Sjur Bergan heads the Education Department and leads the current Council of Europe project on Competences for Democratic Culture. He was 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.  He is a member of the Bologna Follow Up Group and chaired working groups on structural reform 2007 - 15. Sjur is series editor of the Council of Europe Higher Education Series and 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.