Brussels, 11/07/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 11 July, the European Commission adopted a communication - European higher education in the world. An envelope of more than €400 million per year will be made available to European universities and other higher education establishments to strengthen their collaboration with partners worldwide
“European universities need to think global”, said European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Androulla Vassiliou. “They must act strategically to capitalise on Europe's reputation for top quality higher education.”
Every year, 45% of the 4 million international students decide to come and study in Europe. However, this is no reason to pat ourselves on the back, Vassiliou says, who is attentive to the changes taking place on the world higher education scene. By 2030, the number of higher education students in the world will have risen to 400 million, compared to 100 million at the beginning of the millennium. Furthermore, in 2020 there will be over 7 million students who are mobile.
Faced with growing competition from China (which alone welcomes 7% of these foreign students) and from Latin America, the European Union must keep its place by successfully conducting global strategies that go beyond mobility, Vassiliou states. In its recommendations, the European Commission calls on the 4,000 European higher education establishments “to promote international mobility of students and staff, provide world-class innovative curricula, as well as excellence in teaching and research”. Vassiliou says that courses conducted in English, for example, attract foreign students more easily, but she says that alongside this, the opportunity must be offered to learn the language of the host country.
The Commission also stresses giving an international outlook to students who are not mobile - in other words, to 85% of the 19 million European students. Universities and higher education establishments must develop international curricula, and promote language skills and digital learning.
From January 2014, all the international exchange programmes will come under the new Erasmus+ programme. Erasmus+ will provide funding for 135,000 exchange students and staff between the EU and the rest of the world - in other words, 100,000 more than under the current Erasmus Mundus programme. (LM/transl.fl)