New Developments in Medical Engineering Education in Europe

Europe is in the phase of rapid transition from a conglomerate of different countries into a union with the aim to remove obstacles against the free exchange of goods, money, work and service within the union. The union, however, is controlled by a European commissariat, not by a European government or administration. The commissariat has to cooperate with the European Parliament in Strasbourg as well as with all national governments of the member states represented in the Council. These national governments are sometimes hesitating to transfer some of their autonomous rights and power to the central European office in Brussels. This "transfer problem" is frequently solved by the establishment of agreed rules and directives. Hence the most difficult task on the way to an appropriately functioning union is to harmonize the different political, economical, social and educational systems so that the result is kept open and still attractive for new candidates to apply for membership in the union. One of the most important harmonizing concepts aims for harmonizing higher education, i.e. the mutual recognition of academic programs and degrees. This mutual recognition is essential for the opening of the European labor market for applicants from all member states. When harmonization of higher education was started with the Bologna Declaration in 1999, it was already taken into account that education in future will be a lifelong process and has to be matched with the requirements of a permanently changing labor market. Both higher education and the development of the labor market are additionally closely related with European Research Programs, mainly with the Framework Programs that aim for international collaboration in research and science. Medical and Biological Engineering is strongly affected by these influences which therefore have to be considered appropriately for the establishment of new educational programs and courses.