PRESS RELEASE

A delegation from the Ministry of Education and Research, lead by the education and research minister, professor doctor Mircea Miclea, will participate on 19 – 20 May, in the Conference of the European ministers responsible for higher education taking place in Bergen (Norway). Among the members of the delegation there are also Mr. Dumitru Miron, state secretary for higher education, Mr. Mihai Korka the minister’s counsellor for the implementation of the Bologna Process, Mr. Nicolae Robu, rector of the Politehnica University of Timişoara and Miss Violeta Ciobanu, student at the “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iaşi.

The conference of European higher education ministers intends to carry out a mid-term evaluation of the progress registered by the countries that signed the Bologna Declaration (1999) and, based on this progress, to set the measures that need to be applied by 2010, when the European Higher Education Area is expected to function effectively.

We would like to remind you that the Ministry of Education and Research, through the measures taken at the beginning of 2005, has made important steps toward integration into the European Higher Education Area:

- 10 February › Government Decision no. 88 on the organisation of first degree studies subsequent to the Law 288/2004 on the organisation of first degree studies
- 10 February › Minister Order no. 3235 on the organisation of first degree cycle
- 21 February › Minister Order no. 3295 on the distribution of places between higher education institutions for admission in the academic year 2005-2006
- 10 March › Minister Order no. 3545 with regard to the general criteria for conducting the admission to first degree programmes in 2005-2006
- 13 March › Minister Order no. 3617 with regard to the general application of the European Credit Transfer System
- 29 March › Minister Order no. 3714 with regard to the introduction of the Diploma Supplement as certification for the graduation of a higher education cycle
- 13 April › Minister Order on the setting up of Postdoctoral Research Programmes
- 21 April › Minister Order on quality assurance of educational services provided by higher education institutions
- 4 April › launch of the draft law on quality assurance in higher education.

The programme the Conference of the European ministers responsible for higher education
Thursday 19 May
10.00 – 13.00: Plenary Session
10.00 – 11.15: Opening addresses: Education Minister Kristin Clemet from Norway, Labour Minister François Biltgen from Luxemburg and EU Commissioner for education, training, culture and multilingualism Ján Figel.
11.45 – 13.00: Presentation of the general report of the Bologna Follow-up Group and of the report from the stocktaking (EUA Trends IV Report and ESIB Report on students’ poll) and the Message from the consultative members.
14.30 – 17.30: Ministers’ meeting and discussion groups on the following topics: doctoral studies, synergy between higher education and research, lifelong learning, quality assurance and recognition in a global perspective, institutional autonomy and governance).

Friday 20 May
09.00 – 12.00: Plenary Session
- Reports from the discussion groups.
- Finalization and adoption of the Bergen Communiqué.
- Closing statements.
- Declaration of the next state in charge with the presidency.
 12.30 – 13.30: Press conference.

Director,
Mircea MUREŞAN