Organizational, Procedural and Content Foundations of the European Students’ Union’s Activity as a Subject of Bologna Process

У статті визначено й схарактеризовано основні організаційні та змістово-процесуальні засади функціонування Європейського студентського союзу як суб’єкта Болонського процесу. На основі логіко-системного аналізу установчих і стратегічних документів з’ясовано особливості організаційної структури, цілі та принципи діяльності, а також форми співробітництва Союзу з зовнішніми партнерами. Обґрунтовано основні напрями, форми й засоби діяльності Європейського студентського Союзу в контексті модернізації вищої освіти, а також доведено, що досліджувана представницька організація має високий науково-дослідний потенціал, спрямований на вирішення актуальних проблем розвитку Європейського простору вищої освіти.In the era of the knowledge-based society and economy education has become a crucial factor in determining the future prospects of national states, and thus a subject to fundamental changes. With a purpose to improve the quality of higher education (HE) and become more competitive in the global context European countries joined their efforts and commenced a massive multi-year project of harmonizing and modernizing HE systems, which is known as the Bologna process (BP). According to the main Bologna documents the involvement of all stakeholders, especially the recipients of educational services (students), into HE governance at all levels is considered to be one of the core principles of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) development. However, it was found out, the system of student representation and the degrees of their engagement vary considerably around Europe. For solving this problem it is essential to find innovative approaches in engaging students into HE management by studying the positive experience of the most influential student representative organization in the EHEA – the European Students’ Union (ESU). In the article major organizational, procedural and content foundations of the ESU’s activity as a subject of the BP were defined and characterized. On the basis of logical and systematic analysis of statutory and policy documents specific peculiarities of the organizational structure, goals and principles, and forms of cooperation with external partners of the Union were pointed out. The basic action lines of the ESU in the context of the higher education modernization were studied. They are quality assurance, student-centered paradigm in education, graduates’ employability, financing of higher education and student movement development. To the main forms of the ESU’s engagement into the BP we refer: collection, analysis, synthesis and dissemination of information to the NUSes, and other BP subjects; monitoring of the Bologna principles implementation in different European countries; establishment together with other representative bodies of the advisory and expert bodies pools; foundation of associated structures; popularization of ESU’s policies among major stakeholders in higher education; realization of analytical and research projects (QUEST, SAGE, FINST, PASCL, etc.). Besides, it was determined that the main means which the ESU uses in order to achieve its objectives are the following: surveys NUSes, student debates, forums, conferences and seminars; policy documents, declarations and resolutions, speeches, statements; the series of analytical publications “Bologna With Student Eyes”