high level qualifications.
Competition, although is not a new concept, acquires
more importance due to the possibility of
internalization. An institution must now compete with
another institution for its pool of local students.
Technologies are changing the curriculum of the
courses thus as academic research interests, reshaping
the pedagogical methods, making possible the e-
learning.

As consequence of all the previous factors we can
consider new models of Higher education. What follows is
an enumeration of several models described in [1]: virtual
universities, corporate universities, certificate programs run
by ICT companies, franchise universities, academic brokers.

From these models, because of its importance in Spain,
we emphasize too corporate universities because they reach
a growing share market. It is assumed to be very similar to
large business organizations and therefore being capable of
being run as businesses [2]. This model has the following
characteristics: it pursues technical excellence and it follows
a supplier/customer model. Students are seen as customers,
and universities produce and sell knowledge.
Limits of acceptability
Higher Education is highly political. There are a number of
examples of how the exercising of power policy-makers
universities reach limits of acceptability and sometimes
beyond [3]. Main goal of universities is the pursuit of truth,
but it can leads to a conflict with a politically imposed
ideology. In traditional Higher education systems we could
highlight some historical examples:
The main assumption of the Third Reich was based on
the superiority of Aryan over non-Aryan people as
Jews or gypsies in fields as intellectual and scientific
discovery. Scientists such as Heisenberg or Planck were
denounced as white jews. As consequence, Germany
lost its world leadership in natural science for the US

Convergences 03 December 2 - 6, 2003, Alexandria, EGYPT
International Conference on the Convergence of Knowledge, Culture, Language and Information Technologies
2
where many of persecuted scientists moved with the
knowledge which had been considered as impure.
Another basic parameter of university acceptability is
openness of access. The apartheid period in South
Africa for 1948-1990 produced that higher education
was segregated in two separate sets of institutions.
Academic freedom requires some preservation of a
continuity of courses, staff and research specializations
from external authority. Under totalitarian regimes,
whole disciplines were banned as law, or sociology, and
thousands of academics were dismissed by
inappropriate criteria. As result these universities begun
lacking credibility. The independence of a university for
establishing and controlling its own curriculum is very
important as well as the continuity of employment of
staff. Let me explain a real example: a tenure associate
professor of engineering had used the schools computer
system to create a web page arguing that the tragedy of
the Holocaust had been exaggerated. The school did not
renew his contract because he was employed as an
engineer and his historical views are irrelevant to his
competence. If he had been a professional historian, the
ideals of freedom of expression would have been
violated.
By last, more serious consequence than loss of
continuity of employment is actual loss of life in a
university caused by military intervention by the State.
For example, on 1970, National Guards fired upon a
crowd of students demonstrating against US
involvement in the Vietnam War, leaving four students
dead.

In brief, we can summary as the basic parameters of
survival for the traditional universities, as the followings:
intellectual integrity, openness of access, continuity of
employment and physical safety. Any event, by exceeding
these parameters would end in disastrous conflict, at least in
a classical model of university.

To these basic parameters, we should add the effects
produced by globalization, which can explain the new forms
expoused previously of Higher Education systems.
Globalization refers to a process of heightened
interconnections between States and individuals which is
consequence of the revolution in Information Technology.
Technologies as high density data storage or digital imaging
technology can provide the transfer of sound and image
electronically. An important consequence of technical
change is the enlargement of the framework of higher
education activities, where European students seem less
worried with national differences and more concerned with
the acquisition of a qualification giving access to the labor
market and usable internationally.

Basic parameters can be tune up depending on the
impact of these factors as the globalization:
Greater access to higher education for all and
disadvantaged groups. It reinforces the basic parameter
of openness of access.
Greater responsiveness to demands for more relevant
courses and greater involvement of universities with the
communities that surround them; technical excellence as
a suitable criterion for the purposes of a university and
the decline of classical disciplines. This is also
happening in the classical science disciplines of
chemistry, physics or mathematics, where is most
important to go to the applied.
Tenure or the right of academics to continuing
employment has become controversial. Many European
countries have a long tradition of tenure but it has begun
to extend the idea of academics that can be dismissed or
with lower salaries as result of unsatisfactory conduct.

Globalization in universities, in consequence, highlights
or lessens the traditional sources of conflict or limits of
acceptability. As globalization can take more than one
direction, accelerated by the quick development of
information technologies, we will focus in this paper on the
repercussions of the political decision taken at Bologna by
the Education ministers of the European Union.

CONVERGENCE AT HIGHER EDUCATION:
BOLOGNA
Towards a European Global Higher Education Area

The Bologna process was a political decision made by
European Education ministers and supposes a dramatic
change in European universities, so important that we should
assure the acceptability conditions (previous section). They
decided a general and common policy in the field of Higher
Education with the aim of having created and developed
around 2010 a unique European Area for Higher
Education.

More specifically Bologna Declaration proposes a
number of goals or evolution lines that the national systems
should try to reach in ten years. These objectives are as
follows:
Adoption of a system of easily readable and
comparable degrees, through the implementation of
the Diploma Supplement, in order to promote
employability of European citizens and the
competitiveness of the European higher education
system
Adoption of a system essentially based on two main
cycles: undergraduate and graduate. Access to the
second cycle will require successful completion of first
cycle studies, lasting a minimum of three years. The
degree awarded after the first cycle will be also relevant

Convergences 03 December 2 - 6, 2003, Alexandria, EGYPT
International Conference on the Convergence of Knowledge, Culture, Language and Information Technologies
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to the European labor market as an appropriate level of
qualification. The second cycle leads to the master or
doctorate degree.
Establishment of the system of credits: the ects,
European credit information system, as a proper means
of promoting the mobility.
Promotion of mobility: by overcoming obstacles to the
effective free movement for students and for teachers,
researchers and administrative staff, with recognition
and valorization of periods spent in European contest
researching, teaching and training.
Promotion of European co-operation in quality
assurance: with a view to develop comparable criteria
and methodologies.
Promotion of the necessary European dimension:
with regards to curricular development, inter-
institutional co-operation, mobility schemes and
integrated programmes of study, training and research.

Some of these goals seem to be contradictory since the
Declaration aims to improve the convergence and
harmonization of educational systems [4], and
acknowledges, at the same time, divergent cultures and
languages of member countries. This ambivalence can
explain why there are many open issues related with the
Bologna process. Each one of them can be considered as
acceptability limits for the universities that only can be
solved by the political control.

Another risk associated to the convergence is the reason
because it was introduced. Convergent change is planned
by governments not simply because they feel an obligation
to comply with the Bologna Declaration, but because there is
a compelling need for them to move in that direction in their
own interest [5] What would be the price of not taking
action now? For governments, if countries do not converge
their reform efforts could produce a division in Europe with
negative consequences for non-convergent systems. For
institutions, only those ones prepared to compete will
prosper.

All these convergence objectives collect the idea of the
A Europe of Knowledge expressed through the building of
a European Higher Education Area. Dangers of non
convergence can appear under several forms, as the
difficulty for the mobility, non possibility to access to
specific professional positions even with the qualifications
required. A common policy, like the principles established at
Bologna, can avoid dangers as the previous ones. However,
in the practice the implementation of these principles
address to conflictive situations or more cases of non
acceptability.

If we analyze one by one each of the previous goals, it
is difficult not to agree upon most of what the ministers
committed themselves to in Bologna. For instance the value
of comparable degrees is obvious, or a credit system as the
ects will easy a system for recognition and transfer and it
will promote the mobility. In fact, we could assert this effect
reviewing experiences of ects in some European countries.
From now on we will focus on the analysis on acceptability
conditions for two of the goals expressed at Bologna.
Potential risks associated to Bologna targets
Europe has developed its universities, as it was mentioned
before, some 7-8 centuries ago. This fact explains the
existence of a long tradition, with different national models
for the management of High Education, and the existence of
a huge diversity of national systems that reflects its long and
rich history and the importance of the various national
cultures.
As a matter of fact all actors involved in higher
education begin to interpret the Bologna process, education
decision makers, university governors, administrators as
university staff seem to be obstacles towards substantial
restructuring of this education space.

We discuss more in depth two issues of Bologna
Declaration.
The two-tier system: This is the crucial point that has
attracted the attention of most observers: the adoption of
a system essentially based on two cycles, undergraduate
and graduate, with a first degree that should be relevant
to the European labor market as an appropriate level of
qualification. This concept is not new for Engineering
Education [6]: on the one hand the education and
training of scientific engineers, and on other hand the
education and training of applied production engineers.
Nevertheless, this system is far different of what it has
been proposed by the European politicians at Bologna.
Bologna Declaration move towards a sequential two-tier
system that generates a difficulty because the decisions
of national governments have not been the same.

An introduction of two-cycle structure is an option to
harmonize European structures. Recent efforts to
harmonize indicate a certain feasibility of this approach
at a surface level, but fundamental questions remain
open [7]. What are the benefits and risks of different
solutions with the possible solution harmonizing
structures of programmes of study as one of these?

A first observation is that the particular conditions for
engineering education do not seem to have been taken
into account [8]. There is already a high degree of
similarity in Engineering Education between the various
national engineering education systems. The long 5 year
curricula typical for countries like Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, Italy and Germany have a long tradition
and are well established. This classical Engineering
Education should be preserved.


Convergences 03 December 2 - 6, 2003, Alexandria, EGYPT
International Conference on the Convergence of Knowledge, Culture, Language and Information Technologies
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Establishment of European credit information
system. The current version of ects is mainly a credit
transfer system which has been developed in the wake
of EU programmes for cooperation and mobility in
higher education. If ects is not reduced to the issue
workload of students, it may have enormous potential
for reforming/improving higher education curricula,
cultures of learning and structures [7]. The introduction
of ects in a coherent way must consider its essential
components, as the workload students, competencies
and standards, learning outcomes, ways of documenting
these and flexible inter-institutionally recognized
accumulation of credits earned in various education
settings.

Several aspects would need further consideration.
Firstly, the introduction of ects implies that
curricula must be examined on their feasibility
to be followed by successfull within the 60
credits defined as the workload of students by
course.
Secondly, there is no an explicit definition of
how many hours should count as one ects
credit.
Finally, the ects generalization: Ects provides a
way of measuring and comparing learning
achievements and transferring them from an
institution to another. The traditional measure
unit was the correspondence with the number
of hours of lectures. Ects, by on the opposite,
focuses on the student learning and overall
workload, with a factor of 1 to 3 (1 hour
lecture needs 1-3 hours individually study).

IMPLICATIONS IN THE TECHNICAL EDUCATION
SUPERIOR IN SPAIN
From Bologna one should expect a series of national
reforms, possible taking inspiration from other countries
with their systems in line with this convergence process.
Spain is one example of national reforms along the year
2003 with a giddy avalanche of legislative norms and their
correspondent drafts. They are oriented for a two-tier
structure (bachelors-master), implantation of ects and
Diploma Supplement, and all combined with independent
accreditation.
Establishment of European credit information system.
The regional government of Madrid helped last year in
the creation of universities networks in some disciplines in
order to analyze the Convergence European process. One of
these disciplines chosen was Computer Science (the first
author of this paper is the current coordinator of the network
for the School of Computer Science of the Universidad
Politcnica de Madrid).
This network aims to design an adaptation program to
the European credit system (ects). Its main results have been
in several lines:
Definition of contents for an Information Package for
every title expended by the university. It includes the
list of courses described according to a template (see
figure 1).

Course Template
Degree:
Department:
Title: Code: Type:
Level Year Semester Ects:
Horas semanales:
Theory:
Practices:
Seminars:

Professors:
Expected learning outcomes and competentes to be acquired:
Prerrequisites:
Course contents:
References:
Teaching methods:
Assessment methods>
Idiom:
Web links with additional information



FIGURE. 1
COURSE INFORMATION

A poll among professors and students to estimate the
additional hours that students take by each course, as
study hours, exam hours or tutor hours. The analysis
was based on different coefficients. The most important
indicators used to compare the real curriculums of the
public and private universities of Madrid were the
number of hours needed by each ects, and number of
hours needed by each presential class.
The elaboration of Diploma Supplement following the
European Commission criteria. The purpose is to
provide sufficient independent data to improve the
international transparency and fair academic and
professional recognition of qualifications. It describes
the description of the nature, level, context, content and
status of the studies that were pursued and succesfully
completed by the individual named on the original
qualification to which this supplement is appendded.
(See figure 2)

These actions lines contribute to reinforce the openness
of access, one of the acceptability criteria explained in this
paper. This experience shows a clear example of the impact
of the convergence process in universities. We received at
the beginning of the experience a general approval from all
the collectives of our institution. However, through several
presentations to the community we have begun to detect the
first discrepancies. A lot of open issues arose, many of them
associated to the phenomenon of resistance to the change.

Convergences 03 December 2 - 6, 2003, Alexandria, EGYPT
International Conference on the Convergence of Knowledge, Culture, Language and Information Technologies
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EUROPEAN SUPPLEMENT TO THE
QUALIFICATION
1. Information identifying the holder of the Qualification
2. Information identifying the Qualification
3. Information on the Level of the Qualification
4. Information on the contents and results gained
5. Information on the function of the Qualification
6. Additional Information
7. Certification of the Supplement
8. Information on the National Higher Education System
T
R
A
N
S
P
A
R
E
N
C
I
A

FIGURE. 2
SECTIONS OF THE EUROPEAN SUPPLEMENT


As follows:
As regards to professors. How can we obtain credible
data from professors? There is a strong tendency among
professors to transform the size in number of hours of
the course measured in traditional credits in an
equivalent value in ects. Academic requires a continuity
of courses, and convergence will oblige to a new
curriculum. Professor could even fear loosing its
position. Coherence in the change should be assured
because the methodology applied to create a new
curriculum begins with the study of professionals
competencies and the labor market.
As for students, they fear receiving lesser attention by
the professor because the number of hours in class will
reduce. They do no trust in professors and their
capabilities to adapt to this new situation.
The two-tier system:
Specific actions to implement Bologna principles in each
state have been controversial. Opinions from the directors of
technical schools in Spain show a clear divorce with the
opinions of politicians [9]. The main argument is that
Spanish engineers are not worse trained than other European
or American engineers. A declaration of the Engineering
Board [10] manifests more risks as how proceed with the
transition of current engineers to the new common European
model, including the attribution of professional
competencies.
Bologna in this case is interpreted in a different way. The
creation of a common space of High Education should not
involve the destruction of current system (with two kinds of
engineers, technical and superior) that, besides, could work
well. The convergence, in this case, towards an American
model of 4 years debated in its own country, is a risky
decision.

CONCLUSIONS
The current context help to the political decisions in respect
to convergences, including the arrival of the Information
Society, increased global competition rapid development of
technologies, shift towards service industries and striving for
sustainable development. However its implementation
requires the elaboration and application of norms that can
break acceptability criteria for universities, to take care of
diversity issues or those systems that work well.

Some of the lessons learned highlight the risks of the
convergence reforms.
It is dangerous to focus on very small differences, for
example discussing if one ects credit is equivalent to 27
or 28 hours for students, rather than looking at the big
and global common issues.
The level of change announced to converge is big, so
great resources must be assigned to explain and
disseminate the progress.

REFERENCES
[1] K. Grz, Higher Education in the Global Knowledge Economy,
CMU Assembly, November 2003.
[2] W. Bostock, "The Global Corporatisation of Universities: Causes and
Consequences", Antepodium, electronic journal of world affairs,1999.
[3] W. Bostock, "To the limits of acceptability: political control of higher
education", in The subversion of Australian Universities, ed. Biggs
and Davis, 2002.
[4] K. Yrjnkeikki, M. Takala "Engineering Education Facing New
Challenges in the Learning Society: Case Finland", ASEE 21
st
Century
Engineer, November 2001.
[5] M. O Mahony, "Universities and the Bologna Process", report of the
European Union, 2001.
[6] J. Michel, "Engineering Education in Europe after the Bologna
Declaration", XVII Annual Congress of the >Chilean Society for
Engineering Education, Antofagasta. Chile, October 2003.
[7] F. Buchberger, I. Buchberger "Dilemmas of Higher Education Study
reform in the Framework of the Bologna Process", European
Commission project TUNING, 2003.
[8] SEFI European Society for Engineering Education, "The Bologna
Declaration and Engineering Education a Discussion Paper",
http://www.sefi.be, January 2002.
[9] C. Vera, F. Puerta, Bolonia, el cambio por el cambio?, El Pas, 27
octubre 1993.
[10] Spanish Engineering Board, "Declaracin de la Mesa de Ingeniera en
relacin con el proceso de Bolonia", February 2001.