International Education: Impact of the European Union's Bologna Agreement on U.S. Higher Education

Since September 11, 2001 there has been a growing realization within the United States that in order to achieve better instruments to strengthen national security, compete and be successful within the global community, it has become vital to look at the American educational system which, according to some critics, presently is lacking the international elements in order to do so. With the advent of the educational reforms in Europe (Bologna Agreement, June 19,1999), those nations that have embraced more uniformity amongst themselves have concluded that competition in the global market has made it imperative to make changes in the academic curriculum of colleges and universities. In accordance with the growing globalization movement of the last few years in regard to international education, the challenge for the United States is the pursuit of a national international education policy. Such an effort requires a mobilization and coordination concerning international education efforts and recourses at all levels. This study will provide suggestions for implementing the internationalization of our national higher educational institutions. In conjunction, there will be an analysis of the reforms presently being undertaken in the European Higher Educational System.