Brussels, 16/02/2005 (Agence Europe) - Commissioner Jan Figel, whose dossiers include Education and Culture, is to present a communication in April on universities and the knowledge-based society. Mr Figel explained the “Commission's education and training policy for the next five years” to the Forum de la mobilité étudiante in Brussels last Monday. He pointed out that there is no EU common policy for education and that the Member States are in charge of their own education systems, in which the European Commission plays only the “role of catalyst for the exchange of ideas and best practice”. However, he underlined the Commission's active role through programmes set up to improve student mobility and the quality of teaching. Although the fact that national education systems vary can hinder the mobility of students and of workers, but a certain degree of diversity can be a good thing, as each country can show the others what its system does better, said the Commissioner. Referring to the communication on the mid-term review of the Lisbon Strategy which was recently adopted by the Commission, Jan Figel said that “Europe cannot possibly compete on the basis of cheap labour costs, we can only compete (…) on the basis of knowledge”. Knowledge has a triangular basis: research (creation of knowledge), education (dissemination of knowledge) and innovation (application of knowledge), he said, adding: “for this reason, the revised Lisbon Strategy highlights the role of knowledge in ensuring growth and jobs, and in particular the role of universities”. He concluded: “If we are serious about reviving the Lisbon Agenda, we should create the best conditions to help our people increase their knowledge and develop their skills. Investing in the knowledge economy is a prerequisite for growth”.