Bologna clarity

Paul Bompard is right to say that the Bologna Process is largely on track while also emphasising that more resources are necessary if Europe's universities are to keep up with the rest of the world ("Bologna is on track", November 19).

But the process is not based on a "three-plus-two-year degree system". Bologna communiques do not specify any length for the second-cycle masters qualification. Indeed, the only reference to the duration of the Bologna Process cycles is when the original declaration calls for bachelors qualifications to be a minimum of three years in length.

While the majority of European masters degrees are longer than one year, a number of continental higher education systems do offer one-year masters courses.

Diana Warwick
Universities UK