Learning Econometrics by doing Econometrics. Some pilot experiences López, Ana Jesús University of Oviedo, Department of Applied Economics Campus del Cristo s/n 33006 Oviedo, Spain E-mail: anaj@uniovi.es Pérez, Rigoberto University of Oviedo, Department of Applied Economics Campus del Cristo s/n 33006 Oviedo, Spain E-mail: rigo@uniovi.es Mayor, Matías University of Oviedo, Department of Applied Economics Campus del Cristo s/n 33006 Oviedo, Spain E-mail: mmayorf@uniovi.es The role of Econometrics in the European Higher Education Area More than seventy years ago Joseph Schumpeter published his famous work “The common sense in Econometrics”, where he claimed that every economist is an econometrician since data should be used as a complement of economic theories. Since then the role of Econometrics in Economics and Business degrees has gradually increased including not only the study of the main techniques for the estimation and testing of econometric models but also a more realistic approach, which is often based in the use of econometric software. This more practically-oriented study has become especially important in the present context, since European Universities are currently facing the challenges of the so called “Bologna process” 1 which aims to increase the mobility and employability of European higher education graduates thus ensuring competitiveness of European higher education on the world scale. The European dimension of education and the contribution of education in setting the European Information and Knowledge society have been stressed in the Lisbon Summit (2000) with the strategic goal of “making out of the European Union the world´s most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy, capable of sustainable economic growth and with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion”. Education, research and innovation are the main factors to achieve the Lisbon objectives, and therefore several initiatives have been launched at European, national and institutional levels. In the case of Spanish universities, the Bologna process has to face several difficulties since the 1 The Bologna declaration was signed in 1999 by the ministers of education from 29 European countries, with the aim to develop the European higher education area (EHEA) by making academic degree standards and quality assurance standards more comparable and compatible throughout Europe. Since then and after several governmental meetings [Prague (2001), Berlin (2003), Bergen (2005), London (2007)] this process has further developed into a major reform encompassing 45 countries. International Statistical Institute, 56th Session, 2007: Ana Jes·s L=pez, Rigoberto PTrez, Matfas Mayor