Abstract:

The present contribution has two goals. Firstly, I will analyze Bologna Declaration as a political text and define the axes around which it is structured. Secondly, I will present the changes in the laws in Greek Higher Education with respect to the objectives posed by the Declaration in question.

Institutions, like Eurydice and Europa, have conducted several researches concerning the objectives of Bologna and its impact, the results of which have been published in several studies (Eurostaat 2009, Eurydice 2009, Eurydice 2010 among others). However, their main interest concerns the achievement of the 6 objectives posed by Bologna Process without analyzing the Declaration itself as a political text; there has been no main interest, to my knowledge, in the comprehensive understanding and analysis of the structure and the argumentation used in this political text.

Moreover, Bologna declaration has also been at the center of attention among many Greek researchers (such as Kladis 2000, Xanthopoulos 2001, Stamelos & Vasilopoulos 2004, Asderaki 2008). Reformations in Greek Tertiary Education have been reported in several of these studies (Kazamias & Kassotakis 1995, Kassotakis 2000, Bouzakis 2006, Kazamias 2008 among others), with reference to specific laws that have been enacted (Kazamias & Kassotakis 1986, Psaharopoulos 2004, Bouzakis 2006, Eurydice 2009, Eurydice 2010 etc). Nonetheless, the changes have not been directly related to the specific objectives launched by Bologna Declaration.

My research aims to cover the above open issues in the literature. Firstly, I will attempt to determine the axes on which the political text in question revolves. Using content analysis (Anderson 1992, Berelson 1952, B. Berelson & P.F. Lazasfeld 1948, Cohen et al. 2008, Duverger 1976, Kerlinger 1979 & Neder 1990, Mertens 2010), I will analyze and unfold the structure of this political text. More precisely, using the inductive method I will present the 6 axes of the declaration, namely (a) Role of Europe (b) Challenges of 21st century (c) Civilization, (d) Goals and means for the achievement (e) Higher Education and its role (f) Commitment of European countries. In addition, I will argue about the role of each axis in the text, and its utility in the achievement of the objectives posed by the Declaration. In this way, the structure of the political text in question will be unfolded. Secondly, using the deductive method I will relate the laws that have been launched in Higher Education since 1999, to the six objectives posed by Bologna Declaration.

In sum, a thorough comprehension of Bologna declaration is aimed through the analysis of the declaration and its impact on the laws of Greek Tertiary Education using content analysis, the inductive and the deductive method respectively.