Is the recognition of three-year degrees from Europe, Australia, and the U.K still a hot topic in the US? In early November, the DAAD and the British Council were among the organisers of a conference on this theme and on the impact of the Bologna Process. The conference was hosted by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO). Almost 100 admissions experts, mainly from the US and Canada, attended the event.

Just prior to the conference, the Council of Graduate Schools had published the results of the latest survey of its member institutions (see separate article in this edition). The results show a tendency towards a more flexible and individualised approach towards the three-year degrees. Discussions at the conference confirmed this tendency – overall, it is important to US institutions to keep facilitating access to highly qualified European applicants. In this context, a number of experts called for an admission practice based on chances to succeed in graduate studies, rather than barely on previous qualifications. Speech of DAAD Secretary General Christian Bode