Ministerial delegations from all 47 European Higher Education Area (EHEA) countries came together on 14-15 May on the occasion of the 9th Bologna Process Ministerial Conference and the 4th Bologna Policy Forum. The Conference was marked by the signing of the Yerevan Communiqué and, more surprisingly, the accession of Belarus to the EHEA. Not only is Belarus the first nation to be welcomed into the EHEA since its establishment in 2010; it is also the first to be given a The First, it places special emphasis on graduate employability and on strengthening links between higher education and the industry. This is very much in line with Horizon 2020 aims and ongoing projects (such as the Youth Employment Initiative) to fight record youth unemployment rates. Second, the Communiqué reflects a commitment to make higher education systems more inclusive, in light of recent and tragic events that point to the systematic exclusion and resulting radicalisation of migrant youth. Lastly, the document stresses, more emphatically than ever, the importance of “enhancing the quality and relevance of learning and teaching.” Indeed it is the first time this has been stated as a specific objective. Fostering pedagogical innovation, focusing on student outcomes and promoting stronger links between teaching, learning and research are some of the specified ways to achieve this aim. 

The next Ministerial Conference will be held in three years’ time in Paris. With France as the organiser of the 2018 EHEA Conference, Paris has also become the seat of the Bologna Follow-Up Group Secretariat.