Labour peer, Lord Harrison, tabled a question in parliament asking how the British government has assessed a recent application by the TRNC to have its universities recognised under the Council of Europe’s Bologna process.
The peer, who made a sponsored trip to North Cyprus in recent months, claimed it is “wholly reprehensible that the six excellent universities in Northern Cyprus are unable to join the Bologna process, which seeks to strengthen the ties among universities in the European family.”
A total of six peers questioned Lord Adonis, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Schools, on the need to support the TRNC’s application for purposes of education and human rights, including Lord Patel of Blackburn, Lord Maginnis of Drumglass and Baroness Sharp of Guildford.
NO HOPE
However, Lord Adonis revealed there is no chance of recognition being granted, claiming the application does not meet the membership criteria. Member countries are expected to have ratified the European cultural convention.
At the request of Lord Hanay, however, he promised to ask Education Minister Bill Rammell to draw attention to other ways in which Turkish Cypriot universities can be involved in the process when their application is rejected later this month.
Londra Gazzette
3 May, 2007 |
