Home – Home – Jornals – "Philosophy of Education" 2014 number 2

The article discusses the problem of integration of Russian higher professional education into the Western European educational space; and it provides an overview of scholarly works devoted the Bologna process. The article analyzes the factors that contribute to the successful integration of higher education in Western Europe. The essence of the problem is reduced to the difficulties of transformation of Russian education, connected with entering the integration processes taking place in the education system in the framework of the Bologna process. The paper consists of three parts; it begins with an introduction, in which the essence of the Bologna process at the present stage of the integration is revealed. Then there are considered the positive factors contributing to the successful integration of higher education; the article ends by conclusions having basically an objective character, closely related to the processes of globalization and the European integration. In the main part of the paper provides arguments in favor of the Bologna process: firstly, the organizers of the Bologna process understand that convergence of educational systems, harmonization of the principles of learning, training programs is a systemic, goal-oriented process. Secondly, there is an idea of identifying all the best in all of education and climbing to a new level; and thirdly, higher professional education will be one of the best in the world in the educational market. Fourth, higher education is seen as a public good. Fifthly, the desire is to ensure closer links of higher education and research institutions. Sixthly, mobility is as a necessary condition of formation of the European Higher Education not only academically and culturally, but also in terms of politics, economy and social life. Seventh, students are active participants in the educational process and they should influence the organization and content of education at universities and other educational institutions. Eighth, it is the students’ opportunity to enter the academic world at any stage of their career and with different levels of training. Ninth, it gives autonomy to universities, having in mind their high responsibility. Tenth, it gives legislative support for the implementation of the Bologna process, because in all countries the necessary legislative reforms have been implemented, wide support is offered to the organizations representing business and social partners. In conclusion, the author argues that the Bologna process is the modern form of the integration process of the Western European educational space, a deep reform of higher education in the countries that are the initiators of this process. The main value of the article is to analyze the normative documents of the Bologna process, the views of some experts in the field of education, which revealed several positive factors that contribute to the successful integration of states and their citizens in the European educational space.