The informal meeting of European ministers for higher education and research came to a close in Budapest on Tuesday 17 September, at the end of two days of discussions on university cooperation and Europe’s scientific competitiveness.
One of the central themes of this meeting, organised under the Hungarian Presidency, was the proposal for a European diploma (see EUROPE 13380/3). Member States have been asked to consider how this initiative can be linked to national educational traditions and regulatory frameworks.
The aim was also to ensure that higher education establishments, unable to offer joint degrees, would not find themselves penalised in terms of competitiveness.
According to a source close to the matter, several Member States have raised the issue of avoiding the creation of a “two-speed system”, insisting on preserving the diversity of educational traditions, national contexts and teaching systems specific to each country.
Respect for the autonomy of higher education institutions and the integration of existing frameworks, such as the Bologna process, initiated in 1999, which is based on a three-cycle system (bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate), were discussed.
In addition, the question of adequate funding was deemed essential to support these initiatives.
In addition to the issue of the European diploma, the Hungarian Minister for Culture and Innovation, Balázs Hankó, called for the diversity of national education systems to be respected, while at the same time strengthening cooperation between Member States. In his view, the European Union is lagging behind the United States and China in terms of research and innovation, a situation that requires measures to reverse this trend.
The EU’s scientific performance is estimated to have fallen by eight points over the last decade. He called for a competitive overhaul, taking as an example the Hungarian model, which encourages close collaboration between universities, vocational training centres and the private sector.
Mr Hankó also spoke of the success of young Hungarian professionals in international competitions, which served to illustrate Hungary’s efforts to promote a model of cooperation between universities and the private sector.
During the second day of the meeting, Nobel Prize winner Ferenc Krausz presented examples of successful scientific collaborations to demonstrate the need for international cooperation in research.
Hungary has also called for the restrictions on its universities to be lifted, in particular their exclusion from the Erasmus and Horizon Europe programmes. Mr Hankó called for a rapid response from the European Commission, while referring to national initiatives to support student mobility and scientific cooperation.
Finally, the meeting was an opportunity for Hungary to strengthen bilateral partnerships with Germany and the Czech Republic, particularly in the context of research projects linked to laser installations. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)