Higher education has been central to the European project since the beginning. The establishment of the European University Institute in Florence was first advocated at the Hague Conference in 1948. The Sorbonne Declaration (1998) promoted “a Europe of knowledge”, while the Bologna Declaration (1999) affirmed the importance of the free movement of students, faculty and workers across national boundaries.
Strong links between education, research and innovation, and transnational cooperation, have been a defining feature of European Union initiatives and higher education systems – an exemplar to other nations and regions.
On 18 January, the EU went even further when it published the European Strategy for Universities and the Council Recommendation on Building Bridges for Effective European Higher Education Cooperation, along with the Staff Working Document.
Today the European Higher Education Area and the European Research Area comprise close to 5,000 higher education institutions, 17.5 million students, 1.35 million academics and 1.17 million researchers. All sections of European higher education are included and are to be supported.
Deepening and expanding Erasmus+ European Universities is a key objective. The EU will fund alliances that structurally integrate and develop strategic cooperation across education, research and innovation and service to society.
Since 2018, 41 such Erasmus+ European Universities have been selected with 280 European higher education institutions involved; the aim is to increase that to 60 European Universities while also expanding the number of higher education institutions involved.
This initiative will both expand and complement the Erasmus+ intra-European student and staff mobility scheme – the largest mobility programme in the world. Students will be encouraged to move around Europe, to start and continue their studies at different institutions and in different countries.
The Strategy and Recommendation are strongly aligned with European priorities: 1) A Europe fit for the digital age, 2) A European Green Deal, 3) A new push for European democracy, 4) A stronger Europe in the world and 5) Promoting our European way of life.
Together they testify to an ambitious European higher education agenda backed by a significant financial commitment through its financial programmes: Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the Structural Funds and InvestEU.
More information: https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20220120133817396