European Higher Education Systems Research Articles

FUTURE TEACHER'S OF GEOGRAPHICAL DISCIPLINES FORMATION OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE IN THE MASTER'S PROGRAM (BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE OF POLTAVA V. G. KOROLENKO NATIONAL PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY)

The relevance of training teachers of higher education institutions in the conditions of the master's degree is due to changes in the national regulatory framework aimed at harmonizing with the European higher education system and expanding the scope of employment of graduates of specialty 014 "Secondary Education". The article substantiates the expediency, reveals the content, analyzes the methods and experience of forming the professional competence of a future teacher in the process of studying the discipline "Methods of teaching geographical disciplines in higher education" on the example of training masters of the educational program "Secondary Education (Geography)" at the Poltava V. G. Korolenko National Pedagogical University.It is proposed to divide the content of the discipline into two content modules: 1. Features of the organization of the educational process in higher education institutions. Designing the content of geographical disciplines. 2. Technologies and methods of teaching in the system of professional geographical training in higher education institutions. In mastering the program content of the discipline, the leading role is given to the implementation of competence-based practical tasks and tasks for independent work.When conducting practical classes, it is advisable to use information and communication technologies, in particular digital tools for developing interactive learning content (mind maps, word clouds, infographics, presentations), while respecting the principle of academic freedom of students in the selection of various applications and online applications.The specificity of studying geographical disciplines is the use of geoservices, which equip the teacher with a new didactic tool - interactive maps. Interactive forms of learning (debates, discussions, master classes) are used to form an individual teaching style.Having analyzed the approaches to revealing the structure of the professional competence of a higher education teacher, it has been found that the functions of teaching over research dominate among the teachers of Ukrainian higher education institutions, so it is necessary to aim students, as future teachers of geographical disciplines, at self-improvement in the functional areas that are accepted in the European educational space: development of the profile of a scientist through strengthening scientific work and publication activity, the ability to attract external funding for research, to popularize their own.

Nursing Education in Some European Higher Education Area (EHEA) Member Countries: A Comparative Analysis.

The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) has aimed at unifying, harmonizing, and ensuring consistency of higher education systems in Europe for over two decades. The objective of this study was to investigate the similarities and differences in the training programs of nurses in selected EHEA member countries. Comparative analysis was used. Based on three sources: research articles, internet databases, and emails sent to nursing education institutions. Three databases, namely Science Direct, PubMed, and ERIC, were utilized. Regarding educational institutions, the majority of countries' nurses graduated with a Bachelor's degree, except for Estonia, Russia, and North Macedonia. Russia had the shortest education duration (2 years and 10 months), while other member countries had programs lasting between 3-4 years. In countries where colleges were still active, diploma or certificate programs were offered, such as in Estonia and Russia. Only North Macedonia did not offer any continuing education for nurses, and Estonia, Latvia, and France did not have PhD programs in nursing. Nurses constitute the largest occupational group in healthcare, and the quality of medical care relies on their theoretical and practical training. Despite efforts to unify nursing curricula through the Bologna Process, significant differences still exist.

Challenges and Prospects for Dialogue between Europe and Latin America in Higher Education: Towards a System of Global Interuniversity Cooperation

The article analyzes the challenges and prospects for cooperation between Europe and Latin America in the field of higher education. The aim of the paper is to identify the potential for interregional dialogue in the context of globalization. The methodology used is a comparative analysis of higher education systems in Europe and Latin America. As a result, it is shown that despite the Europeanization of Latin American education, there are still significant differences that need to be taken into account when transferring European experience. The priorities for further interaction – creation of a common educational space and scientific-innovative networks - are outlined. The results can be useful for developing a strategy of internationalization of education. The novelty lies in the systematic comparison of approaches to the modernization of higher education in the two regions. The conclusion is made about the need for effective coordination and search for optimal formats of dialogue between Europe and Latin America for the formation of a global educational space.

Reform trends in Europe’s higher education programmes as an exemplification of the bologna process after the Rome 2020 Ministerial Conference

Purpose: The subject of the study is issues related to the reform of higher education systems taking into account the Bologna Process. As a theoretical and cognitive goal, the author adopted the presentation of the categories and conditions of the Bologna Process in its roman stage (2020). Design/methodology/approach: The article adopts methodological elements specific to the field of social sciences, including the monographic method. It is implemented in this work as a way of researching specific, individual cases and focuses on the overall recognition of one relevant problem. It is important here to verify each element of the phenomenon in question and focus on the individual components of the issue addressed based on qualitative descriptive elements. The paper draws on the printed publications of authors such as Irina Ferencz, Agnieszka Olechnicka, Tim Birtwistle, Robert Wagenaar, Jurgen Enders, Jeroen Huisman and continuous prints, including: Edukacja Ekonomistów i Menedżerów, Forum Akademickie, Education, Zeszyty Naukowe Politechniki Śląskiej, Studia Prawno Ekonomiczne, Białostockie Studia Prawnicze and Studia Prawnoustrojowe. Findings: The research problem was framed by the question: what changes are possible to implement in European higher education, under the Bologna harmonization formula, after the announcement of the Rome Communiqué in 2020? Practical implications: The practical objective was defined in the form of comments relevant to the needs for changes in the course of the Bologna Process with regard to multidegree education, quality assurance and recognition of periods of education, the social dimension of the Bologna Process and the internationalization of higher education. Originality/value: The study consists of three rudimentary parts, including a characterisation of the development of higher education and the implications for the region, and an analysis of the Bologna Process and its benefits for European higher education, as well as its most recent implications for higher education systems after the Rome 2020 conference. This characterisation fits into the thematic area of education management understood as a potential of the European region. This article addresses the issue of higher education development as a factor in regional development and aims to analyse the most up-to-date desiderata for harmonising higher education systems in Europe, particularly those raised at the Rome 2020 Ministerial Conference. Keywords: Higher (tertiary) education, Bologna Process, harmonisation. Category of the paper: Conceptual paper.

INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIES IN MODERNIZATION TRAINING OF EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT SPECIALISTS IN THE EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM

The article analyzes the impact of international strategies for modernization of education on the content of training specialists in educational management in the European higher education system. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the influence of international strategies for the modernization of education on the content of training specialists in educational management in the European system of higher education. The research was carried out on the basis of methods of theoretical generalization; comparative analysis; methods of grouping and systematization. It is revealed that in modern conditions, among the fac-tors of development of European higher education, three important ones are substantiated, which are direct-ly related to the development of the educational space: smart growth: development of the economy based on knowledge and innovation; sustainable growth: creating an economy based on the rational use of resources, ecology and competition; inclusive growth: promoting employment, social and territorial consensus. The strategic goal of the national policy of the EU in the field of education at the beginning of the XXI century there are problems of purposeful influence on the conditions and preconditions for the implementation of the rules of law, focusing on the benefits of modernization of educational activities in the period of transfor-mation, improvement of the entire education system and the mechanism of realization of the constitutional right to education. The areas that have the greatest impact on the process of training specialists in education management in European education are identified: focus on methodological support of activities within Eu-ropean education; standardization of educational content, licensing, certification and accreditation of educa-tional institutions, recognition of qualifications at the level of higher education; improving the education management system, decentralization and diversification in education. It is emphasized that the develop-ment of human capital is at the heart of the global development strategy

CUMHURİYET DÖNEMİ TÜRK YÜKSEKÖĞRETİM SİSTEMİNİN KURULMASINDA MODEL ALINAN AVRUPA’DAKİ ÜNİVERSİTELER VE TARİHSEL GELİŞİMLERİ

From the Seljuk Empire and until the Turkish Republic, the Turkish higher education system was based on the madrasa tradition. In the late period of the Ottoman Empire, along with madrasa, which was the classic educational institution, besides military schools giving education in western style, opening civil educational institutions, similar to the university in Europe, started. The first schools opened were in the French model first, similar to the country and its cultural institutions, which the state sympathized with in the foreign policy, and the universities opened in the late periods until the end of the Second World War were tried to be built similar to the German Higher Education system. After the war, on the other hand, university institutions according to the Anglo-Saxon model started to be opened, too. While the institution of the university that developed in time through different models of different countries form with the historical processes and cultural texture of the country it is in, this institution was created by taking the models of the western state that is effective on Turkey as an example within the westernization activities rather than our sociological internal structure. In this study, the higher education systems in Europe that are taken as examples while creating our modern Turkish higher education system and their developments in history will be discussed.

Innovative technologies in modern higher education: European experience and Ukrainian context

This study examines the issues of implementing innovative technological solutions in modern higher education, considering the accumulated European experience and in the modern Ukrainian context. The relevance of this study is conditioned by the wide spread of innovative technological solutions in the European higher education system in general and Ukraine in particular, as well as the need for a deep and comprehensive study of this process considering the prospects for the technological development of modern higher education and accumulated European experience in this field. The purpose of this study is to determine the fundamental factors that influence the development of technological innovations in the modern higher education system. The main results of this study should be the definition of the essence of innovative technologies in the modern system of higher education, the types and categories of modern innovations, as well as the main trends in academic research in this field.

Model of formation of social competence of students in the process of studying the disciplines of the humanitarian cycle

The article analyses the course of implementing the competence approach in modern educational realities, social competence as an integrated complex of partial personality competencies is presented. The interdependence between the orientation of the world economy towards integration and globalization, the appeal to the European system of higher education, defined by the Bologna Process, and the reason for radical changes in the guidelines of the educational paradigm for the competence approach are traced. The didactic aspect of the process of studying humanities by students has been clarified. It has been established that the system of humanitarian disciplines can and should be aimed at developing the structural components of students’ social competencies, which are fully interactive and interdependent, as they have the properties of variability, interdependence, integrativity, social and personal significance. The introduction of the model of formation of social competence is described, which consists of four consistently interconnected blocks, namely: motivational-target, organizational-activity, technological and result-reflective. Each block corresponds to the functions, forms and methods and conditions of effective formation of social competence. The presented model of formation of social competence of students in the process of teaching disciplines of the humanities contains a system of dialectically interconnected elements: purpose, blocks, functions, structural and functional components, didactic conditions, forms, methods, approaches.

Vida universitaria en la edad adulta: Respirar la arquitectura

El aprendizaje a lo largo de la vida es promovido actualmente en Europa desde el sistema deEducación Superior en respuesta a la fluctuante sociedad contemporánea. En Portugal, siguiendo esta tendencia, desde 2006 se habilitaron pruebas de acceso a la universidad para mayores de 23 años para fomentar la igualdad de oportunidades. A pesar de que las potencialidades del estudiantado mayor son profusas, el índice de abandono de los estudios es alto. Por ello, este trabajo se propone como objetivo visibilizar estrategias de éxito reales, implementadas para la superación de las dificultades y el logro de metas académicas en el entorno universitario. Para ello, desde un enfoque cualitativo, mediante el uso de la entrevista en profundidad como instrumento de recogida de datos, se aborda un caso de éxito desde el marco de la investigación biográfico-narrativa. Los resultados muestran la trayectoria vital del caso, destacando motivaciones, estrategias y apoyos útiles para retomar y afrontar la formación superior en la edad adulta desde un enfoque introspectivo vivencial. Las conclusiones apuntan a la sistematización como clave para la conciliación familiar, académica y profesional, y al conocimiento previo del contexto, como principales estrategias del éxito académico. Se destaca que la edad y especialmente la experiencia de vida son recursos valiosos, no solo para la adaptación al cambio y el abordaje resiliente de situaciones complejas, sino también para la mejora de la enseñanza superior, desde los aportes de una visión reflexionada y madura e inserta en este contexto, por tanto, conocedora de sus entresijos.

A knowledge management culture in the European higher education system

Purpose. Improving the quality of educational services by identifying the features and current trends in the development of knowledge management culture in the European higher education system. Methodology. The research methodology involves application of the systematic approach methods. 1. Structural approach related to defining the structural features of knowledge management culture in higher education institutions in Europe. 2. Functional approach that determines the essence and target orientation of the knowledge management function. The use of the comparative method allowed the authors to highlight the essential content of the concept knowledge management culture in relation to the concepts of organizational culture and information culture. The dialectical method of cognition was also involved, which made it possible to comprehensively consider the phenomenon of knowledge management culture in educational discourse through the contradictory relationships of its various sides and aspects. Findings. The culture of knowledge management in the European higher education system is considered at three main levels: 1. Cognitive level, implying a change in the style of thinking, mobilization of intellectual potential, and creativity. 2. Management level, involving the use of analytics and innovative leadership. 3. Technological level, based on the use of information and communication technology in the accumulation, transfer and management of knowledge. Originality. Knowledge management culture is studied in close relationship with the organizational and information culture. The features of knowledge management at three organizational levels have been determined: cognitive, managerial and technological ones. Practical value. The institutions of the European higher education system use knowledge to gain and maintain competitive advantages. Insufficient attention to the issue of knowledge management leads to a decrease in the ranking of higher education institutions. The introduction of knowledge management culture provides improvement in the psychological microclimate of a team, dominance of the atmosphere of creativity, an increase in the level of self-education, disclosure of personal intellectual potential, formation of a system of innovative leadership, stimulation of scientific research and, as a result, an increase in the quality of educational services.

Through student eyes: Assessment conceptions and quality assurance

Recent reforms of higher education systems in Europe, since the implementation of the Bologna Process, encourage teachers to incorporate a range of assessment practices that should be more responsive to students’ learning needs. Over the years, an extensive body of literature has been produced regarding principles and practice guidelines for the assessment of students’ learning outcomes. However, what are students’ conceptions of assessment? The present article, given the strong drive to understand the role that conceptions have in educational practices, focuses on students’ conceptions of assessment within the Italian higher education system. More specifically, this paper reports on a research study realised through the administration of the Students’ Conceptions of Assessment Inventory (SCoA). The data were analysed using a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) design. This study represents a useful step in understanding conceptions that students have of assessment within the framework of quality assurance. Results of the study may set the groundwork for a critical debate on changes and improvements in the higher education field.

Lifelong learning opportunities through MOOCs in India

PurposeLifelong learning needs to be visualized as the milestone for generating a progressive and knowledge society. Because it is through lifelong learning that one can continuously upgrade one's knowledge and acquire the relevant skills for getting livelihood opportunities. Moreover, for ensuring a sustainable and advanced society in the 21st century industrial setup, people are desirous to receive a global form of learning as they tend to follow the principle, that is, “earning while learning”. In this context, the various types of online courses, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and Open Educational Resources (OERs) provide myriad opportunities to the people by introducing them to a global form of learning. Against this background, the introduction of MOOCs in India for providing lifelong learning opportunities might work in a big way. However, to what extent, can MOOCs promote the idea of lifelong learning in a vast country like India needs to be discussed in greater detail.Design/methodology/approachWhile writing the paper, descriptive research methodology has been used. The sources such as Report of Census 2011, Human Development Report 2016, 2018, Economic Survey 2016 are also consulted. Analysis has been done based on the data extracted from the secondary source of information.FindingsThe literature review made in the paper implies that the educational institutes across India may adopt some of the good national and international practices for transforming the society and produce some need-based MOOCs under the SWAYAM platform with regard to providing opportunities of lifelong learning. Thus, the courses run through SWAYAM should help in achieving the three cardinal principles of the Indian Education – access, equity and quality. However, there are many challenges to be met while the adoption and development of MOOCs for the purpose of lifelong learning in India are taken into consideration. The current modes and popularity of digitally offered education in India thus need to be justified.Research limitations/implicationsThe discussions made in the paper are limited to a reference to the Indian MOOCs particularly under SWAYAM, and it is a general study only.Practical implicationsIt is important to note that a new kind of transformation is currently being initiated across the world by encouraging more and more online interventions in the field of education. In fact, various studies are also being conducted on the implementation of online courses across the world, particularly in the developed countries where more than 70% education is delivered online. However, in a country like India, the practical utility or the implementation of the online courses such as MOOCs is not so popular even at present, and it is only limited to a small section of the society. The University Grants Commission (UGC) with a view to promoting CBCS as well as Credit Transfer made 20% course delivery through MOOCs mandatory in Indian higher education. However, the CBCS system itself has several loopholes considered in the Indian context, as it was launched without sufficient ground work, and no one seems to have a clear idea of its implementation method. The UGC's move was to introduce a system of education that would help in bringing parity of Indian higher education with Western or European higher education systems. This paper shall try to imply how the Indian MOOCs should be used in providing lifelong learning opportunities to the people of the country.Social implicationsThis paper refers to a new social constructivism initiated through MOOCs, where a learner can directly interact with the people in the community, share their own ideas and thoughts and collectively undertake new researches. This is sure to transform the Indian society in the days to come, although a study on the usefulness of the existing MOOCs is of utmost necessityOriginality/valueThis paper reiterates the necessity of a detailed study of the available MOOCs in India based on the findings of the common problems and challenges of MOOCs development and implementations that need to be resolved first. Then the paper provides an analysis of this situation so that one could develop or adopt a MOOC in order to meet one's need of lifelong learning in a country like India.

Remapping French higher education: towards a multi-tiered higher education system?

The global trend of increasing participation rates, coupled with regional goals to increase participation in higher education, such as the European Union’s Europe 2020 Strategy target of 40% of all young people to hold a tertiary education qualification by 2020, has led to a strain on public resources, and a review of funding priorities in mass higher education systems, in some cases prioritising funding towards an elite. Reforms within European higher education systems have been further prompted by the lacklustre performance of European higher education institutions in international university rankings. The paper aims to contextualise French reforms within the broader European Union agenda for the modernisation of higher education, and its focus on greater differentiation, in order to assess how this has been disseminated and translated in the French context, and how it breaks with the French egalitarian tradition. Through a policy document analysis of French and EU strategies for higher education and research and political communications and data extracted from the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation’s Excellence Initiatives scheme, the paper seeks to understand whether France is creating a multi-tiered higher education system for which no precedent has existed before. However, because of the sui generis structure of French higher education that makes it difficult to classify within the various structural models of higher education, policy implications for other countries will not be discussed. The French case will provide insights on the converging trends of globalisation, and the agency of institutional carriers such as the European Commission in interpreting and disseminating particular strategies.

THE EDUCATIONAL BIOGRAPHIES OF ENGINEERS STARTING ACADEMIC CAREERS: COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE OF POLAND AND UKRAINE

The recent changes taking place in the European higher education systems leads to less stable, less secure and less attractive working conditions for academic teachers. Nonetheless, it is observed that the academic profession is attractive for young talented people. The research was aimed at studying educational biographies of engineers who took up PhD studies at technical universities in order to find out the importance of young people’s experience and life history in making important life decisions (i.e. starting academic career). The biographical research was performed based on the material of lifelines and autobiographic essays prepared by PhD students of technical universities in Poland and Ukraine. The study included 56 participants of 23 to 30 years of age. A typology of biographical narratives was developed as a result of analysis of the research material. Additionally, the crucial similarities and differences between educational biographies of PhD students from Poland and from Ukraine were indicated. On the basis of the research it can be determined that traditional motives of undertaking the academic profession – i.e. curiosity, professional status, and financial rewards – still play a big role. New motives are also appearing: investing oneself and social mission. An academic profession is seen as a possibility of development and autonomy to a greater extent than in the economic sector. However, the lack of guarantee of employment at the university after PhD studies and lower remuneration in academic structures compared to the economic sector make it difficult to plan one's own future and choose academic career instead of a different career path.

Забезпечення якості вищої освіти в європейському освітньому просторі

У статті розглядається проблема якості вищої освіти в європейському освітньому просторі. Висвітлено засоби, які дозволять забезпечити реалізацію стратегії ЄС. Основним напрямком в інноваційному підході у внутрішньому функціонуванні вищої освіти є реформа навчальних програм та використання ІКТ. Європейські вищі навчальні заклади прагнуть досягти балансу між своїми інституційними та академічними прагненнями та потребами у міжнародному співробітництві. Розкрито найтиповіші моделі підготовки педагогічного персоналу в країнах Європейського Союзу. Розглянуто завдання освіти в європейському просторі.

Similitudes and singularities of higher education systems in the Mediterranean countries: Historical construction, policy and evolution of key indicators

Higher education is one of the most important key values for changes in societies and exchanges among different societies. Analysing higher education systems in Europe, it is clear that Southern Europe has been determining many differences with the rest of the continent, despite the effort of the Bologna Process to ensure comparability in the standards and quality of higher education qualifications.
 Taking into account four Southern Europe countries – Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece – and regarding their link to a certain Mediterranean culture, our proposal is to analyse these countries’ higher education systems, their growth, using indicators on educational stock, economic growth and development, supply and demand of higher education and economic indicators relating training and the economy such as graduated employment rates. Also education public policies will be considered in the analysis as they interfere in higher education systems’ trajectories. Comparing them we will be able to identify similitudes and singularities in these educational realities, leading us to conclude about the existence of a Southern European way of making higher education a specific value in Mediterranean culture.
 This topic is even more important as it may be related to the recent key focus of EU activities in Southern Mediterranean region. The Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD) recognises that education in the Mediterranean needs strengthening by introducing sustainable development, through a holistic approach, into educational curricula, from primary school right up to higher education. The search for synergies between higher education research and innovation in the Mediterranean area already started. With our post-doctoral research project focusing on higher education and its links to societies, educational policies and national economies, our goal is to share some questions and to contribute to the debate on higher education reinforcing and enriching sociological analysis on higher education between Mediterranean countries.

Lexicology and Multilingualism

The article deals with the issues where multilingualism as a linguistic phenomenon is successfully revealed in the Lexicological studies, namely, in the five lexicological problematic questions of the course, and the whole topic is dedicated to the Multilingual aspect in Lexicology. It covers the description of CLIL (Content Language Integrated Learning) and some aspects of its influence on the process of development of students’ multilingual competence. It is emphasized that multilingualism has become a widespread phenomenon in modern society. A considerable number of people speak more than two languages in their everyday life due to historical, social, or economic reasons. This is one of the causes why multilingual competence has been defined as one of the key competences that a modern competitive specialist should possess according to the European System of Higher Education. CLIL is usually thought to play an increasingly important part in language education, both as a feature of foreign teaching and learning, and as an element of bi- and multilingualism, that was evidently presented in the course of English Lexicology. The ability to apply multilingual competence is one of the key objectives of the curriculum. Multilingual competence presupposes that speakers use different languages for different contexts and purposes, but their influence on the languages may differ. The article gives a detailed description of the features typical of CLIL. So, subject learning combined with language learning leads to the formation of multilingual knowledge, which contributes to the development of multilingual competence.

What Should a Spanish Graduate in Medicine in the European Higher Education System Know About Biochemistry and Molecular Biology? A Personal Reflection

For over 40 years of working in the area of biochemistry and molecular biology, 30 of which have been spent teaching at the University of Malaga, I have been involved in the theoretical and practical teaching of the subject initially called biochemistry and now called biochemistry and molecular biology (BMB). The expansion of this scientific discipline and the renewed interest in research have led to such a large accumulation of knowledge (knowledge base) that the elaboration of a BMB program requires applying notable doses of synthesis; otherwise, it would be impossible to cover all this subject within the strict confines of the bi-semestral term. Advances in medicine and BMB are inseparable, and much of modern medicine would not be practiced as it is if it were not for our understanding of how hereditary, pathogenic, and environmental factors affect the human body at the molecular level. The importance, therefore, of teaching medical students biochemistry is evident. BMB is a subject that corresponds to the area of biomedicine and is taught during the first year of medicine. The main aim is to study the basics of chemical structures from the molecular viewpoint, with special emphasis on regulating and integrating aspects, necessary to understand such disciplines as physiology, pharmacology, or pathology. Thus, based on many years of experience teaching BMB to medical undergraduates, my aim is to define what it is that a graduate in medicine should know about the subject.

АВТОНОМІЯ УНІВЕРСИТЕТІВ: АНАЛІЗ МІЖНАРОДНИХ ДОКУМЕНТІВ

The article is devoted to the identification of the higher education development trends on the basis of the key analytical documents analysis of the following international organizations in higher education: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (ОЕCD), World Bank, European University Association. UNESCO documents are focused on the autonomy of higher education institutions and academic freedom. Autonomy means that degree of self-governance necessary for effective decision making by institutions of higher education regarding their academic work, standards, management and related activities consistent with systems of public accountability, especially in respect of funding provided by the state, and respect for academic freedom and human rights. However, the nature of institutional autonomy may differ according to the type of establishment involved. Autonomy is the institutional form of academic freedom and a necessary precondition to guarantee the proper fulfilment of the functions entrusted to higher-education teaching personnel and institutions. The World Bank Analytical reports are emphasized on the financial autonomy as an integral part of the higher education financing system. The OECD reports are devoted to the university autonomy in the context of financing, quality assessment and management of higher education institutions. The tendencies of the development of higher education systems in Europe are defined. They are increasing of the role of higher education in ensuring the competitiveness of countries in the world economic community; increasing of the universities competition in market economy and controlling over the public financial resources effective using; increasing demands for higher education quality; decentralization of higher education institutions management; development of the institutional autonomy and academic freedom; the interconnection of institutional autonomy, accountability and responsibility for the quality of higher education; the educational paradigm changing in terms of learning and teaching recognition as key institutional priorities.

QUALITY ASSURANCE INTERNATIONALIZATION IN THE EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION AREA: LEGISLATIVE FOUNDATIONS

The article clarifies the genesis of forming a European dimension of quality assurance in higher education. It provides for the analysis of official documents of the EU and the Bologna Process, which lay the basis for quality assurance in higher education within the European Higher Education Area. Particular emphasis is put on the progressand first outcomes of the development of the quality assurance in higher education at the national and supranational levels. A special focus is placed ona series of joint actions taken by European countries to improve the quality of higher education through developing the quality assurance mechanisms to gain more transparency, accountability and legitimacy in European higher education systems. These actions include the launch ofthe Institutional Evaluation Program (IEP),the European pilot projects for evaluating quality in higher education,the creation of the European Network for Quality Assurance (ENQA) renamed into the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), the creation of the Joint Quality Initiative (JQI) and the European Quality Assurance Register (EQAR). The adoption of the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) is analyzed as an efficient way of creating the legal and regulatory environment in the European Higher Education Area.