For the past few years, the Bologna Process has given increasing importance to the “social dimension” of higher education within the European Higher Education Area. The concept of the social dimension of higher education was first developed within the Bologna Process in the Prague Communiqué of 2001 and, broadly speaking, refers to the goal of removing social and economic inequalities in access to higher education. The goal was most clearly defined in the London Communiqué of 2007:

“We share the societal aspiration that the student body entering, participating in and completing higher education at all levels should reflect the diversity of our populations. We reaffirm the importance of students being able to complete their studies without obstacles related to their social and economic background. We therefore continue our efforts to provide adequate student services, create more flexible learning pathways into and within higher education, and to widen participation at all levels on the basis of equal opportunity.”(London Communiqué, 2007)