Modernisation of Higher Education in Europe: Funding and the Social Dimension 2011

The contents of this publication may be reproduced in part, except for commercial purposes, provided the extract is preceded by a reference to 'Eurydice network', followed by the date of publication of the document. FOREWORD The decade that we have now embarked upon presents enormous challenges for Europe. The Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth rightly recognises the key role education and higher education must play if our ambitions for Europe in a fast-changing global reality are to be realised. However, as the Commissioner responsible for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, I am far from complacent about the scale of reform and transformation required across our education and higher education systems in the coming years. This Eurydice study provides evidence for my convictions and adds weight to the key messages of our modernisation agenda for higher education in Europe. We currently fail to make the most of the talent available to us in Europe and unless we change path, we will fall behind in our competitive and interconnected world. The social dimension of higher education therefore demands our urgent attention. This implies widening access to higher education to as many European citizens as possible, and it is vital that this policy objective is at the heart of our education systems. It is also vital that measures are implemented now to transform our reality, and that we are able to monitor effectively the impact of our actions. Indeed, this is what we understand by evidence-based policy-making. Our labour markets increasingly require more graduates with the knowledge and competences provided by higher education and we will have to invest substantially in our higher education systems to ensure that this demand is met. However, as we all know, while demands are increasing, public funding is diminishing, and indeed the data in this report shows that these trends were underway even before the impact of the global financial and economic crisis. Now, however, governments have important choices to make on how to best use limited resources. While these choices will never be easy, it is my firm belief, and also the conviction of the European Commission, that investment, whether public and/or private, in education and higher education must increase. I am very pleased that this study takes a broad perspective on social dimension issues. It considers the varied perceptions of the scale and nature of these issues in different countries. It …