Brussels, 24/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - The 4th University Business Forum organised by the European Commission was held on 22 and 23 March in Brussels, to look at the links that can be developed between universities and business, and at the strategies to be set in place to meet the imperatives set out in the EUROPE 2020 strategy. “Higher education must continue to evolve in order to bridge the gap between the worlds of education and work”, the commissioner responsible for education, culture, multilingualism and youth, Androulla Vassiliou, said. In her view, universities have a pivotal role to play in such developments. New methods of teaching must be set in place and this must result in a “real mindset change towards new, creative approaches of teaching and learning but also new relationships with the outside world”, the commissioner states. “In order to prepare individuals to adapt to change, to take the initiative, to be creative, we must ensure that our systems of education become more responsive and relevant to the fast-evolving society we live in”, she underlined.
To accompany the reforms necessary, the commissioner highlights three priorities. First of all, she will publish a communication entitled “Modernising Higher Education”, which will cover the elements to be implemented to allow universities to fully play their role in the knowledge society, by: - adapting education programmes , opening up university education to a much greater range of students, bringing more transparency into higher education through a multi-dimensional global ranking system which will analyse university profiles and performance so that students can make more informed choices, and, finally, by building Europe's universities' reputation for excellence on the global stage. The commissioner, moreover, is focusing on preparing the new generation of operational programmes from 2014. “If my primary objective is to make them as effective and user-friendly as possible, I intend also to support more directly those actions which would strengthen the interaction between universities and the world of work”, Vassiliou pledged. On the basis of the fact that experience abroad promotes the flexibility required by the labour market, the commissioner plans to develop mobility opportunities. She has also spoken of introducing a European industrial doctorate scheme in order to help young researchers to enhance both their research and their business-related skills. Finally, the third priority set out by the commissioner will be to support development of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), an initiative that highlights the three elements of the knowledge triangle: education, research and innovation. (I.L./transl.jl)