university PoLiti Cs and Pra Cti Ce-based researChstructures and regulations. Although arts institutions have taken significant
steps, the full implementation of the 3-cycle system in arts institutions in the
Bologna signatory countries has yet to be fully realised.
(elia 2008a)Whether this system will be fully realized in the near future is an open question.
The opposition to the Bologna process has been particularly strong in the art schools in
germany. The leaders of these institutions (Kunsthochschulrektorenkonferenz) issued a
statement in 2005 in which they reiterated their previously expressed opposition. They
underlined the fact that arts education is neither ‘modulisierbar’ (possible to express in
terms of modules) nor ‘standardisierbar’ (possible to standardize). The opposition has
led some german regional governments to exempt the art schools from the general
Bologna degree pattern.
on the other hand it seems that some of this opposition has been muted over the
last couple of years under the influence of the wider european debate. The Universität
der Künste (university of the arts) in Berlin is but one example of developments with a
direct bearing on the third cycle of the Bologna process. The recently started graduate
school for the arts and sciences within this university is devised with reference to the
new structures. it is intended to serve as an interdisciplinary platform. The graduate
school will be open to artists from all fields and to phd students from the humanities
(such as art history, musicology, cultural studies) as well as – in co- operation with
other universities and research institutions – the natural, engineering and life sciences.
it will therefore comprise both a research- oriented cluster and an arts- oriented cluster.
still, the reluctance to introduce some kind of a special research degree in the arts
is resisted in many quarters.
an important role in the process of european cooperation between art schools
has been played by the european league of institutes of the arts (elia). it is an
independent membership organization representing approximately 350 higher arts
education institutions from over 45 countries and founded in 1990. elia represents
all disciplines in the arts, including architecture, dance, design, fine art, media arts,
music and theatre.
elia has been an important forum for discussion and support among art schools
when it comes to implementing the Bologna process. it has also taken action together
with the association européenne des Conservatoires, académies de musique et
musikhochschulen (aeC). in a joint position paper in 2005 these two organizations
emphasized the importance for the european cultural sector that professional training
in the arts is recognized at first, second and third cycle higher education levels in all
countries. a problem in this context is that in some european countries arts institutions
and disciplines have no higher education status. This creates obstacles to mobility,
recognition of studies, qualifications and quality assurance procedures at european
level, resulting in negative effects on the employability of arts graduates.
With regard to research in the arts elia has taken the initiative of reviewing the
situation in a number of countries. summing up the european scene in 2005 elia
found that a significant number of institutions were in the process of establishing
research teams and research centres within which larger projects are being developed,
often with a combination of funding and support in the form of external assignments