Meeting in Brussels on Monday 25 November, EU education ministers discussed the urgent need to reinvent higher education to meet the challenges of a changing world. Adoption of a recommendation for more sustainable careers, debate on the European diploma, greater consideration for global competitiveness and adaptation to the digital and green transitions were the main topics on Monday afternoon.
“Thanks to education, higher education and young people, we can build a stronger and more competitive Europe”, Balázs Hankó, Hungary’s Minister for Culture and Innovation, summed up at a press conference following the discussions.
A recommendation for sustainable careers in higher education. The recommendation adopted calls for greater recognition of the diversity of career paths within higher education.
It recommends recognising the diversity of university career paths and enhancing the value of teaching and research.
Member States are invited to improve the working conditions of academic staff, to promote a better work-life balance and to foster inclusion within higher education institutions.
Speaking to the press, Balázs Hankó summed up what was at stake: “The ministers also agreed on the EU Council’s recommendation for attractive and sustainable careers in higher education. (...) It is clear that higher education has a key role to play in meeting the skills shortages we are experiencing and in strengthening our European competitiveness”.
The recommendation is the first element of the wide-ranging programme on higher education presented by the European Commission. This programme includes a proposal for a European diploma, which should be automatically recognised in all Member States.
To see the EU Council recommendation: https://aeur.eu/f/eh6
Towards a European diploma. Among the subjects discussed by the ministers, the draft European diploma, presented last March by the European Commission (see EUROPE 13380/3), elicited a variety of reactions. Designed to facilitate student mobility and harmonise educational standards, this degree aims to align higher education with the needs of the labour market and strengthen transnational cooperation.
While several ministers, such as Portugal’s Fernando Alexandre and Belgium’s Deputy Permanent Representative Bert Versmessen, welcomed the initiative for its potential to strengthen the integration and attractiveness of European universities, others expressed reservations.
The Finnish minister, Sari Multala, reiterated the importance of preserving equity between institutions. “It is crucial to ensure an inclusive framework that does not create a gap between well-endowed universities and local institutions”, she said.
Balázs Hankó also warned against the risks of a two-tier system: “We do not want a two-tier system (...) There are still a number of unanswered questions that need to be addressed at”.
Kristina Kallas, the Estonian minister, advocated for a cautious approach to ensure that all institutions, large and small, can benefit from this breakthrough: “The diversity of establishments is a European asset that must be preserved”.
Education to boost competitiveness. Discussions also focused on the role of higher education in strengthening European competitiveness, in response to the digital and green transitions. The ‘Draghi’ report, presented in September (see EUROPE 13478/1), points to shortages of highly skilled labour and the need to adapt education systems to the needs of the labour market.
At the press conference, Balázs Hankó recalled the conclusions of the ministerial discussions: “We need a higher education system that is more oriented towards the needs of the labour market, which means working in close cooperation with industry and society at large”.
Several ministers shared their national initiatives.
The Italian minister, Andrea Abodi, spoke of reforms aimed at promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) as pillars of competitiveness. His Danish counterpart, Mattias Tesfaye, called for lifelong learning to enable European citizens to adapt to a constantly changing labour market. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)