Sjur Bergan was Head of the Council of Europe’s Education Department until February 1, 2022. Sjur represented the Council of Europe in the Bologna Follow Up Group and Board between 2000 and April 2022 and chaired working groups on structural reforms in 2007 – 15. He remains a member of EHEA working group on the fundamental values of higher education and the group overseeing the Roadmap accompanying San Marino’s accession to the EHEA. He is also a member of the Task Force established to review the rues and regulations of the EHEA and explore options for a more permanent Bologna Secretariat.
Sjur led the Council of Europe projects on Competences for Democratic Culture and the European Qualifications Passport for Refugees. He was a member of the editorial group for the Council’s White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue and a main author of the Lisbon Recognition Convention as well as of recommendations on the public responsibility for higher education; academic freedom and institutional autonomy; and ensuring quality education.
Sjur was series editor of the Council of Europe Higher Education Series. He is the author of Qualifications: Introduction to a Concept and Not by Bread Alone as well as of numerous book chapters and articles on education and higher education policy. Sjur was also one of the editors of the Raabe Handbook on Leadership and Governance in Higher Education (2009 – 15) and one of the session coordinators at the Bologna Process Researchers’ Conferences in 2015, 2018 and 2020. He is the recipient of the 2019 European Association for International Education Award for Vision and Leadership. In June 2022, Dublin City University awarded Sjur the degree of Doctor of Philosophy honoris causa.