THE FUNDAMENTAL VALUES OF THE EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION AREA: WHAT ARE THEY, AND HOW DID THEY DEVELOP?

Аннотация

The European Higher Education Area has defined six fundamental values: academic freedom, academic integrity, institutional autonomy, student and staff participation in higher education governance, public responsibility for higher education, and public responsibility of higher education. The article describes the process leading to the definition of these values as well as the circumstances that meant that these values could no longer be taken for granted.  Instead, in the space of a few years, a consensus emerged that the values need to be a policy priority.  Along with the list of fundamental values, the Ministers of the EHEA adopted fairly extensive statements outlining their understanding of these values.  Nevertheless, continued consideration is required both to develop a better understanding of the many issues that influence the way in which fundamental values are implemented and on developing arrangements for assessing how the values are put into practice in EHEA Member States.. Many of the values relate to various aspects of the relationship between public authorities and the higher education community, in particular higher education institutions.