A Multivariate Framework for the Analysis of the Convergence in Higher Education

Debates and policies in the world about the diversity of higher education institutions and educational systems quality have changed substantially over the years. In 1999, the Bologna Declaration was signed to establish a European Higher Education Area (EHEA) by 2010. The Bologna process supposes an attempt to increase mobility and improve the comparability and competitiveness of European universities. In this work, we analyze the main features of educational systems to rate their similarity and evolution during the last years. The statistics for the monitoring of the social dimension and mobility of the Bologna Process provide by Eurostat are employed with this finality. A multivariate technique has been applied to systematize this information. Multidimensional scaling procedure (MSD) has been conducted in order to group the countries together in specific configurations based upon the selected educational indicators. The results of key education indicators are compared in 2001 and 2005. The multivariate outcomes show a harmonization tends in the European Higher Education Area. The differentiation is also minor for the rest of world countries