Education: European Commission seeks to turn European universities into a ‘world-class reference’, February 2003

Following up on the call from the European Council in Barcelona in March 2002 to turn European education systems into a 'world reference' by 2010, the European Commission [COM(2003)58] published a Communication on 5 February 2003 that seeks to stimulate a debate on the role of higher education establishments within the knowledge-based society and economy in Europe.

The Communication invites interested parties to participate in a discussion of how they will effectively be able to play a key role in realising the European research area. In particular, it raises five key questions:

• How to achieve adequate and sustainable income for universities, and to ensure that friends are spent most efficiently

• How to ensure autonomy and professionalism in academic as well as managerial affairs

• How to concentrate enough resources on excellence, and create the conditions within which universities can attain and develop excellence

• How to make universities contribute better to local and regional needs and strategies

• How to foster, through all of these areas, the consistent, compatible and competitive European higher education area called for by the Bologna Declaration. And how to foster the European Research Area set out as an objective by the Lisbon European Council in March 2000

There are approximately 3300 higher education establishments in the European Union and a further 700 in other European countries with a total student population of over 12.5 million in 2000 up 33% on the figure 10 years ago. Yet despite this growth in student intake European universities continue to be under-resourced, particularly in comparison to the United States of America and Japan. In Europe, the average total expenditure on higher education amounts to 1.1% of GDP compared to 2.3% in the USA. This disadvantage in terms of funds could jeopardise Europe's ability to attract and keep the best talent, and to strengthen the excellence of Europe's research and teaching activities. In May 2000, The Confederation of European Union Rectors' Conferences responded to the European Commission's Communication 'Towards A Research Area' by calling for universities to be given a role in achieving this objective, saying:

'The Confederation can only approve of the fact that the Communication has mentioned the promotion of women researchers among the priorities for a European research area, but deplores that it has forgotten to include the universities, half of the research world. The universities in Europe have much to contribute to a vision of a European research area. They are places where knowledge is produced, acquired and disseminated within all research disciplines and new disciplines developed. The cross-disciplinary enrichment, the diversity of learning, the training of young researchers, the regional and local role in the transfer of knowledge - all make universities unique and indispensable centres of knowledge. University researchers have long-standing traditions of international co-operation, cross-disciplinary collaboration, networking and quality care'.

The European Commission's Communication on the role of universities in the Europe of Knowledge should provide relevant stakeholders, such as the European University Association, with the opportunity to put forward its ideas about how the European higher education sector can contribute to achieving the EU's research goals. All interested parties are invited to submit comments by 31 May 2003, which will allow time for the European Commission to review the issues raised by the debate and identify suitable initiatives before the Summit of European Higher Education Ministers convenes in Berlin in September 2003.

Links:
European Commission:
	05.02.03:	Commission launches debate on how to turn European universities into a 'world-class reference' [IP/03/194]
	DG Research: Consultations List
	DG Education and Culture: Education
Confederation of European Union Rectors' Conferences:
	Homepage
	Towards a European Research Area: Confederation Statement [May 2000]
European University Association:
	Homepage
European Sources Online: Topic Guides
	The Education Policy of the European Union

Helen Bower

Compiled: Thursday, 6 February 2003

Following up on the call from the European Council in Barcelona in March 2002 to turn European education systems into a 'world reference' by 2010, the European Commission [COM(2003)58] published a Communication on 5 February 2003 that seeks to stimulate a debate on the role of higher education establishments within the knowledge-based society and economy in Europe.