Report from the Commission to the Council on the Council resolution of 23 november 2007 on modernising universities for europe's competitiveness in a global knowledge economy {SEC(2008 2719}
Date: 2008-10-30
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European Employment Strategy, competitiveness, economic growth, education policy, organisation of teaching, research and development, technology, university

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 30.10.2008 
COM(2008) 680 final 

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL 

on the Council Resolution of 23 November 2007 on Modernising Universities for 
Europe's competitiveness in a global knowledge economy 

{SEC(2008 2719} 

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REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL 

on the Council Resolution of 23 November 2007 on Modernising Universities for 
Europe's competitiveness in a global knowledge economy1 

1. 

BACKGROUND 

This  Report  and  the  accompanying  Commission  Staff  Working  Paper  have  been  written  in 
response  to  a  request  of  the  Council  formulated  in  the  Council  Resolution  of  23  November 
2007  on  modernising  universities  for  Europe's  competitiveness  in  a  global  knowledge 
economy. The Council invited the Commission to "support the Member States with regard to 
the modernisation agenda, and in particular to: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

Identify, in consultation with the relevant higher education and research stakeholders, 
as  well  as  national  authorities,  possible  measures  to  address  the  challenges  and 
obstacles that universities in the European Union face in realising their modernisation 
and in fully contributing to the goals of the Lisbon agenda; 

Facilitate mutual learning, in the context of the Lisbon Agenda, in particular within the 
Education and Training 2010 work programme and the follow-up of the Green Paper 
on  the  ERA,  as  well  as  through  encouraging  partnerships  between  universities  and 
industry/private sector; 

Identify  possible  measures  to  address  the  obstacles  to  the  mobility  of  students, 
teachers and researchers across Europe and in particular to the mutual recognition of 
credits and diplomas2 and promote the exchange of good practices in this regard; 

(4)  Monitor and assess the impact of, in liaison with national programme structures: 

•  the social background of students participating in Erasmus, 

•  the contribution of Erasmus to the modernisation agenda, 

•  the  contribution  of  Erasmus  Mundus  to  the  international  attractiveness  of 

European Universities. 

While the Report focuses principally on the mobility aspects of the Council Resolution, it also 
provides an update of the state of play as regards the modernisation of European universities. 
It outlines the work undertaken by the Commission in response to this request and sets out the 
main conclusions from this work. The associated Commission Staff Working Paper outlines 
the findings in greater detail. 

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2 

http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/07/st16/st16096-re01.en07.pdf 
The  recognition  of  professional  qualifications  of  teachers  and  researchers  is  already  covered  by 
Directive  2005/36/EC  of  7  September  2005  on  the  recognition  of  professional  qualifications.  This 
Directive  simplifies  modernises  and  consolidates  15  existing  Directives  adopted  between  1975  and 
1999. It had to be implemented in Member States by 20 October 2007. 

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2. 

WORK UNDERTAKEN AND MAIN FINDINGS 

The  Commission  has  been  working  with  Member  States  and  the  higher  education  sector  to 
identify  the  modernisation  agenda  for  universities  covering  their  three  missions  (education, 
research  and  innovation)  and  to  support  its  implementation  through  the  Open  Method  of 
Coordination  (OMC),  Expert  Groups  and  Studies  (involving  dialogue  among  clusters  of 
policy  makers  and  experts,  peer-learning  activities,  indicators,  benchmarks,  reports  and 
analyses),  by  taking  specific  initiatives  (Quality  Assurance,  ECTS,  EQF,  EIT3,  Data 
Collection  on  universities  etc.)  and  by  supporting  the  initiatives  of  others  (pilot  projects, 
associations,  networks  etc.)  through  the  Lifelong  Learning  Programme  and  the  7th  EU 
Framework Programme for Research.  

2.1. 

Addressing  the  Challenges  and  Obstacles  that  Universities  face  regarding 
Modernisation  

trans-disciplinarity 

the  business  community,  enhance 

The main challenges and obstacles regarding the modernisation of higher education 
were set out in the Commission's 2006 Communication4 which suggested nine areas 
to  be  addressed  related  to  university  governance,  mobility,  autonomy  and 
inter-
accountability,  partnerships  with 
disciplinarity  and 
training  and  research  agendas, 
in 
knowledge interaction with society, the reward of excellence, curricula and funding. 
Member  States  broadly  endorsed  the  analysis  and  agreed  to  report  on  their 
implementation of the modernisation agenda in their reports under the Education and 
Training  Agenda  2010  (E&T  2010).  These  reports,  which  are  part  of  the  Lisbon 
reporting exercise, as well studies and surveys show that although progress is being 
made in all nine areas, a lot remains to be done. The Commission will continue its 
dialogue  with  national  authorities  and  stakeholders  on  how  best  to  advance  the 
modernisation agenda. 

the 

2.2. 

Facilitating  mutual  learning  within  the  Education  and  Training  2010  work 
programme  and  the  follow-up  to  the  Green  paper  on  the  European  Research 
Area and through encouraging partnerships between universities and industry. 

The Commission has taken several initiatives to facilitate mutual learning and apply 
the OMC to the reform of higher education, such as the Cluster on the Modernisation 
of Higher Education, the launch of the CREST Working Group on mutual learning 
on  approaches  to  improve  the  excellence  of  research  in  universities,  the  annual 
Report  on  progress  towards  the  Lisbon  objectives  for  education  and  training, 
including  a  number  of  indicators  and  benchmarks,  several  expert  groups  to  look  at 
various aspects related to the research mission of universities in the context of ERA 
(single  labour  market  for  researchers,  strengthening  university-based  research, 
external  research  funding  and  financial  management,  methodologies  for  assessing 
university-based research), and the University-Business Forum, launched in February 
2008  and  through  the  implementation  of  targeted  Marie  Curie  Actions  under  the 

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ECTS:  European  Credit  Transfer  and  Accumulation  System;  EQF:  European  Qualifications 
Framework; EIT: European Institute of Innovation and Technology 
"Delivering  on  the  Modernisation  Agenda  for  Universities:  Education,  Research,  Innovation", 
COM(2006) 208 

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People Programme of FP7. The results of these initiatives show that the concept of 
mutual  learning  works.  Full  details  on  the  various  initiatives  are  given  in  the  staff 
working paper. 

2.3. 

Addressing obstacles to the mobility of students, teachers and researchers 

The Commission  established in December 2007  a High Level  Expert Forum on Mobility to 
explore how the EU can, building on the success to date of the Erasmus programme, further 
expand  mobility  not  only  within  the  university  sector  but  also  among  young  people  more 
generally,  for  example  among  young  entrepreneurs  and  artists  and  in  sectors  such  as 
vocational training.  

In  July  2008  the  Forum  presented  its  findings  and  recommendations.  To  make 
mobility  the  rule  and  no  longer  the  exception,  the  Forum  suggests  setting  both 
medium and long term mobility targets. Concerted action of the EU, Member States 
and  all  other  stake  holders  is  needed  to  further  increase  mobility.  Funding  for  EU 
mobility  programmes  needs  to  be  increased  and  Erasmus  and  Erasmus  Mundus 
should complement each other.  

As  a  follow-up  of  the  Green  Paper  "The  European  Research  Area:  New 
Perspectives"5  the  Commission  adopted  in  May  2008  the  Communication  "Better 
careers and more mobility: a European Partnership for Researchers"6, to make rapid 
and measurable progress towards making Europe a more attractive place for entering 
and  pursuing  a  research  career,  addressing  four  key  areas:  i)  open  recruitment  and 
portability  of  grants,  ii)  social  security  and  supplementary  pensions  rights,  iii) 
attractive employment and working conditions and iv) enhancing the training, skills 
and experience of European researchers. 

The  Commission  launched  in  June  2008  the  new  portal  EURAXESS7  to  provide  a 
single  access  point  to  information  and  support  services  for  researchers  moving  and 
pursuing research careers in other Member States.  

The  Commission  also  continues  to  address  the  question  whether  the  structural 
changes induced by the Bologna Process hamper mobility. The limited data available 
seem  to  suggest  that  the  introduction  of  three  cycle  structures  may  lead  to  a 
temporary  stagnation  or  reduction  of  student  mobility  during  a  phase  of  adaptation 
but that the Bologna structures do not in principle pose an obstacle to mobility. The 
results  of  a  study  on  transnational  mobility  currently  under  preparation  by  the 
German  national  agency  for  the  Erasmus  programme  are  expected  for  November 
2008 and will shed additional light on this issue.8  

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COM(2007) 161 "The European research Area: New perspectives" 
COM (2008) 317 final "Better careers and more mobility: a European Partnership for researchers" 
www.ec.europa.eu/euraxess 
German Academic Exchange Service DAAD, see www.daad.de  

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2.4. 

The impact of Erasmus and Erasmus Mundus 

2.4.1. 

Social background of Students participating in Erasmus 

A survey9 suggests that Erasmus programme participants are broadly representative 
of the student population and do not come from a more privileged background than 
other  students.  This  would  entail  that  Erasmus  in  effect  helps  students  from  less 
affluent  families  to  study  abroad  in  a  way  that  would  not  otherwise  be  possible. 
Furthermore, the survey evidence suggests that Erasmus has succeeded in attracting 
slightly more students of this type between 2000 and 2005. An important issue is the 
role  played  by  income-related  supplements  offered  by  certain  Member  states  and 
regions. The Commission will follow closely further developments in this area. 

2.4.2.  The contribution of Erasmus to the Modernisation Agenda 

A  very  recent  study10  shows  that  Erasmus  has  had  a  considerable  impact  on  the 
modernisation of European universities,  notably  in the  areas of internationalisation, 
curricular innovation and quality assurance. All the activities supported by Erasmus 
in  these  three  areas  are  also  an  integral  part  of  the  Bologna  Process  towards  the 
European  Higher  Education  Area.  Moreover,  they  contribute  to  achieving  the 
objectives of the Education and Training 2010 agenda within the Lisbon Strategy for 
Growth  and  Jobs.  The  Commission  attaches  growing  importance  to  measures  and 
initiatives  that  increase  the  transparency  of  the  mission  and  performance  of 
universities by making them comparable.  

2.4.3.  The Contribution of Erasmus Mundus to the International attractiveness of European 

Universities 

The  Interim  Evaluation  of  Erasmus  Mundus11  showed  that  the  programme  has 
enhanced  the  international  attractiveness  of  European  universities  in  various  ways, 
e.g. through the promotion of the development of joint, double and multiple degrees 
and  by  promoting  academic  excellence  in  European  higher  education.  The 
recommendations  of  the  Interim  Evaluation  have  been  taken  into  consideration  in 
drafting  the  future  Erasmus  Mundus  Programme  (Erasmus  Mundus  II),  to  start  in 
2009.  As  part  of  the  programme,  the  Commission  has  supported  the  Global 
Promotion Project which aims at marketing Europe as an attractive study destination 
to students from around the world. The website www.study-in-europe.org, part of the 
Global Promotion Project, went online in May 2008. 

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Manuel  Souto  Otero  and  Andrew  McCoshan,  Survey  of  the  Socio-Economic  Background  of 
ERASMUS students, Final Report, DG EQC 01/05, 2006 
Schnitzer, Klaus und Middendorff, Elke, EUROSTUDENT 2005. Social and Economic Conditions of 
Student Life in Europe 2005 
Impact  of  ERASMUS  on  European  Higher  Education:  quality,  openness  and  internationalisation  - 
preliminary conclusions. August 2008, CHEPS, INCHER-Kassel and ECOTEC 
Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services LLP, Interim Evaluation of Erasmus Mundus, Final Report, 
June 2007, see http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/mundus/news_en.html 

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3. 

OPERATIONAL CONCLUSIONS 

The OMC has already yielded good results in the implementation of the modernisation agenda 
of universities to improve the delivery of their interlinked missions of education, research and 
innovation.  The  Commission  will  continue  to  work  with  Member  States  and  the  higher 
education sector to overcome remaining obstacles and to develop innovative approaches. It is 
currently  in  the  process  of  updating  the  strategic  framework  for  European  co-operation  in 
education and training for the period after 2010. 

The Commission will also contribute to the success of the Bologna Process and will make use 
of  the  Erasmus  Programme/LLP,  the  7th  Framework  programme  for  Research,  the 
Competitiveness and Innovation Programme, as well as the Structural Funds and EIB loans to 
promote the modernisation of European higher education. 

New action is envisaged in the following fields: 

Mobility 

The Commission will explore all options to boost substantially student and staff mobility in 
Europe  and  in  this  regard,  explore  with  Member  States  and  other  actors  how  to  give  an 
appropriate follow-up to the recommendations of the High Level Expert Forum on Mobility. 
This includes the possibility of developing a European student lending facility in cooperation 
with  the  European  Investment  Bank.  The  Commission  proposes  to  publish  in  June  2009  a 
Green Paper as a follow up to the High Level Forum and the policy discussion planned during 
the  French  Presidency,  which  will  outline  ways  in  which  learning  mobility  –  not  just  in 
Erasmus  but  in  all  forms  of  learning  –  can  be  expanded  to  become  a  norm  and  not  an 
exception.  

As  regards  researchers,  efforts  to  enhance  their  mobility  (geographical  and  sectoral)  will  be 
intensified in close cooperation with Member States in the context of the implementation of 
the  recent  Commission's  Communication  on  the  European  Partnership  for  researchers  as 
mentioned above. 

New Skills for New Jobs 

The  Commission  will  support  initiatives  which  help  to  define  new  skills  for  new  jobs  for  a 
series of professional areas, building on the work done in the field of learning outcomes and 
competences  for  higher  education  (EQF,  Bologna  Qualifications  Framework12,  Tuning 
Educational  Structures  in  Europe13).  This  should  help  to  develop  the  reflection  on  how 
universities can provide the right mix of skills and competencies for the labour market, which 
was  one  of  the  objectives  mapped  out  in  the  2006  communication  on  university 
modernisation.  

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http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/documents/QF-EHEA-May2005.pdf 
http://tuning.unideusto.org/tuningeu/ 

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University-Business cooperation 

The  Commission  will  continue  to  develop  the  Forum  for  University-Business  cooperation 
launched in February 2008 with forthcoming events in Autumn 2008 and Spring 2009. It will 
publish a Communication on University-Business cooperation in 2009 

Transparency in higher education performance 

The  Commission  is  supporting  a  feasibility  study  for  creating  a  European  University  Data 
Collection  to  develop  a  set  of  comparable  data  allowing  international  benchmarks  of 
universities for which first results are expected by 2009, and contributes to the Assessment of 
Higher Education Learning Outcomes (AHELO) by OECD.  

The  Commission  will  support  initiatives  with  a  global  outreach to  develop  more  robust  and 
reliable  methods  for  the  classification  and  performance  assessment  of  universities  covering 
their different missions.  

Conclusion 

Through these initiatives and also through its programmes and continued policy dialogue with 
all  stakeholders  the  Commission  will  continue  to  assist  Member  States  and  universities  to 
achieve the reform objectives described in the Council Resolution of 23 November 2007.  

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