MAKE BOLOGNA HISTORY!

Celebrating Bologna? We don't think so!

International call for participation:

On March 11 and 12 2010 the education ministers of 46 European countries will celebrate the 10-years anniversary of the Bologna-process in Vienna and Budapest.
Considering the current situation and the ongoing protests in many European Universities this celebration is a mockery for all of us.

The Bologna-process has clearly failed to achieve the agreed goal of improved mobility. The pressure of having to finish your studies in the "regular amount of time" in fact complicates the possibility for a stay abroad. Furthermore the rigidity of the new curricula (all within the frame of autonomy of the particular institutions) impede the desired mobility between universities.

The new three-cycled structure (Bachelor-Master-Phd) has not only led to more formal restrictions within the course of study, but to greater social selection and the constriction of individuality in general: the Bachelor program, designed for the quick schooling of precarious work force, where self-determined critical learning and individual engrossing are made impossible on one hand; the hindered access to higher degree programs (Master and Phd), which especially exclude women on the other hand.

The much acclaimed autonomy of higher eduaction institutes in fact serves a policy of differentiation between mass- and eliteuniversities and hence a expropriation of education for the majority of people: The right to free education gives way to “efficiency” and “achievment” principles, which select Bachelor- and Masterstudents and differentiate between "lower" and "higher" education and workforce. In combination with chronical underfinancing universities furthermore are forced to open up to private financing and consequently to the direct influence of private corporation in both teaching and research.

The fact that the entire process is based on the understanding of education as only producing workforce dictated by the market is reflected in the agreed goals. Social selection, introduction (and increasing) of tuition fees, managerial concepts as well as de-democratization within the university system are obvious symptoms.

Therefore our aim is not only to measure success or failure of the Bologna-process, but furthermore to question the process and its foundations itself. The orientation of teaching, working and making research towards corporate interests does not only affect universities, but the entire education sector in general. Considering the fact, that education does not only start within university, it is clear that this topic is relevant for each and every one of us.

In view of this disastrous situation we don't see any reason to celebrate the Bologna-process. The European-wide protests of students and teachers of the last years show that the economization of education is directed against their interests. Hence we consider a common, european-wide opposition directed against the current education politics absolutely necessary, in order to establish and enforce alternatives.

Therefore the celebrations will be accompanied by demonstrations and blockades as well as followed by a counter-conference, where we are going to exchange experiences from all the different countries, discuss about European education policy, new student movements, common goals and strategies.

Together we will show that we do not agree with the celebration of a process, that limits education to the production of human capital!

This protest and its further development lives from our participation!

Come all and contribute to the establishment of our own process for free education!

We want this event to be organized and held by all protesters together. This is why we are calling for your participation not only at the event itself, but also during the preparations (eg.: input at the counter-conference, etc.)

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Homepage: www.bolognaburns.org

Date and location: Vienna, March 11-14 (Thursday-Sunday)