Analytical Chemistry in the European Higher Education Area European Higher Education

A Eurobachelor degree of Chemistry was endorsed by the EuCheMS division of analytical chemistry in 2004, and it has since then been adopted by many European universities. In the second stage of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) process of harmonization, there is now focus on developing the more specialized degree of the Euromaster.

The aim of the process, as a part of the fulfilment of the Bologna Declaration, is to propose a syllabus for education at the highest level of competence in academia. The proposal is an overarching framework that is supposed to promote mobility and quality in the EHEA. The weight given to analytical chemistry has been subject to much discussion because mathematics, physics, language, information technology, social competencies and other skills tend to impose on the model for a qualified professional.

However, it is a fact that most professionals of chemistry hold positions where analytical chemistry is the primary occupation. The education within the EHEA offers subjects related to chemical analysis but not all universities offer courses on analytical chemistry as an independent scientific discipline.

Accordingly, the recent development of the analytical methodology has been promoted primarily by the industry, where the applications to food analysis, environmental analysis, clinical analysis and quality assurance have provided a higher degree of reliability of results. A number of international organisations, such as IUPAC, ISO, BIPM and CITAC, provide material and tools for the assessment of quality in measurements, and each country has their own national organisation that represents BIPM, which is a key organisation of standardisation.

The methods and procedures maintained by these organisations may be understood by the student at the master level, and the Euromaster of Metrology of Chemistry ought to be familiar with the transfer of knowledge from these organisations to the European companies and to academia. Thus, a discussion of subjects for the master programme is required.