CONCLUSIONS OF THE COUNCIL AND OF THE MINISTERS OF EDUCATION MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL of 27 November 1992 on measures for developing the European dimension in higher education (92/C 336/03)

1. The Council and the Ministers of Education meeting within the Council welcome the prominence given in the Commission's memorandum on higher education in the European Community to the need for a European dimension in higher education. Without prejudicing current discussions on the memorandum in the Member States, these conclusions aim to identify some areas of special concern for the further development of the European dimension in higher education.

2. Any measures to this end can build on the tradition of a European and international outlook in the courses of study and the research of the higher education institutions of Europe, going back to the time of their foundation. The contemporary challenge in developing the European dimension is to respond to the wish - and the need - of the institutions, the teaching staff and the students to adapt to and contribute to increasing European cooperation: higher education has to offer access to the rich diversity of European culture and languages while maintaining common European values; it has to meet rapidly changing economic and manpower demands in the European single market. A product of these efforts should be an improvement in the quality of education and research in the Community. To meet the challenge of extending the availability of a European dimension, the need now is to strengthen its integration in higher education policy and practice at all levels.

The need to complement student mobility with other measures

3. In the promotion of the European dimension in higher education a major point of focus is student mobility. In addition to Member State initiatives, particularly in frontier regions, the Comett, Erasmus, Lingua, and Tempus programmes have become a distinctive feature of the life of higher education institutions in the Community and beyond. Within the framework of the Community programmes, and through separate actions of their own, many Member States already make significant funding contributions to student mobility, which should be sustained and expanded as circumstances permit.

4. However, the number of students who can benefit directly from mobility programmes will be limited, in view of the many calls on scarce resources and on higher education's capacity to respond. Moreover, there are many students whose personal situation will not allow them to spend time in another European Community country. The Council and the Ministers of Education therefore consider that side by side with student mobility, other measures should be developed in favour of the European dimension: in particular at institutional level, among teaching staff and for those students not benefiting from mobility.

Synthesis report

5. The Council and the Ministers of Education invite the Commission to make a synthesis report by the end of 1993 on complementary measures for developing the European dimension in higher education, drawing together existing experience, for the purpose of providing practical suggestions on successful practice for the institutions, as well as providing information in Member State and Community activity. Among measures to be considered in this respect are the reinforcement of inter-institutional links, teaching staff mobility, inter-institutional collaboration over the curriculum, and the contribution of distance learning.

More detailed consideration of these measures is contained in the Annex.

ANNEX

DEVELOPING THE EUROPEAN DIMENSION IN HIGHER EDUCATION - SPECIFIC MEASURES 1. Inter-institutional links

In order for the European dimension to be successfully integrated into the overall policies and general activities of the higher education institutions, it is essential to secure the full commitment of those having the responsibility for running these institutions. This process will be assisted by the reinforcement and extension of institutional links at different levels of responsibility and management, in addition to the multiple links already being created between higher education institutions through the Community programmes, through joint research and in other ways. A study should be made of the most effective ways, on the basis of experience in mobility programmes and more widely within Member States, in which these inter-institutional links can be enhanced.

2. Teaching staff mobility

Complementary measures include teaching staff mobility, which has important potential for the promotion of the European dimension. Teachers are well placed to disseminate their experience to colleagues at all levels within institutions. They may readily reinforce and contribute to the development of institutional links and collaborative activity. Teaching staff mobility can be a cost-effective means of producing a sustained effect on the European awareness of institutions, and thereby bring the European dimension to a wide range of students. Emphasis in the Community programmes has been on student mobility, and the existing possibilities for reinforcing teaching staff mobility have not so far been fully exploited. Taking into account the experience gained within the framework of the Community mobility programmes and more widely within Member States, an analysis should be made of the impact of and the barriers to teaching staff mobility.

3. Inter-institutional collaboration over the curriculum

For many, be they concerned with European studies, study of European languages or other subjects having a European aspect, a broad European dimension is inherent in their activities. Special cooperation links among institutes and faculties of European studies, including the European University Institute, Florence and the College of Europe, Bruges, represent a valuable resource for the improvement of the European dimension in higher education.

The growth of mutual understanding between teaching staff and institutions in different Member States facilitates cooperation over the curriculum. This might take the form of recognition of components of courses, of modularization of courses, the development of common modules and common courses, and credit transfer. The Erasmus programme has already made a valuable contribution to the discussion of the possibilities of credit transfer, and an interim evaluation of the ECTS (European Community Course Credit Transfer System) is awaited with interest. A study should be made of ways of identifying and removing remaining obstacles to such curriculum cooperation.

4. The contribution of distance learning

Distance learning provides a means for bringing the European dimension to significant numbers of students. The Council and the Ministers of Education concluded at their meeting on 1 June 1992 (1) that open and distance learning elements should be incorporated wherever justified into appropriate education and training programmes. There should be a study of ways in which distance learning methods can be utilized to broaden the availability of the European dimension to students.

(1) OJ No C 151, 16. 6. 1992.