Higher Education In The EU: Approaches, Issues And Trends

How higher education is governed and managed is the subject of policy debate and public discourse at both the national and supra-national levels. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and European Union (EU), alongside other international organisations and national governments, continually emphasise the significance of higher education for economic growth and social well-being, and especially as an antidote to the impact of the global financial crisis on employment.
The performance and quality of higher education has become a sign of a country’s capacity to prepare its future economic development.

While world economies push for stronger competitiveness, attracting top talent is no longer an objective of just a few countries or world-renowned higher education institutions.

Higher education policies in the EU are essentially decided and implemented by individual EU countries which are free, for instance, to chose the content of teaching and the organisation of their educational systems. However, this competence has to be exercised in respect of EU law and principles, such as, for example, equal treatment, meaning that EU Member States cannot charge higher tuition fees for non-national EU students.

Written by Ivana Katsarova.

EP: EPRS: In-Depth Analysis, March 2015: Higher Education In The EU: Approaches, Issues And Trends http://www.europarl.europa.eu/EPRS/EPRS-IDA-554169-Higher-education-in-the-EU-FINAL.pdf

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