Higher Education in Europe
Higher education plays a central role in the
development of both human beings and modern societies as it enhances
social, cultural and economic development, active citizenship and ethical
values.
At European level, education in general and higher
education in particular are not subjects of a « common European
policy » : competence for the content and the organisation of
studies remains at national level.
However, according to Art. 149 of the Treaty of
Nice, the Community «shall contribute to the development of
quality education by encouraging cooperation between Member States»,
through a wide range of actions, such as promoting the mobility of
citizens, designing joint study programmes, establishing networks,
exchanging information or teaching languages of the European Union. The
Treaty also contains a commitment to promote life-long learning for all
citizens of the Union. Therefore, the Community has a complementary
role to play: to add a European dimension to education, to help to
develop quality education and to encourage life-long learning. On 11 November
2003, the Commission adopted the
Communication "Education & Training: the Success of the Lisbon
strategy hinges on urgent reforms".
The main tool for putting this ambition into practice
is the SOCRATES
programme, which contains an action specifically focused on Higher
Education: SOCRATES/Erasmus.
It supports and encourages exchanges of students and teachers, the
launching of joint study programmes or intensive courses, pan-european
thematic networks and other measures aiming at the development of a
european dimension in higher education. The second phase of the
Socrates Programme will end in 2006 and Socrates will be replaced by new
educational programmes. Erasmus will continue to exist as part of the new
programmes after certain modifications.
Moreover, to facilitate the « mobility of students and teachers
within the Union », a
recommendation
         
(pdf format) has been adopted by the
Council and the Parliament.
To facilitate recognition
of studies abroad, for both academic and professional purposes,
several initiatives have been launched at European level, including the
European Credit
Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) and the "Diploma
Supplement" (in cooperation with the Council of Europe
and UNESCO) and the NARIC
network.
In terms of quality assurance in higher education,
a European Network of
Agencies called ENQA was set up in 1999
following a pilot-project and a reccommendation adopted in 1999. A
recommendation on further European cooperation in quality assurance in
higher education
                  
was adopted on 15 February 2006.
In 2003, the Commission adopted two major communications on the future of Higher Education in Europe:
At the same time, the higher education sector and
institutions are fully involved in the European initiatives presently
on-going in the field of e-learning
and in the area of Lifelong
Learning.
Moreover, in 1999, Ministries from 29 European
countries signed the « Bologna
Declaration », which aims at the establishment of a European
area of higher education by the end of this decade. This area should
facilitate mobility of people, transparency and recognition of
qualification, quality and European dimension in higher education,
as well as attractiveness of European institutions for third country students. More
information on the "Bologna process", involving now 45
Countries, may be found on the
Commission
Bologna web pages and on the official website of the
Bologna London
2006 Ministerial Conference.
Concerning students associations, the
European Commission has facilitated the creation of a « European
Liaison Group » which is presently composed by ESIB,
AEGEE and Erasmus
Student Network, in order to improve information, consultation and
cooperation between them and with the Commission. See also "Information
for student associations".
In addition, the Commission also remains tuned in to the academic
community, notably by way of the organisations
EUA - European University
Association (representing the university sector) ans
EURASHE (representing the
sector of non-university higher education institutions).
Apart from SOCRATES, Higher
Education institutions may also take part in a wide range of other
programmes, such as
TEMPUS
(inter-university cooperation with the Balkan states, the former Sovient
Union (now Community of
Independent States) and the southern mediterranean countries, LEONARDO
DA VINCI (vocational training), the
6th
Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development, the Jean
Monnet action (for studies on European integration), and the new
Erasmus Mundus programme.
For further information on Education (at all levels) in
Europe, see also :
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