Challenges of engineering education and curriculum development in the context of the Bologna process

The work of Activity 1 of the Thematic Network E4 “Employability through Innovative Curricula” on curriculum development issues has been guided by the intention to contribute to the establishment of a European Higher Education Area (EHEA) by addressing crucial aspects of harmonisation, compatibility and comparability. In due course the activities aspired to contribute to the enhancement of engineering education by encouraging diversity and innovative solutions to deal with a range of changing demands. Creative competitiveness and the strive for specific profiles of engineering qualifications on a high level of quality must be accompanied by the attempt to make diversity and quality transparent and comparable based on common terms. The article describes briefly various demands and discusses the challenges of the Bologna Process on the development of engineering education in Europe and how some of the meanwhile 45 signatory countries deal with it. Based on the published Outcomes of Activity 1 and referring to examples of good practice it focuses on components of innovative curricula which should guide curriculum development to satisfy various needs including those of the Bologna Process.