A chara, - There has been recent correspondence in your columns between Prof John Kelly and Dr Garret FitzGerald concerning European student exchange programmes pursuant to the latter's article on this subject in your edition of September 20th.
Among other things, these items have referred to the need to bring together national organisations of academics in Europe in the light of what has been called the Bologna Process, last manifest in a meeting of Ministers with responsibility for higher education in Berlin from 18th to 19th September.
In fact, there is already a body called the Higher Education and Research Standing Committee (HERSC) of Education International Europe, which is usually attended by delegates from 14 countries from all parts of the European continent including Ireland in the shape of the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT). This body has been closely monitoring the Bologna process and has consistently lobbied for participation by academic unions in it as well as protesting at the refusal to accede to this request. Individual unions have also been refused participation by their national governments in the conferences concerned, such as on the last occasion in the case of IFUT and the Berlin ministerial meeting.
Nonetheless, in April of this year, and also in Berlin, academic unions again including IFUT, gathered to prepare their position for the ministerial conference and a number of documents issued. Two were prepared by IFUT. Moreover, some unions, including IFUT, were participants in the Graz Conference of European Rectors at the end of May and beginning of June, which also was a foreshadow of the Ministerial Conference.
Despite a lack of success after all these efforts, we agree with Dr Garret FitzGerald that it is a matter for continuing regret that unionised academics, unlike those of students, have not been fully involved in the Bologna process. However, work will continue to ensure that this defect and anomaly is rectified. - Is mise,
DALTÚN Ó CEALLAIGH, General Secretary, IFUT, Merrion Square, Dublin 2