COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Accompanying the documents Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on a European strategy for universities and the Commission Proposal for a Council Recommendation on building bridges for effective European higher education cooperation
Date: 2022-01-18
Institutions: Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Commission
Subjects: EU strategy, European cooperation, cooperation in the field of education, education policy, educational system, higher education, innovation, student mobility, university research

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Strasbourg, 18.1.2022  SWD(2022) 6 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT   Accompanying the documents Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on a European strategy for universities and the Commission Proposal for a Council Recommendation on building bridges for effective European higher education cooperation {COM(2022) 16 final}  
 
 
Contents 

1. 

Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 3 

2.  Making deeper transnational cooperation amongst universities in Europe a reality .......................... 3 

2.1. 

The need for more and deeper transnational cooperation .......................................................... 3 

2.2. 

State of play: what has been done so far ..................................................................................... 4 

2.5.  What is needed to build bridges for effective transnational cooperation in higher education . 14 

3. 

Funding and investment in higher education ..................................................................................... 18 

3.1. 

Investment into the European higher education sector ............................................................. 18 

3.2. 

Investment needs ....................................................................................................................... 20 

3.3.  What has been decided/achieved so far? .................................................................................. 21 

3.4.  What further action is needed? .................................................................................................. 22 

4.  Quality and relevance of higher education ......................................................................................... 27 

4.1. 

The context: innovation, skills, societal and labour market needs ............................................. 27 

4.2. 

Challenges for innovation ecosystems and higher education .................................................... 30 

4.3.  What has been achieved so far? ................................................................................................. 32 

4.4. 

Developments needed to further the quality and relevance ..................................................... 35 

5.  Diversity, inclusiveness, and gender equality ..................................................................................... 38 

Key guiding principles in inclusiveness, diversity, and gender equality in European higher 
5.1. 
education ................................................................................................................................................ 38 

5.2. 

Further improvements needed on inclusiveness, diversity, and gender equality ...................... 40 

5.3.  What has been achieved so far at the EU level?......................................................................... 45 

5.4.  What is needed to foster inclusiveness, diversity, and gender equality in HEIs ........................ 47 

6. 

European democratic values............................................................................................................... 50 

6.1. 

Higher education contributions to democracy ........................................................................... 50 

6.2. 

Values inherent in European higher education .......................................................................... 51 

6.3.  What is needed to foster and protect academic freedom, institutional autonomy and 
fundamental rights.................................................................................................................................. 56 

7. 

Skills and competences for the green transition ................................................................................ 58 

7.1. 

Higher education and the green transition................................................................................. 58 

7.2. 

Challenges relating to higher education’s contribution to the green transition ........................ 59 

7.3.  What has been achieved so far ................................................................................................... 60 

7.4.  What is needed to support HEIs to be actors of change in the green transition? ..................... 63 

8. 

Skills and competences for the digital transition ................................................................................ 67 

1 

 
 
8.1. 

The needs on digitalisation of higher education ........................................................................ 67 

8.2. 

Progress to date .......................................................................................................................... 73 

8.3.  What is needed to support HEIS to be actors of change in the Digital transition ...................... 75 

9.  Universities as drivers for Europe’s global role and leadership .......................................................... 77 

9.1.  Need to ramp up Europe’s HEIs’ global ambition ....................................................................... 77 

9.2. 

State of play: HEIs and global dimension .................................................................................... 78 

9.3.  What has been achieved so far ................................................................................................... 80 

9.4.  What is needed: boosting European HEIs influence and impact through a Team Europe 
approach ................................................................................................................................................. 82 

10.  Data and monitoring ........................................................................................................................... 85 

10.1. 

The need to pool European higher education data expertise ................................................ 85 

10.2.  What has been achieved so far: Existing databases on higher education in Europe ............. 85 

10.3. 
the transformation of higher education and HEIs .................................................................................. 90 

Potential of an integrated European higher education data platform for the monitoring of 

Annex 1: Synopsis of Stakeholder Consultation ......................................................................................... 92 

1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 92 

2. Consultation and activities .................................................................................................................. 92 

3. Findings ............................................................................................................................................... 95 

4. Conclusions ....................................................................................................................................... 104 

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1. Introduction 
This Staff Working Document provides analysis and evidence for: 

  The Communication from the Commission on a European Strategy for Universities. 

Which aims to support higher education institutions across Europe in fulfilling and advancing 
their missions, be a source of recovery and resilience for Europe and become strong promoters 
of our European way of life, actors of change in the twin green and digital transitions and 
drivers of Europe’s global role and leadership. 

  The  proposal  for  a  Council  Recommendation  on  building  bridges  for  effective 

European higher education cooperation. 

Which  aims  to  enable  deeper,  sustainable  and  more  effective  European  institutional 
transnational  cooperation  and  calls  on  the  Member  States  and  the  Commission  to  set  up 
enabling conditions and new instruments that leverage strength of the higher education sector 
across Europe. 

This Staff Working Document is composed of 10 chapters covering the focus areas identified in 
targeted  consultations  with  stakeholders  and  Members  States.  Consultations  and  work  of  the 
Commission  services  along these building blocks  informed the Communication on  a European 
Strategy  for  Universities  and  the  Recommendation  on  building  bridges  for  effective  European 
higher education cooperation. Annex 1 provides a synopsis report of stakeholder consultations.  

2. Making deeper transnational cooperation amongst universities in 

Europe a reality 
2.1. The need for more and deeper transnational cooperation 

Higher education is an inherent feature of our European way of life. It plays a major role in social, 
cultural,  and  economic  development,1  and  its  benefits  extend  across  society.  Transnational 
cooperation  in  higher  education  supports  European  Union  values,  European  identity  and 
democracy  and  strengthens  the  European  project  through  high  quality  and  independent 
academic  learning  and  teaching,  research  and  innovation,  and  service  to  society.  Democratic 
societies depend on engaged citizenry, and higher education through transnational collaboration 
has a key role to play2. 

Achieving  the  European  Education  Area  by  2025  and  the  European  Research  Area  will 
involve deeper transnational cooperation that builds bridges and empowers higher education 
institutions  (HEIs)  to  collaborate  seamlessly  with  one  another,  facilitating  learners,  graduates, 
academics, researchers, and professional staff free movement across Europe to study, work and 
conduct  research.  Deeper  cooperation  promotes  the  quality,  diversity,  inclusiveness,  and 
attractiveness  of  European  higher  education  and  research  and  innovation,  and  it  contributes  to 
shaping  the  green  and  digital  societal  transformation  and  building  a  sustainable  future,  while 
reinforcing the role of Europe in the world.  

1 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1787/498e9bc7-en  
2 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67245-4_23  

3 

 
 
 
                                                           
Transforming  higher  education  institutions  and  the  higher  education  system.  Extensive 
transnational cooperation will expand the ability to gain new perspectives, share ideas, build long-
lasting  institutional  relationships  to  advance  knowledge,  increase  the  quality  and  relevance  of 
education  and  research,  strengthen  links  between  education,  research,  and  innovation,  improve 
employability and skills, make more effective use of digital technologies and open science, and 
improve transversal and intercultural skills and understanding.  

Building bridges for deeper, perennial, and effective transnational cooperation at institutional level 
is  instrumental  to  accelerate  the  transformation  of  HEIs  across  all  their  missions  of  education, 
research, innovation, and service to society,  and contribute to overcoming European and global 
challenges.  Cooperation  brings  important  spill-over  benefits  for  sustainable  communities, 
innovation ecosystems, businesses, and civil society, with HEIs acting as anchor institutions in 
their regions, fostering better circulation of knowledge, ensuring human capital development, and 
more involvement with local communities. Higher education has positive effects on family life, 
health, citizenship, civic engagement, social justice, and public discourse.  

2.2. State of play: what has been done so far 

Transnational cooperation has been intrinsic to HEIs in Europe since the foundation of the 
University of Bologna in 10883. The Erasmus+ programme honours the name of the humanist, 
priest,  and  philosopher  Erasmus  of  Rotterdam  (1466-1536)  who  travelled  across  Europe 
encouraging mutual understanding among peoples.  

Higher education has been an inherent component of European project since the early days 
of the European Coal and Steel Community and the establishment of the European University in 
Florence in 1955. The Sorbonne Declaration (1998) promoted “a Europe of knowledge”4, while 
the  Bologna  Declaration  (1999)  aimed  to  support  the  free  movement  of  students,  faculty  and 
workers across national boundaries emphasising the need to recognise their achievements5. Since 
then,  transnational  cooperation  has  become  a  salient  feature  of  EU  initiatives  and  higher 
education systems – “an example for institutions, nations and regions in other parts of the world”.6  

In  the  1970s  Member  States  envisaged  student  mobility  to  foster  European  citizenship  and  to 
improve knowledge of European history and culture. Since 1987 the Erasmus programme (the 
European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students) has supported the 
mobility of students and staff and helped building bridges for higher education cooperation.  More 
than 10 million people have benefitted from the wide range of Erasmus opportunities over the past 
almost 35 years, enhancing their awareness of European values and the advantages of diversity 
and  multiculturalism.  Transnational  cooperation  in  higher  education  has  been  an  intrinsic 
part of the Erasmus+ programme and thousands of projects have become stepping-stones, going 
beyond individual short-term collaborations towards institutionalised, more perennial cooperation, 
enabling higher education institutions to build upon their results for their deep transformation.  

https://www.routledge.com/The-Origins-of-Higher-Learning-Knowledge-networks-and-the-early-development/Lowe-

3 
Yasuhara/p/book/9781138844834  p6 
4  http://ehea.info/page-sorbonne-declaration-1998  
5 http://ehea.info/Upload/document/ministerial_declarations/1999_Bologna_Declaration_English_553028.pdf  
6 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2015/540370/IPOL_STU(2015)540370_EN.pdf , pp. 27-28. 

4 

 
 
 
                                                           
Under Erasmus+, and complemented by Horizon 2020 for their research dimension, the European 
Universities  Initiative7  has  established  inter-institutional  alliances  as  key  actors  for  systemic, 
structural, and sustainable cooperation and global competitiveness. Conjoining education and 
research and innovation to help solve societal challenges, the European Universities alliances are 
active contributors to their innovation ecosystems. They integrate online and physical resources, 
courses, knowledge and expertise, data, and infrastructure, boost the capacity and capability of 
their  members.  The  alliances  also  offer  important  lessons  on  the  benefits  of  transnational 
cooperation as well as on opportunities for improvement.  
The Council Conclusions of 17 May 2021 on the European Universities initiative8 invited Member 
States to jointly work towards closer and more strategic alliances of higher education institutions, 
to identify and remove any remaining barriers to such closer cooperation, and to promote the use 
of common and shared infrastructures, equipment, and facilities.  

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of deeper cooperation across borders, 
peoples, and cultures to tackle European and global societal challenges. A survey9 conducted by 
the  Commission  addressing  more  than  110  HEIs  engaged  in  the  first  17  Erasmus+  European 
Universities  shows  that  all  of  them  feel  that  they  would  have  been  better  prepared  to  face  the 
COVID-19 pandemic if their European University had already been fully operational. More than 
60% of them are already well advanced and consider that being part of a European University has 
already been helpful in addressing the challenges of COVID-19.  

Member States confirmed their support for deepening institutional transnational cooperation and 
to  balance  excellence,  diversity  and  inclusion  in  the  February  2021  Council  Resolution  on  a 
“Strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards the European 
Education Area  and beyond (2021-2030)”10 and in  the Council Recommendation on a Pact  for 
Research and Innovation in Europe.11  HEIs anticipate significant benefits through participation to 
European Universities alliances.12 

In  2000,  the  European  Research  Area  was  launched  to  create  a  European  single  market  for 
research,  scientific  knowledge  and  technology,  and  to  encourage  cooperation  among  research 
institutions in Europe. It then found place in the EU Treaties with the entry into force of the Treaty 
of  Lisbon  in  2009.  Since  their  inception  25  years  ago,  the  Marie  Skłodowska  Curie  Actions 
(MSCA) have had as a primary objective to achieve deeper, more sustainable, and more structural 
transnational cooperation among participating HEIs.  Since their initiation in 2014, MSCA Joint 
Doctorate  programmes  are  taking  this  endeavour  to  a  higher  level  by  providing  formal 
recognition  (in  the  form  of  joint,  double  or  multiple  doctorates)  for  transnational  cooperation 
making it more attractive to doctoral candidates, universities, and employers.  

Since its establishment in 2008, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) 
and its Knowledge and Innovation Communities have developed their own education programmes 
that have a very strong focus on the delivery of entrepreneurship and innovation  skills and are 
tailored  to  the  needs  of  the  European  innovation  system.  The  hallmark  of  EIT  educational 
programmes is to not only educate students to know, but also to know what to do and how to solve 

7 https://ec.europa.eu/education/education-in-the-eu/european-education-area/european-universities-initiative_en   
8 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52021XG0610%2802%29  
9 http://sepie.es/doc/comunicacion/prensa/2020/european_universities_initiative_results_of_covid19_impact_survey.pdf  
10 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:32021G0226(01)  
11 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2021.431.01.0001.01.ENG  
12 https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/eua international partnerships survey.pdf  

5 

 
 
                                                           
real life problems, all framed within an entrepreneurial mindset. The EIT KICs higher education 
partners  focus  on  developing  innovative  curricula  that  provide  students,  entrepreneurs  and 
business innovators with the knowledge and skills necessary for a knowledge and entrepreneurial 
society. These innovative programmes are based on partnerships between different universities, 
companies and research centres that collaborate closely and offer double degrees, international and 
cross-sectorial mobility experiences, as well as applied innovation and entrepreneurship education.  

At the EU level, tools for building transparency to underpin and recognise mobility include the 
Erasmus  Charter  for  Higher  Education13  (ECHE),  which  provides  a  quality  framework  for 
European and international cooperation activities that a HEI needs to carry out as a prerequisite to 
receive  funding  within  Erasmus+.  Bologna  transparency  tools  facilitate  fair  recognition  of 
foreign qualifications and/or study periods. Supporting tools also include overarching and national 
qualifications frameworks (QFs), the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance 
of Higher Education (ESG), and the Database of External Quality Assurance Results (DEQAR).14  
Other EU transparency tools15 - including the European Qualifications Framework16 , the Europass 
Platform,  the Diploma Supplement17, the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation Systems 
(ECTS)  -  advance  the  work  towards  qualifications  frameworks,  recognition  and  learning 
outcomes,  facilitate  student-centred  learning  and  teaching,  and  make  studies  and  courses  more 
transparent.  Europass  and  the  European  Digital  Credentials  Infrastructure  facilitate  issuing  and 
verifying  the  authenticity  of  qualifications.  In  2018  the  Council  had  emphasised  the  need  for 
“automated  mutual  recognition18”  of  qualifications,  requiring  that  Member  States  not  to  setup 
separate recognition procedures for holders of foreign qualifications from other EU Member States 
for  the  purpose  of  further  learning.  The  UNESCO  Global  Convention  on  the  Recognition  of 
Qualifications  Concerning  Higher  Education  (2019)  aims  to  facilitate  international  academic 
mobility  and  promote  the  right  of  individuals  to  have  their  higher  education  qualifications 
evaluated through fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory manner.19  

2.3 Benefits of transnational cooperation 

Transnational cooperation makes it possible for knowledge and innovation processes to be 
more  widely  disseminated  and  more  openly  accessible.  HEIs  are  an  integral  part  of  the 
transnational movement of people and ideas, forming the vital knowledge value chains that have 
become indispensable to our European way of life. Transnational cooperation is a key enabler for 
achieving mutual understanding and shared goals that serve the whole of society and create public 
value,  bringing  wide-ranging  economic  and  non-economic  benefits  at  national,  regional, 
institutional and individual levels.  

Key benefits include but also go far beyond improving the quality of education and research, 
enhancing  opportunities,  and  preparing  learners  and  researchers  to  live  and  work  in  a 
globalised world. Transnational cooperation is seen by HEIs, their learners, researchers and staff 

13 https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/resources-and-tools/erasmus-charter-for-higher-education  
14DEQAR currently lists over 60,000 ESG-aligned accreditation/evaluation reports on 2,700 Universities in the EHEA; it covers 21 European higher 
education systems comprehensively. 
15 http://ehea.info/page-tools  
16 http://ehea.info/page-standards-and-guidelines-for-quality-assurance  
17 http://ehea.info/page-diploma-supplement  
18 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:32018H1210(01)  
19 https://en.unesco.org/themes/higher-education/recognition-qualifications/global-convention  

6 

 
 
 
                                                           
as indispensable for building trust between nations, peoples, and cultures across Europe and around 
the world, including promoting positive attitudes towards democracy.20    

teaching  and 

the  areas  of 

European HEIs cooperate more intensively in comparison to other world regions, especially 
learning,  research,  knowledge  exchange  and 
in 
internationalisation. HEIs that work together with other institutions, businesses and industries, 
governments, regional bodies or across borders generally perform better than those less focused 
on cooperation.21 The benefits  of transnational  cooperation (Table 1.1)  are  reflected in  the  Co-
operation Index developed by U-Multirank22 noting that positive effects of cooperation are related 
to the specific profiles of the institutions, demonstrating that they tend to strategically seek out 
cooperation in the areas they value most, and generally perform better than universities that do 
not. 

Table 1.123 Benefits of 
transnational collaborative 
partnerships (benefits for 
which causal relationship has 
been empirically proven are 
bolded) 

Economic 

Macro 

Meso 

Micro 

  Increase institutional revenue: 
more and better patents, fees 
from international students and 
scholars, research grants, 
access to/exchange of financial 
resources 

  Increase efficiency in using 

time and resources 

  Enhance competitiveness on 

the global/national educational 
market 

  International scholarships 

and grants  

  Improve labour market 

outcomes (higher 
employment rates, lower 
unemployment rates, 
higher earnings) 

  Higher likelihood of 
employment at home 
and abroad 

  Improve the efficiency 
and effectiveness of the 
higher education system  

  Contribute to the 

economic development of 
the community  

  Alleviate scarcity of 

workforce in strategic 
sectors  

  Improve the quality of 

human capital  

  Increase rate of 

technological innovation 
and use  

  Economic growth  

  Brain gain 

  More and better patents  

  Economies of scale 

  Improve and diversify 

  Provide additional uses for 

knowledge  

educational content 

  Promote the reputation of 

  Develop and/or 

  Improve the efficiency 
and effectiveness of the 
higher education system  

Non-economic 

the higher education 
system abroad  

  Increase the quality of 

education  

  Enhance the diversity of 
programmes/expand 
educational offerings  

internationalise the curriculum 

  Contribute to the 

economic development of 
the community  

  Access a wide range of 

online & offline 
academic resources  

  Improved higher 

education standards  

  Offer mobility opportunities to 
students, faculty and staff  

20 https://eenee.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/EENEE_AR36.pdf 
21 https://www.umultirank.org/press-media/press-releases/u-multirank-creates-new-higher-education-cooperation-index/  
22  https://www.umultirank.org/university-rankings/top-performing-universities/2021/map/  
23 https://eenee.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/EENEE_AR36.pdf      

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Macro 

Meso 

Micro 

Table 1.123 Benefits of 
transnational collaborative 
partnerships (benefits for 
which causal relationship has 
been empirically proven are 
bolded) 

  Contribute to the 

  Enrich library holdings and e-

  Enable faculty to 

improve their teaching 
and research skills  

  Exposure to world-class 
facilities, faculty and 
staff  

  Increase research 
productivity  

  Mobility capital  

  Developing international 

cooperation and 
collaboration skills  

  Enhance intercultural 
experience, awareness 
and understanding 

  Better foreign language 

proficiency  

  Increased mobility 

  More and better 
publications 

country’s influence on the 
international scene  

learning platforms 

  Diversify faculty, staff and 

  Improve country image  

student body  

  Improve diplomatic 

  Increase research output and 

relations, foreign policy, 
national security, peace 
and democracy  

  Increase linguistic 

diversity  

  Increase access to 

education 

  Positive attitudes 

towards open borders 
and democracy 

quality  

  Reach and recruit more and 
better international students  

  Develop/strengthen 

institutional capacity  

  Advance campus 

internationalisation  

  Improve standing in global 

rankings  

  Knowledge about operating in 

foreign jurisdictions  

  Consolidate partnerships, 

academic research 
collaborations and alliances  

  Gain prestige and reputation 

  Strengthened research and 

teaching capacity  

  More and better scientific 

output  

  Attractiveness to foreign 

academics 

Transnational  cooperation  and partnerships  bring  benefits  to  the  entire  higher  education 
institution  across  all  the  four  missions,  focusing  primarily  on  “enhanced  international 
cooperation and capacity building” (36%), “improved quality of teaching and learning” (17%), 
and more and better scientific output, and facilitated the mobility of students and staff24. 
Learners and staff benefit25 from improved employment or career opportunities at home or 
abroad, better language proficiency, and authoring more and better publications.26 Graduates see 
the  advantages  that  derive  from  transnational  partnerships:  approximately  90%  of  young 
Europeans believe it is important to have an experience abroad. In addition, 91% agree automatic 
recognition of academic qualifications and learning periods abroad is important, and 93% think 
it is a good idea to create a European degree delivered by alliances of HEIs, offering students 

24 https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/publication/eur-scientific-and-technical-research-reports/mapping-european-transnational-collaborative-partnerships-
higher-education 
25  https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2020.1725873  
26 
https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2186  

https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/09cf3e0b-e6f6-11e8-b690-01aa75ed71a1 

; 

8 

 
 
 
                                                           
the chance to study in different EU countries, with a flexible choice of courses or modules offered 
within the alliances. Over half of those surveyed had improved their language skills and benefitted 
from discovering other cultures and habits.27 Increasing the involvement of professional staff28 in 
transnational cooperation should be equally important, for instance for peer-learning and career 
enhancement. A survey found that 83% of the respondents consider that collaborations add value 
to "mobility of both students and staff" and are beneficial for "attracting foreign students" 
(~80%),  since  HEIs  with  better  reputation  attract  higher  shares  of  mobile  students29,  while 
research  excellence  is  highly  relevant  for  mobile  doctoral  students.  The  pursuit  of  research 
excellence  needs  to  be  underpinned  by  a  system  where  universities  are  seen  as  attractive 
employers,  providing  rewards  and  incentives,  clear  career  paths  and  the  opportunities  for 
collaboration and mobility.  

Strategic transnational partnerships are boosting scientific capacity, inclusion and research 
outcomes.30 They can help to provide access to infrastructure and key equipment, expand research 
opportunities, and boost interdisciplinary research and research intensity,  while increasing both 
opportunities to exploit intellectual property and the viability of spin-offs and start-ups. HEIs need 
to provide outstanding research infrastructure and rationalisation of the R&I landscape in Member 
States to make the local R&I systems and ecosystems more efficient and effective. Transnational 
research collaboration is an important indicator of research excellence, overtaking single-author 
or intra-institutional  collaboration,  and  in  turn improves  reputation.31 Research also  shows that 
HEIs  involved  in  transnational  networks  are  more  likely  to  be  high  in  global  rankings.32 
Inclusiveness is key to boosting the excellence of all HEIs, while reducing fragmentation of the 
higher  education sector.  Deep,  geographically balanced and inclusive  transnational  cooperation 
such as the one developed under the European Universities Initiative can raise excellence levels 
for  all  participating  institutions,  by  enabling  knowledge  and  best  practices  flows  between 
institutions  and  between  high  and  less  performing  regions.  Inclusive  cooperation  mainstreams 
excellence  in  science  and  creates  value.  The  pursuit  of  excellence,  in  line  with  the  Pact  for 
Research and Innovation in Europe, will enable more of Europe’s HEIs to become world leading 
in delivering excellent challenged-based and applied research and providing cutting-edge research-
led education. It will allow to overturn concentration of the top 200 institutions in mostly western 
and northern Member States, and to ensure that excellence-based funding is better distributed.  

HEIs  contribute  to  their  cities  and  regions  by  offering  a  range  of  services  to  society, 
contributing  to  cultural  activities,  and  helping  make  cities  more  attractive  places  to  live  and 
socialise.33  Transnational  activities  and  partnerships  activate  economic  activity  in  the  region, 
attract learners and retain talent, thus boosting their industrial and local innovation ecosystems. 
Proactive societal engagement and European solidarity are fundamental values of HEIs.34 

27 https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2186  
28 https://doi.org/10.2760/560460  
29 https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC108895  
30 https://doi.org/10.2861/6854 p.28 
31 https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2020.1749254  
32 https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/research-handbook-on-university-rankings-9781788974974.html  
33  https://www.oecd.org/education/imhe/highereducationandregionsgloballycompetitivelocallyengaged.htm  
34 
https://eua.eu/downloads/content/eua%20strategic%20plan%20final.pdf   

https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/universities%20without%20walls%20%20a%20vision%20for%202030.pdf 

; 

9 

 
 
 
                                                           
2.4  Structural  and  operational  issues  to  address  for  enabling  deeper  and  more 
effective institutional transnational cooperation 

Seamless  and  more  effective  cooperation  between  HEIs  is  required  to  address  all-
encompassing challenges related to: sharing and pooling joint resources among HEIs (such as 
financial, human, digital and physical resources, technology transfer and services), the effective 
delivery of joint educational activities and programmes including the design and award of joint 
degrees,  more  embedded  mobility  opportunities  within  the  curricula,  sustainable  long-term 
funding (at  EU, national  and regional  levels), effective  quality assurance and recognition  of 
joint programmes and activities, digital infrastructure interoperability supporting joint digital 
and blended activities, the development of interdisciplinary modules, notably in the context of 
joint  work  through  challenge-based  approaches,  effective  governance  arrangements  enabling 
deep and ambitious transnational cooperation.  

Administrative and legal issues were identified in a survey as amongst the top perceived barriers 
to  transnational  cooperation.35  HEIs  are  bound  by  their  national  frameworks  for  financing, 
infrastructure,  accreditation,  quality  assurance  and  employment  aspects.  Transnational 
cooperation arrangements are still firmly embedded within a  country’s policies and legislation, 
often  causing  difficulties  when  it  comes  to  organising  joint  educational  programmes,  joint 
curricula  and  study  credits,  issuing  joint  degrees,  including  a  joint  European  degree. 
Notwithstanding  progress  in  this  area36,  for  example  through  the  Bologna  Process  and  the 
European Universities initiative, according to a survey by the European University Association 
(EUA), 68% of HEIs perceive legal obstacles as a challenge to deeper cooperation in the European 
Universities initiative, specifically with regards to the accreditation of joint programmes, and 59% 
cite  administrative  obstacles  to  deeper  cooperation,  due  to  different  institutional  structures  and 
processes.37 
Difficulties with pooling and sharing infrastructure, staff and resources. An EUA survey38 
reports that partners share their assets in only 8% of transnational partnerships. This is corroborated 
by the European Universities alliances implementation that reported difficulties with pooling and 
sharing  resources  prevented  them  from  deepening  their  cooperation:  for  example  through  joint 
recruitment  of  staff  and  staff  secondment  within  the  members  of  the  alliance;  transnational 
mobility embedded in the curricula of students; joint infrastructure management, including digital 
infrastructure and services; and, the joint management of funding from different EU and national 
sources. Existing models39 to establish a legal statute enabling seamless pooling of resources, offer 
only  partial  answers  to  the  needs  to  share  seamlessly  financial,  human,  digital  and  physical 

35 https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/publication/eur-scientific-and-technical-research-reports/mapping-european-transnational-collaborative-partnerships-
higher-education  
36 For example, Hungary has in May 2020 amended its National Higher Education Act to allow for an easier accreditation of joint  programmes 
which include  Hungarian  universities.  This  legislative  act  was  adopted  after  close  interaction  with European  Universities including  Hungarian 
Universities.  
37 https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/eua%20council%20position%20on%20future%20of%20eui.pdf  
38   https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/eua%20international%20partnerships%20survey.pdf   
39  For example, Erasmus+ European Universities alliances UNA Europa and Circle U have set up an ASBL (Association Sans But Lucratif) under 
Belgian Law; ECIU is a foundation under Dutch law; 4EU+ is in the process of setting up a registered association/incorporated association under 
German law, abbreviated e. V. (this is a registered voluntary association). EUCOR - a European Campus alliance of five universities based in the 
Upper Rhine region – is established as an EGTC. Some also ask to learn from other national tools, such as e.g. the French COMUE (COMmunautés 
d’Universités  et Établissements or  the  European  Grouping  of  Territorial  Cooperation  (EGTC),  European  Research  Infrastructure  Consortium 
(ERIC), European Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG), European Partnerships or European Company (also known as SE (Societas Europea in 
Latin). 

10 

 
 
                                                           
resources, infrastructure and services, as well as to enable the effective implementation of joint 
educational and research activities. 

The award and delivery of joint programmes and degrees are not possible everywhere in the 
EU  mainly  due  to  national  legislation  and  administrative  practices  hampering  for  example  the 
accreditation  of  joint  programmes,  quality  assurance,  language  requirements,  and  formal 
requirements for diplomas issued (e.g. paper to be used for the diploma, its size, the logo(s) that 
can be printed on it, the use of languages, who can/should sign the diploma). Operational and legal 
barriers40 identified by the implementation of the European Universities alliances corroborate these 
messages and echo  difficulties  related to  quality assurance and recognition  of the programmes 
offered jointly by the alliances, hampering the design and setup of joint degrees, including a joint 
European degree. This means that a single country can limit progress among participating higher 
education institutions in an alliance by making it very challenging to award a joint degree at all 
levels (Bachelor, Master, Doctorate) or to set up a joint programme.   

Degree  mobility  remains  limited  and  is  often  not  structurally  embedded  in  students’ 
curricula,  even  though  learning  mobility  remains  an  important  objective  of  transnational 
cooperation. According to Eurostat, only 1.3 million out of a total 17.5 million tertiary students in 
the EU are undertaking their studies in  a Member State other than the country where they had 
completed  their  secondary  education,  and  among  those,  there  were  0.6  million  students41  from 
Europe studying in the EU at tertiary level.42 According to another survey43, around 65% of the 
partnerships do not offer any mobility schemes at Bachelor level, while embedded mobility 
is mainly offered at Master level. Short term mobility is the most commonly offered scheme 
for  researchers  and  teaching  staff  (offered  in  51%  and  61%  of  the  partnerships 
respectively).Obstacles arise inter alia through the ways that educational programmes and other 
opportunities may be organised or recognised.  

The lack of sustainable funding and the complexity of EU and national funding instruments was 
identified as a barrier to transnational cooperation.44 In most EU-27 Member States, government 
funding for higher education is more than half of total funding for the higher education sector.45 
Over the last decade, there has been an uplift and stabilisation of public funding with variations 
across  Member  States.  However,  the  COVID-19  pandemic  exposed  what  stakeholders  call  a 
“chronic  underfunding  of  HEIs”  across  many  European  higher  education  systems,  revealing 
structural weaknesses and competitive gaps.46  

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Learning_mobility_statistics#Credit_mobile_graduates; 

40  https://www.nvao.net/nl/attachments/view/background%20paper%20for%20the%20euniq%20workshop-rome  
41 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/educ_uoe_mobs02/default/table?lang=en  
42 
project.com/uploads/assets/pdf/ETER_student_mobility.pdf 
43 https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/publication/eur-scientific-and-technical-research-reports/mapping-european-transnational-collaborative-partnerships-
higher-education  
44 https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/publication/eur-scientific-and-technical-research-reports/mapping-european-transnational-collaborative-partnerships-
higher-education  
45 
https://www.eua.eu/downloads/publications/designing%20strategies%20for%20efficient%20funding%20of%20universities%20in%20europe%2
0define.pdf  
46 
sustainable-and-democratic-future-council-of-europe-higher-education-series-no-25.html 

https://book.coe.int/en/higher-education-and-research/9141-higher-education-s-response-to-the-covid-19-pandemic-building-a-more-

https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/eua%20pfo%20part%202%20report.pdf;. 

https://eter-

11 

 
 
 
                                                           
Ineffective implementation or lack of European tools and instruments 

Deeper cooperation models such as the European Universities initiative have shown the limits 
of the current quality assurance systems that are often not adaptable or flexible enough for 
deeper  transnational  operation.  Work  has  already  started  and  progress  has  been  made  at 
European  and  Member  States  level  to  strengthen  mutual  trust  in  higher  education  systems  for 
example through the implementation of the Council Recommendation on  Automatic Mutual 
Recognition,  as  well  as  the  transparency  and  quality  assurance  tools  for  higher  education 
developed in European and Bologna Process47, but legal conditions and practical implementation 
remain  uneven  both  across  countries  and  across  institutions48.  HEIs  engaged  in  transnational 
partnerships often mention the lack of common accreditation standards as a serious issue, requiring 
further actions at EU and national level. Internal and external quality assurance of multinational 
consortia bringing together HEIs with very different legal and economic constraints, educational 
environments and quality assurance cultures can show substantial differences in terms of practices 
and standards.49  

The  European  Approach  to  the  Quality  Assurance  of  Joint  Programmes  provides  a  single 
integrated procedure in accrediting joint programmes, and thus removes the burden of multiple 
accreditations.  However,  since  the  European  Approach  is  not  a  legally  binding,  it  requires 
implementation at national level, and quality assurance/accreditation arrangements still vary from 
one  country  to  another.  Hence,  the  validity  of  accreditation  for  joint  programmes  is  subject  to 
different  processes  and  requirements  with  regards  to  (re-)  accreditation  procedures.  External 
quality  assurance  issues  are  an  emergent  and  increasingly  important  barrier  also  for  digitally 
enhanced  learning  and  teaching50,  even  more  so  in  the  context  of  changes  to  the  learning 
environment due to the pandemic.  

Different degree structures and ECTS requirements pose obstacles. National restrictions, such 
as the prescription of a minimum amount of ECTS to be reached by the end of the second cycle, 
have been introduced in some countries, despite not being required by the Overarching Framework 
of  Qualifications  of  the  European  Higher  Education  Area  (QF-EHEA).  This  hampers  the 
establishment  of  joint  programmes  and  the  award  of  joint  degrees,  including  a  joint  European 
degree, as different partner HEIs may have to conform to different and incompatible national legal 
requirements on programme duration. Requirements to obtain a certain amount of ECTS credits 
in a specific way (abroad, or at the home country, for example), or incompatible requirements for 
the  number  of  ECTS  credits  allocated  are  recurrent  obstacles  encountered  by  the  European 
Universities and other higher education institution alliances. 

47  the  Standards  and  Guidelines  for  Quality  Assurance  in  the  European  Higher  Education  Area  (ESG),  the  European  Credit  Transfer  and 
Accumulation  System  (ECTS),  the  European  Qualifications  Framework  (EQF)  and  the  Qualifications  Framework  of  the  European  Higher 
Education Area (QF-EHEA), and the European Quality Assurance Register (EQAR) 
48 
en?WT.mc_id=Selectedpublications&WT.ria_c=677&WT.ria_f=706&WT.ria_ev=search  
Paris Communiqué http://www.ehea.info/Upload/document/ministerial_declarations/EHEAParis2018_Communique_final_952771.pdf  
49 EUniQ project develops a framework to overcome these differences and in the longer term, allow university alliances to be externally evaluated 
on  an  institutional  level  by  a  single  EQAR-registered  quality  assurance  agency,  instead  of  forcing  the  alliance  to  go  through  lengthy  national 
procedures in all countries. https://www.nvao.net/en/euniq  
50 https://eua.eu/resources/publications/953:developing-a-high-performance-digital-education-ecosystem.html   

https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/2fe152b6-5efe-11e8-ab9c-01aa75ed71a1/language-

12 

 
 
 
                                                           
Untapped potential for effective higher education cooperation  

The  seamless  implementation  of  interdisciplinary  programmes  is  hampered  by  specific 
restrictions for example on the language of instruction, on the online elements embedded in the 
study  programme,  national  requirements  for  internships,  required  procedures  for  assessment  of 
students,  requirements  related  to  employment  and  working  conditions  for  teaching  staff,  or 
regulations on recognition of prior learning. 

Partnerships  tend  to  focus  on  specific  topics,  are  setup  for  relatively  short  duration,  and 
rarely cover all four university missions: education, research and innovation and service to 
society  (38%).51  The  need  for  increased  synergies  between  education  and  research,  along  with 
long-term strategies covering the four missions, was confirmed during stakeholder meetings and 
interactions  with  Member  States.  A  survey  reported  that  only  38%  of  partnerships  cover  the 
education, research and innovation mission of higher education institutions in an integrated way.52 
This suggests there are insufficient multi-disciplinary collaborations occurring. Cooperation is 
mostly  dependent  upon  individuals  in  teaching  or  research,  it  largely  occurs  occur  at 
department  or  faculty  level,  thus  lacking  appropriate  institutional  level  sustainability. 
Cooperation has been predominantly built bottom-up based on common topics and interests (95%) 
and existing contacts between staff members (88%).53 While partnerships should involve “general 
institutional collaboration”, meaning “several levels and different parts of the institution”54, the 
majority of cooperation tends to occur at department or faculty level (59%).  

Progress is  still to be made on designing effective  governance  arrangements for deep and 
ambitious  transnational  cooperation.  The  expansion  of  higher  education  across  Europe,  the 
diversification of provision, new modes of delivery, and heterogeneity of learners, the importance 
of higher education and research for knowledge and innovation along with increasing levels of 
investment  (public  and  private)  have  focused  increased  attention  on  the  governance  of    higher 
education  institutions  –  at  the  system  and  institutional  level.  Issues  of  accountability  and 
transparency, effectiveness  and efficiency, performance and quality are matters of concern that 
extend beyond the institution itself. European and national competitiveness are strongly aligned 
with  HEI  quality,  and  vice  versa.55  Student  participation  in  higher  education  governance  is 
considered one of the foundation values of European higher education56. Students have played a 
key role in the conception and implementation of Bologna Process goals, and are been essential 
partners in the quality assurance processes, both internal and external.57 Likewise, representatives 
of business/employers, and civil society are considered key stakeholders – all of which strengthen 
higher education’s role in/for society and the economy.58  

In this context, higher education institutional governance structures and management practices for 
transnational  alliances  could  benefit  from  more  active  involvement  of  learners,  academics, 
researchers  and  professional  staff.  Increasingly,  strategies  for  equity,  diversity,  and  inclusion 
guide governance practices. The EUA notes that many HEIs make an explicit link between equity, 

51 https://doi.org/10.2760/560460  
52 https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/publication/eur-scientific-and-technical-research-reports/mapping-european-transnational-collaborative-partnerships-
higher-education  
53 https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC111663 
54 https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/eua%20international%20partnerships%20survey.pdf  
55 https://www.elgaronline.com/view/edcoll/9781785369742/9781785369742.00008.xml   
56 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-3937-6_34 
57 https://www.elgaronline.com/view/edcoll/9781785369742/9781785369742.00035.xml   
58 https://www.enqa.eu/wp-content/uploads/Study-on-stakeholder-involvement-in-EQA_web_n.pdf  

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diversity and inclusion on one side and excellence in teaching and learning and research on the 
other  side.59  Nevertheless,  often  governance  arrangements  insufficiently  mirror  society  and 
diversity of experiences and ideas, while innovative practices insufficiently diffuse within the 
institution, negatively impacting the decisions concerning the learning and working environment 
as  well  as  institutional  reputation,  and  creating  challenges  for  developing  transnational 
cooperation. This pertains to both institutional governance as well as system governance.  

2.3. What  is  needed  to  build  bridges  for  effective  transnational  cooperation  in  higher 

education  

Transnational  cooperation  is  a  lever  for  the  deep  transformation  of  higher  education 
institutions across all their missions, for the benefit of the entire higher education community 
and the society, empowering learners, staff and researchers alike.  

For  Europe  to  tackle  common  challenges,  notably  the  twin  digital  and  green  transitions  and  to 
build a resilient future, while remaining globally attractive and competitive, it is necessary to join 
forces,  harness  the  potential  of  all  available  resources  and  foster  the  complementary 
education and research capacities and strengths through deeper cooperation.  

Through a step-by-step approach, it is proposed to support Member States in setting a strategic 
course for creating optimum conditions for seamless transnational cooperation between HEIs in 
Europe,  and  addressing  the  major  challenges  through  new  instruments  and  facilitated 
implementation of joint transnational educational programmes, when sharing resources, or when 
embedding mobility modules for students and staff, while enabling a more systematic application 
of existing and new tools available at EU level, such as those available under the Bologna Process. 

While stakeholders acknowledge steps have been taken to overcome existing challenges at the EU, 
national  and  institutional  level,  stronger  enabling  operational  and  legislative  frameworks  and 
support are needed to ensure legal certainty and a level playing field between HEIs established in 
different Member States and willing to cooperate, and enable European Universities alliances and 
similar  cooperation  models  to  flourish.  Deeper,  sustainable  and  more  effective  transnational 
cooperation will depend upon an enabling environment and the knowledge and trust developed 
and nurtured over time.  

To overcome challenges and enable transnational cooperation to deeply transform HEIs across all 
their  missions,  stakeholders  and  Members  States  called  for  enabling  operational  and  legal 
conditions at all levels, from institutional and national to European, taking into consideration the 
concrete  needs  of  HEIs.  Key  factors  for  success  that  support  research  excellence  are  funding 
frameworks  at  the  various  levels  (local,  regional,  national,  European)  protecting  institutional 
autonomy and academic freedom, removing obstacles to collaboration, and strong, inclusive and 
effective leadership at the institutional level.  

Member  States  and  stakeholders  make  it  clear  that  a  common  vision  to  make  the  higher 
education  sector  fully  fit  for  the  future  should  build  on  the  experience  of  the  European 
Universities  and  enable  all  willing  HEIs  to  cooperate  transnationally  in  a  flexible  and 
sustainable way. It is necessary to broaden and deepen opportunities for collaboration, modernise 
regulatory frameworks and innovate educational and research cooperation models for the benefit 

https://eua.eu/resources/publications/890:diversity,-equity-and-inclusion-in-european-higher-education-institutions-results-from-the-invited-

59 
project.html       

14 

 
 
 
                                                           
of the entire higher education community, learners, researchers and staff, and society. HEIs should 
be  empowered  to  work  collectively  step-by-step  towards  this  long-term  vision,  with  the 
support of the various complementary EU and national instruments.  

Incentivising  closer  integration  fosters  deeper  and  long-term  partnerships,  the  European 
Universities Initiative being a testbed for this.60 This vision, and the tools and measures associated 
with it should enable institutions to accelerate their transformation, while incentivising Member 
States  to  take  action  in  support  of  the  vision.  Through  deep  and  geographically  balanced 
transnational cooperation as triggered by the European Universities Initiative, it is anticipated that 
excellence levels can be raised for all participating institutions. 

Deeper  cooperation links with asset sharing among European  HEIs allowing to maximise 
access to and the utilisation of available resources and infrastructure, as well as to increase 
efficiency and effectiveness. HEIs ask for deeper transnational cooperation to be recognised also 
from a legal perspective to facilitate both cooperation in all relevant areas of education, research 
and innovation and common strategic decisions such as the award of joint European degrees and 
the pooling of resources and activities.  Deeper transnational  cooperation, with  the support of a 
legal  statute for  alliances  of  HEIs  willing to  join  forces, can help  to  build capacity, facilitate 
access  to  sustainable  modern  infrastructure  and  shared  common  resources  (financial,  human, 
digital and physical resources) and services, and develop joint educational and research activities.  

Such  new  legal  solutions  for  cooperation  should  also  allow  for  agile  and  flexible  governance 
structures, without additional burden to the existing governance system of individual institutions. 
They  can facilitate transnational  cooperation through  for  example joint  resources management, 
simplified accreditation of joint programmes, leading to the design and award of joint degrees, 
simplified  internal  and  external  quality  assurance  processes,  pooling  IT  infrastructure  that 
enhances  students  and  researchers  learning  by  sharing  online  environments  and  activities  (for 
example,  learning  management  systems,  digital  libraries  or  MOOC  platforms).  The  efforts  to 
establish a sustainable long-term legal cooperation mechanism for the transnational cooperation 
of HEIs can benefit from the experience of existing legal instruments at the European level, 
such  as  the  European  Regulation  on  the  European  Grouping  of  Territorial  Cooperation 
(EGTC) and the European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC).  

Even though these instruments were created for different sectors and purposes, they could provide 
inspiration for a future solution for higher education cooperation. The EGTC as a legal entity is 
designed to facilitate and promote cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation, and 
is  currently  already  used  in  Europe  within  the  higher  education  sector.61  The  ERIC  regulation 
facilitates the establishment and the operation of research infrastructures with European interest 
among several EU countries and associated countries and foresees a process for the establishment 
of the legal entity which could be applied mutatis mutandis to a platform for cooperation between 
universities.  Other  European  initiatives  such  as  Europe’s  Strategy  Forum  on  Research 
Infrastructures (ESFRI) and the European Open Science Cloud also facilitate deeper integration of 
digital and physical assets.62  

60  https://www.the-guild.eu/publications/looking-to-the-future.pdf;  https://cdn1.euraxess.org/sites/default/files/policy_library/report-intersectoral-
mobility.pdf  
61 EUCOR - a European Campus alliance of five universities based in the Upper Rhine region – is established as an EGTC. 
62  https://www.the-guild.eu/publications/looking-to-the-future.pdf;  https://www.embl.org/documents/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/EIROforum-
position-paper-value-of-RIs-May-2020.pdf; https://eudat.eu/sites/default/files/PositionPaperEOSCcard.pdf  

15 

 
 
                                                           
In  this  context,  the  EU  can  support  the  Member  States  and  HEIs  to  pilot  the  use  of  existing 
European instruments as a step towards the potential development of a legal statute for alliances 
of  higher  education  institutions  to  facilitate  deeper,  long-term  and  flexible  transnational 
cooperation. 

The added value of a higher education experience needs to be reflected and recognisable in 
the qualification the students obtain. Quality education for all, freedom for the learner and for 
the educator to move in Europe and the freedom for institutions to associate are among the main 
principles of the European Education Area. Legal and administrative framework should remove 
red tape for the delivery of joint programmes and joint degrees, with a view to making them 
automatically recognised among participating institutions and everywhere in the EU. Achieving 
seamless transnational cooperation is first and foremost for the students: developing transnational 
campuses, enabling students to begin their curriculum in one institution and to follow on smoothly 
in  another  country,  as  well  as  making  mobility  easier  and  more  flexible  for  example  by 
mainstreaming the use of the European Student Card initiative.  

A  joint  European  degree  would  stand  for  the  ability  to  create  knowledge  and  innovation 
across borders and disciplines, to increase the visibility and reputation of the HEIs in Europe 
and beyond, and to bring benefits to the students with a qualification that would be recognised as 
excellent, international and innovative by employers across the EU. A joint European degree, to 
be delivered  at  national  level,  would attest  learning outcomes  achieved as part of transnational 
cooperation  among  several  institutions,  offered  for  example  within  European  Universities 
alliances.  It will be important to examine feasibility and what would be the concrete steps63, for 
institutions and for national systems. The EU can facilitate this process and point to where key 
steps need to be taken by the different actors, for instance through piloting the first steps towards 
a joint European degree. 

Transnational  cooperation  in  higher  education  needs  to  be  enabled  to  cater  for  more 
innovative ways to embed and stimulate mobility for both students and staff64, accounting of 
the needs of different learners and circumstances.65  

Clear perspectives for adequate, consistent, and sustainable investment in higher education 
offer the necessary continuity and stability to achieve deeper and more effective cooperation. 
Investment  in  higher  education  and  research  is  essential  and  of  great  public  value.  Sustained 
investment  is  particularly  relevant  in  the  context  of  the  European  Universities  initiative.66  It  is 
equally  important  to  ensure  resources  are  managed  well  and  used  effectively,  equitably,  and 
efficiently.  Synergies67 between European programmes and funds (such  as Erasmus+, Horizon 
Europe, Digital Europe, the Cohesion Policy funds, and InvestEU), and with national funds enable 
better funding allocation, accounting for regional or national context. For instance, Initiatives for 
excellence under Horizon Europe will empower European HEIs to actively shape and amplify the 
transformation  of the European R&I ecosystem  by  mapping and modelling national  excellence 
initiatives and providing best practices and mutual learning, supporting Member States to setup 
their  own  excellence  initiatives  and  join  forces  for  further  cooperation.  The  initiatives  for 

63 https://eua.eu/resources/expert-voices/186:possible-scenarios-on-the-path-towards-a-european-degree.html  
64 https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/publication/eur-scientific-and-technical-research-reports/mapping-european-transnational-collaborative-partnerships-
higher-education 
65 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-016-0016-x; 
66 
https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/eua%20council%20position%20on%20future%20of%20eui.pdf  
67 synergies_study_final_report_6oct2017.pdf (europa.eu) 

https://www.cesaer.org/content/5-operations/2020/20200420-position-european-universities.pdf; 

16 

 
 
                                                           
excellence will also aim at deepening the models of integrated and inclusive cooperation piloted 
by the European Universities Initiative, supporting quality, further cooperation with surrounding 
ecosystems, and mainstreaming a culture of excellence in research and value creation.   

Trust  in  each  other’s  education  system  is  indispensable,  building  on  transparent  quality 
assurance systems and automatic recognition of qualifications and learning periods abroad. 
Trust should encompass all forms and modes of education: from physical to online, on campus 
and in work-based and other situations, from full degrees to micro-credentials, and accounting for 
changing  needs  and  situations  (such  as  online  learning  or  happening  outside  of  the  country  of 
residence). External quality assurance safeguards the autonomy of higher education institutions 
and maintains public trust for automatic recognition within and across Member States, through 
action at system and institutional levels. It helps link education with the world of work and involve 
students to ensure high quality learning provision goes together with inclusiveness.  

The most recent developments in higher education, notably the European Universities Initiative 
and the boost in upskilling and reskilling needs, makes it clear that there is a need to strengthen 
the link between internal and external quality assurance and recognition processes. Building 
on  national  legislation  and  EU  level  policy  framework  as  powerful  instruments,  national 
authorities  should  continue  building  transparent  education  systems  to  foster  recognition,  and 
promote deeper interaction with ENIC/NARIC network of academic recognition centres, higher 
education  institutions,  quality  assurance  agencies,  students,  and  other  relevant  organisations.  
Higher education institutions need to integrate recognition processes (for full qualifications, study 
periods and prior learning, including micro-credentials) in their internal quality assurance systems, 
ensuring that recognition practices facilitate mobility and cooperation, and improve flexibility of 
the  study  processes.  The  ENIC-NARIC  information  centres  should  also  help  supporting 
transparent and fair recognition of third country qualifications, including those of refugees.  

Inter-disciplinary  and  cross-sectoral  approaches  enable  student-centred  learning,  with  more 
personalised  content,  based  on  innovative  pedagogies,  enabling  the  development  of  forward-
looking  skills  and  competences,  making  best  use  of  digital  technologies,  blended  learning  and 
work-based  learning.  Challenge-based  approaches  combining  shared  education,  teaching  and 
learning, pedagogical innovation, research and innovation allow involved parties to work jointly 
and  across  disciplines  through  investigation  and  invention,  thus  reinforcing  excellence  in 
education and research and engagement with citizens.  

To  deliver  on  their  missions,  higher  education  institutions  must  develop  innovative 
governance  arrangements  that  reflect  the  diversity  of  the  staff  and  learners,  and  the 
community in which the institution is based68, and that foster meaningful contribution from higher 
education to regional growth and sustainability. Innovative governance models should respond to 
challenges for transnational cooperation, as well as accommodate the evolving needs and dynamics 
of inter-institutional collaboration. They should be developed as a natural expansion of the joint 
efforts towards intra-university collaboration.69 

68  https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/eui%20governance%20paper%20new.pdf 
69 ibid 

17 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
Success stories of projects making deeper transnational cooperation amongst universities in 
Europe a reality 
Young  Universities  of  the  Future  (YUFE)70  is  a  European  Universities  Alliance  funded  through 
Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020 and involves ten dynamic, young, student-centred research-based universities 
and four non-academic partners from the non-governmental and private sectors, aiming to establish a true 
European University. YUFE promotes active European citizenship within a shared European environment, 
where teams of students, staff, citizens, businesses and policy makers collaborate to address European and 
global challenges. 
Eucor-The European Campus71 is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). It is 
a trinational alliance of five universities in the Upper Rhine, a border region between Germany, France and 
Switzerland.  In  2015,  the  five  universities  created  a  dedicated  legal  entity  in  the  form  of  a  European 
Grouping  of  Territorial  Cooperation  (EGTC),  solidifying  cooperation  that  dates  back  to  1989.  The 
universities retain their autonomy, but act together in a targeted way in order to strengthen their cooperation 
in the fields of teaching, research and innovation and boost cross-border mobility.  

The  INnovative  Verona  University  Inter-disciplinary,  Inter-sectoral  and  International 
Training  Experience  (INVITE)72  is  funded  through  the  Horizon  2020  Marie  Skłodowska-Curie 
COFUND Action. The project is co-financed by the Regione del Veneto and involves 17 universities and 
research centres in Europe and beyond, 13 enterprises and organisations from the economic sector, 3 public 
organisations and 1 network. It has a strong inter-sectoral, interdisciplinary and international research and 
training  dimension.  It  offers  14  doctoral  positions  to  train  early-stage  researchers  in  multiple  scientific 
disciplines. 
Open EURAXESS73 is funded by Horizon 2020. It aims to strengthen the effectiveness and optimize the 
services  of  all  EURAXESS  partners  in  an  innovative  and  open  EURAXESS  network  to  facilitate 
researchers'  mobility  through  free  of  charge  assistance,  including  support  for  career  development.  The 
project ensures collaboration among member countries and institutions to improve access to jobs and better 
working and employment conditions for researchers across Europe and beyond. Over 70% of EURAXESS 
service centres for researchers are universities, across 42 countries coverage. 

3. Funding and investment in higher education 
Achieving inclusion and excellence in the transformation of European HEIs, taking transnational 
cooperation  among  European  HEIs  to  the  next  level,  engaging  in  unfolding  green  and  digital 
transitions, and equipping learners with transversal skills needed in innovation ecosystems, require 
both funding resources and effective monitoring. 

3.1. Investment into the European higher education sector 

As European society confronts the challenges noted above, expectations about the contribution of 
higher  education  and  research  to  overcoming  them  have  grown.  In  monetary  terms,  evidence 
shows  high  returns  on  investment  (ROI)  into  higher  education for  individuals,  sectors,  and 
countries.74 The net public return on tertiary education investment is estimated between two and 

70 https://yufe.eu 
71 https://www.eucor-uni.org/en/about-us/  
72 https://sites.centri.univr.it/invite/project/ 
73 https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/786133 
74  https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/29672  

18 

 
 
 
                                                           
three times the amount of public investment.75 As for the research and innovation mission of HEIs, 
ROI  on  research  has  an  even    greater  positive  effect,  with  every  €1  invested  by  Framework 
Programme generating, on average, added value of € 13 to the business sector. 

There are also important spill-over contributions from higher education, such as intergenerational 
benefits and attitudes to science and technology as evidenced in response to COVID-19 restrictions 
and vaccine take-up, and support for democratic values.76 These intangible benefits can be difficult 
to estimate. Thus, a “long-term horizon is the best comprehensive benchmark for judging value” 
and what is being measured by society and different stakeholders at different times.77  

Consequently,  the  funding  of  higher  education  needs  to  take  both  short-term  and  long-term 
perspectives. However, trends in public expenditure for higher education show fluctuation over 
time due to circumstances in the global or national economies, stage of development and relative 
wealth,  and  priorities.78  Demographic,  economic  and  labour  market  factors,  as  well  as  the 
education system and network of HEIs within a given country (such as their location, size, mission, 
research intensity) also influence how resources are allocated and deployed.    

In most EU-27 Member States, government funding for higher education accounts for more than 
half  of  total  funding  for  the  higher  education  sector.79  The  remaining  sources  include  non-
education private sector (mostly tuition fees from households), other non-education private entities 
(contracts with business and industry), and international organisations (mostly EU funding).  

National public investment does not, however, provide a complete picture of resources invested in 
higher education. For example, countries in which R&D is conducted in HEIs tend to report higher 
levels  of  expenditure  per  student  than  those  where  R&D  is  conducted  in  public  institutions  or 
industry.80 Some Member States rely on private investment (e.g. Netherlands, Ireland).81  

Among OECD members, only countries with a high level of private spending can boast  higher 
education expenditure beyond 2% of GDP (e.g., Canada, Australia, the United States, and Chile). 
Conversely, of countries that rely on private funding for more than 50% of expenditure, only Japan 
has a share of GDP spent on higher education that is below the OECD average.82  

Following the global financial crisis in 2008, public funding generally rebounded and stabilized, 
but  progress  towards  full  recovery  has  been  frustrated  by  the  COVID-19  pandemic,  exposing 
variations between countries in tertiary education spending. The EU 27 overall invested in 2019 
0.8% of GDP, and the Euro area level was 0.7%. For EU member states the range goes from 0.3% 
in Italy, 0.4% in Luxembourg, to 1.6% in Denmark and 1.7% in Finland.83 

75 https://www.oecd.org/education/EAG2014-Indicator%20A7%20(eng).pdf. 
76 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1787/498e9bc7-en 
77 https://1gyhoq479ufd3yna29x7ubjn-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/College_ROI.pdf, p4-5, 17 
78 
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-
explained/index.php?title=Government_expenditure_on_education#Large_differences_between_countries_in_the_importance_of_expenditure_o
n_education 
79 https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/eua%20pfo%20part%202%20report.pdf  
80 https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529714395.n163, p235, 272-273 
81 
en&_csp_=202a1a6f4fab5e9c9e2fb61b1036af0d&itemIGO=oecd&itemContentType=book#section-d1e1775 
82 
en&_csp_=202a1a6f4fab5e9c9e2fb61b1036af0d&itemIGO=oecd&itemContentType=book#section-d1e1775 
83 
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-
explained/index.php?title=Government_expenditure_on_education#Large_differences_between_countries_in_the_importance_of_expenditure_o
n_education 

https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org//sites/735e1f44-en/1/3/2/index.html?itemId=/content/publication/735e1f44-

https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org//sites/735e1f44-en/1/3/2/index.html?itemId=/content/publication/735e1f44-

19 

 
 
                                                           
3.2. Investment needs  

The pandemic has renewed concerns about what some stakeholders call a “chronic underfunding 
of  universities”  across  many  European  higher  education  systems,84  thereby  exposing  structural 
weaknesses and  competitive gaps.85  Pandemic lockdowns have impacted broad areas of  higher 
education activities, as well as “other” sources of HEI income, such as the provision of services 
(e.g.,  accommodation),  contract  research  (income  from  the  private  sector),  tuition  fees  from 
international  students  and  philanthropic  funding.86  Europe’s  performance  in  the  Innovation 
Scorecard87 or in global university rankings is often pointed to as an indication of a growing gap 
between European higher education performance and that of the US and more recently Asia.88  
A recent sample survey89 of HEIs has echoed these concerns, highlighting the need for investment 
in  digital  infrastructure  (86%),  staff  training  (62%),  and  physical  infrastructure  (17%)  with  an 
emphasis on technology-enhanced learning and teaching methods as well as virtual mobility. With 
reference to research funding, there is a recognition that significant barriers persist in obtaining 
funding  for  interdisciplinary  and  transdisciplinary  research  in  the  current  discipline-oriented 
competitive climate.90 

The most critical topics identified through a survey of universities , where HEIs anticipate both 
increased need of investments and lack of funding are the following: renovation and modernisation 
of  HEIs  building,  including  the  “greening  of  the  HEIs”;  digitalisation  of  HEIs:  infrastructure, 
equipment, and use; research and innovation infrastructures and equipment; career development 
and  opportunities  for  academic  and  administrative  staff;  technology  transfer  from  HEIs  into 
industries; Lifelong learning training and Skills for the Future curricula ; sustainability of European 
Alliances and cross-university collaboration.  

There is considerable concern that the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated social inequalities and 
regional and institutional disparities across the EU.91 A gap is most evident between those in better 
funded western and northern European system, and in underfunded higher education systems in 
southern,  central  and  eastern  Europe  –  a  gap  that  also  mirrors  disparities  in  higher  education 
attainment  and  outcomes.92  This  picture  replicates  the  inter-EU  investment  gap  evident  in  the 
aftermath of the  2008 financial crisis, with countries like Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, 
Norway, Austria and Denmark significantly increasing funding compared to their GDP growth, 
and countries such as the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia and Ireland experiencing reduced 
funding.93  

Going forward there is a need to ensure a more adequate and consistent level of investment in 
higher  education.  GDP  provides  an  important  international  reference  point  and  target  for 

https://book.coe.int/en/higher-education-and-research/9141-higher-education-s-response-to-the-covid-19-pandemic-building-a-more-

84 https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/university%20autonomy%20in%20europe%20iii%20the%20scorecard%202017.pdf, p. 56  
85 
sustainable-and-democratic-future-council-of-europe-higher-education-series-no-25.html 
86 https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/pfo%20part%201_ppt%20-%20im.pdf . 
87 https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/statistics/performance-indicators/european-innovation-scoreboard_en    
88 Hazelkorn, E. (2021). What do Global University Rankings Tell Us About US Geopolitics in Higher Education? In J. J. Lee (Ed.), U.S. Power 
in International Higher Education. New Brunswick and London: Rutgers University Press. 
89  https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/pfo%20part%201_ppt%20-%20im.pdf  
90 https://www.cesaer.org/content/5-operations/2020/20201130-open-letter-effective-for-fund-inter-and-transdisciplinary-research.pdf  
91 https://doi.org/10.2766/069216; 
92 http://www.nesse.fr/nesse/activities/reports/mind-the-gap-1  
93 
19%20crisis%20on%20university%20funding%20in%20europe.pdf  

https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/eua%20briefing_the%20impact%20of%20the%20covid-

20 

 
 
                                                           
government expenditure, but it does not measure health, education, equality of opportunity, the 
state of the environment or many other indicators of the quality of life and sustainability.94 The 
concept of “investment” suggests spending is purposive, essential and of public value. To meet 
rising  demand  from  learners,  society  and  the  economy,  investment  in  public  infrastructure  and 
services (which includes higher education and research) is more vital than ever.95  At the same 
time, it is vital to ensure all resources (financial, capital, human and natural) are managed well and 
used effectively, equitably, and efficiently.  

3.3. What has been decided/achieved so far?  

 The  following  important  policy  statements  and  actions  have  focused  on  quality  investment  in 
education and training, including higher education:  

  Council Resolution of 27 February 202096 on education and training “… the most powerful 
investment that can be made in people and in the future and its social and economic returns 
for individuals, employers and society as a whole”.  

  Commission  Communication  of  30  September  202097  on  achieving  the  European 
Education  Area  by  2025  notes  the  intensification  of  work  on  investment,  including 
establishment of an expert group on quality investment in education and training.   

  Council  Resolution  of  18  February  2021  on  a  strategic  framework  for  European 
cooperation in education and training towards the European Education Area and beyond 
(2021-  2030)98  agrees  “achievement  of  the  European  Education  Area  …  calls  for  an 
increased focus on investment in education.” 

Several EU programmes and funding are vital for supporting higher education in the EU: 

  Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe99: Authorities in Member States remain responsible for 
the way higher education is organised and delivered in their countries. EU activities are 
designed to bring an additional international dimension to studying, teaching, researching 
or  making  policy 
its Erasmus+ and Horizon 
Europe programmes, the EU supports international exchanges for students, academic staff 
and researchers, as well as structured cooperation between higher education institutions 
and public authorities in different countries. The objective is to create new opportunities 
for people in higher education to learn from one another across national borders and to 
work together on joint projects to develop good learning and teaching, undertake excellent 
research and promote innovation. 

education.  Through 

in  higher 

  Digital Europe Programme100 aims to build the strategic digital capacities of the EU and 
facilitate  the  wide  deployment  of  digital  technologies  for  the  use  of  Europe’s  citizens, 
businesses, and public administration. A share of its budget will support the design and 
delivery of specialised programmes and traineeships for future experts or entrepreneurs in 
the key strategic areas, and upskilling people through short-term training and courses.  

94 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/49818/beyond-gdp-measuring-what-matters-issues-paper-19-may-2021-web.pdf  
95 Mazzucato, M. (2018). The Value of Everything. Making and Taking in the Global Economy. Penguin Books. 
96 2020/C 64/01 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32020G0227(01)  
97 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52020DC0625  
98 2021/C 66/01 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32021G0226(01)   
99 Home | Erasmus+ (europa.eu) and Horizon Europe | European Commission (europa.eu) 
100 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/activities/digital-programme  

21 

 
 
                                                           
  European Social Fund Plus101 (ESF+) is the main funding instrument to implement the 
European Pillar of Social Rights. It aims to achieve high employment levels, fair social 
protection and a skilled and resilient workforce. ESF+ covers all stages of education, from 
early childhood education and care to adult education.  

  European  Regional  and  Development  Fund102  (ERDF)  aims  to  strengthen  economic, 
social  and  territorial  cohesion  in  the  European  Union  by  redressing  the  main  regional 
imbalances in the EU.  In close coordination with ESF+, it supports investment to improve 
access to inclusive and quality services in  all stages of education, training, and lifelong 
learning,  through  developing  infrastructure  and  relevant  equipment.  This  support  also 
includes  the  provision  of  conditions  for  digital  education,  accessible  remote  learning 
possibilities and skills development in smart specialisation and cross-border projects.  

  Technical Support Instrument103 assists national authorities to improve their capacity to 
design,  develop  and  implement  reforms.  Education  and  training  are  key  policy  areas 
covered by the Technical Support Instrument.  

 

InvestEU104  brings together existing EU financial instruments.  It  includes the  InvestEU 
Fund,  which  mobilises  public  and  private  investment  using  guarantees  from  the  EU 
budget; the InvestEU Advisory Hub, providing technical assistance to project promoters 
seeking financing; and the InvestEU Portal, bringing together projects and investors. HEIs 
could benefit from the financial products and advisory services available under the Social 
Investment and Skills Window and the Research, Innovation and Digitisation Window.  

  The  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility105  (RRF)  aims  to  support  public  investments  and 
structural reforms to improve economic and social resilience of Member States and support 
the  green  and  digital  transitions.  Investment  and  reforms  in  areas  such  as  social, 
employment, skills, education, research and innovation and health, business, environment 
(including public administration and the financial sector) are prioritised. Based on current 
RRP plans, €9 billion will be targeted on higher education (16% of the budget allocated to 
education and skills), with a substantial focus on digitisation (digital infrastructure, digital 
skills for students and  academics).  In  the  context  of  RRF,  Member states have indicated 
plans  to  support  widespread  transformation,  improving  access to higher  education,  and 
digital transition of higher education. 

3.4. What further action is needed?  

A mobilisation of all potential EU sources of funding to support the higher education sector in its 
transformation is of major importance. The new MFF and RRF provide significant opportunities 
for HEIs. 

The overall estimated budget available to universities and other types of HEIs across the new 
MFF (2021-2027) and NextGenerationEU amounts to around EUR 80 billion106, and unfolds 
as follows:  

101 https://ec.europa.eu/european-social-fund-plus/en  
102 https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/funding/erdf/  
103 https://ec.europa.eu/info/overview-funding-programmes/technical-support-instrument-tsi_en  
104 https://europa.eu/investeu/home_en  
105 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32021R0241  
106 The final figure will depend on the outcome of the on-going programming of funds. 

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  Higher education: around EUR 25 billion, with the support of Erasmus+, the European 
Social Fund Plus, the European Regional Development Fund, Digital Europe, Invest EU 
and the Recovery and Resilience Facility.  

  Research  and  innovation:  around  EUR  54  billion,  with  the  support  of  for  example 

Horizon Europe, Invest EU and the Recovery and Resilience Facility. 

Higher education stakeholders have expressed concerns about funding cuts across key EU-wide 
programmes and at national level and call for increased investment.107 At the same time, they view 
the  current  environment  as  an  opportunity  to  further  modernise  and  achieve  efficiencies  by 
transforming modes of delivery via digitalisation (14% respondents), through internationalisation 
(6%), strengthen collaboration (4%), and sharing resources (2%).108   

They also call for a better balance between trust and control, thereby granting sufficient autonomy 
to  develop  their  own  financial  allocation  mechanisms,  adapt  strategies  and  streamline  and  use 
resources  as  appropriate  to  their  mission,  as  well  as  a  shift  from  compliance  to  performance 
orientation.109  This  would  involve,  for  example,  wider  acceptance  of  nationally  recognised 
practices in terms of audit, accounting, and management practices.110 

Collaboration and resource sharing between HEIs, including different types of institutions, is 
seen as one of the best ways to improve efficiency, enhance quality and bring wider benefits to 
learners  and  society.  Pooling/sharing  facilities  provides  opportunity  to  build  capacity  and 
capability and increase efficiency and breadth of service across “back office” or support functions. 
Collaboration for library and information resources, technology transfer offices (TTO), doctoral 
education and training, and internationalisation are areas which could benefit from collaboration. 
Digitalisation of operations can enable HEIs to provide high quality services across multi/virtual 
campuses which would be difficult to do as individual or smaller institutions or institutions with 
geographical disparate facilities.  

Collaboration can extend to the regional, national, or transnational level, providing a wider range 
of education and research provision, thereby making more efficient and effective use of resources 
(financial,  capital,  human  and  natural).  To  achieve  this,  efficiency  should  be  integrated  more 
holistically  into  the  goals  of  cross-institutional  partnerships,  in  terms  of  good  practice 
dissemination, knowledge exchange as well as sharing of tangible and intangible resources. There 
could  be  better  use  of  peer-learning  to  share  knowledge  and  hands  on  knowledge  between 
practitioners and policymakers.111 

The formation of Civic and Regional Alliances between different HEIs and with other educational 
providers, business and employers, and civil society can support stronger and sustainable regional 
innovation ecosystems by boosting capacity and capability. They can develop a collective vision 

107  https://www.eua.eu/downloads/assignments/common%20statement%20-%20funding%20campaign.pdf;  https://www.vsnu.nl/en_GB/news-
items/nieuwsbericht/653-last-chance-to-invest-in-european-higher-education-and-research.html  
108 https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/pfo part 1_ppt - im.pdf  
109 https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/pfo part 1_ppt - im.pdf  
110 
%20the%20university%20perspective.pdf; 
funding.pdf;. 
options-final.pdf  
111 http://efficiency.eua.eu/ ; https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/efficiency%20effectiveness%20and%20value%20for%20money.pdf 

https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/taking%20simplification%20of%20eu%20funding%20to%20the%20next%20level%20-
https://www.cesaer.org/content/5-operations/2020/20200316-adopted-position-sustainable-
https://www.earto.eu/wp-content/uploads/EARTO-input-towards-HEs-MGA-Ensure-continuity-with-H2020-personnel-costs-

23 

 
 
                                                           
for the region based on an analysis of local needs and opportunities and provide an educational 
bridge and opportunities for learners throughout their lives. 

Higher education financing models are evolving in many European countries as policy responses 
to  the  need  for  greater  efficiency  and  effective  use  of  public  resources  and  for  quality  and 
return-on-investment.112 Different issues arise with respect to the system, sector or institutional 
level, and the dimension of operation, such as operational efficiency, academic efficiency and 
efficiency through strategic governance. Increasing focus and emphasis on these matters raises 
concerns about the (negative) impact on quality. 

A range of accountability and transparency instruments has responded to dissatisfaction with the 
level  of  transparency  and  accountability  traditionally  associated  with  HEIs.  Performance-based 
funding  systems  (PBF)  have  become  a  common  feature  in  many  European  higher  education 
systems. They are currently in use in 15 out of 22 European systems.113  

 The link between investment and quality is complex and indirect. Accordingly, stakeholders warn 
that  PBF  should  represent  additional  funding  rather  than  taking  away  basic  or  core  funding  to 
universities.  It  is  argued  that  ill-designed  competitive  schemes  bear  the  risk  of  an  increase  in 
homogenization  or  isomorphism,  and  a  decrease  in  quality  of  teaching  and  research,  e.g.,  by 
lowering  standards  to  increase  graduation  rates,  or  name  dropping  to  increase  the  number  of 
publications and citations.114 

The OECD has been to the forefront of advising that while resources are important, they are only 
part of a more complex picture about what makes the difference in quality. This depends more 
crucially upon policy choices and how resources are used.115 It is possible to design PBF systems 
that  reward  rather  than  punish  institutions,  using  performance  compacts/contracts  as  a  way  of 
building consensus and trust between HEIs and governments.116 

To better understand the link between funding and quality, the Expert Group on Quality Investment 
in  Education  and  Training  is  conducting  an  in-depth  analysis  of  potential  and  alternative 
approaches and policy options most likely to boost education outcomes and inclusiveness while 
improving  the  efficiency  of  spending.  DG  EAC  is  supporting  a  study  of  performance-based 
funding  mechanisms,  mapping  their  usage  and  effectiveness.  It  also  aims  to  examine  national 
financial support to the European Universities Initiative.117 

There is potential in creating synergies between EU policy initiatives. Their range, focus and 
complexity can potentially hinder active participation and success. Overlapping or poorly aligned 
policies and initiatives is frequently noted by stakeholders. Better synergies would help  reduce 
overlap and inefficiencies in the system. These could include alignment of policy priorities and 
programme objectives, alignment of funding rules and implementation modalities, and linkages 
between research- and teaching-focused programmes.118  

112  (COM)  2006  208  final.  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52006DC0208 
http://ec.europa.eu/education/higher-education/doc/com0911_en.pdf.  
113 https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/29740  
114https://eua.eu/resources/publications/984:nextgenerationeu-what-do-national-recovery-and-resilience-plans-hold-for-universities.html 
115 https://www.oecd.org/education/myths-schooling.htm   
116 https://research.utwente.nl/en/publications/performance-agreements-in-denmark-ontario-and-the-netherlands-rep    
117 The “Study on the state and effectiveness of national funding systems of higher education for the European Universities Initiative” is being 
conducted by ICF from January 2021 until April 2022. 
118 https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/policy%20input_synergies%20paper%20.pdf  

;  COM(2011)  567  final. 

24 

 
 
                                                           
In addition, further simplification of application and management procedures could achieve lower 
entry barriers to programmes (thus improving participation throughout Europe) and maximising 
the impact of EU funds overall.119 Introducing a funding action line in the Bologna Process or the 
EHEA/EEA could also help.120 

InvestEU aims  to  bring  together all  existing EU  financial instruments  under a single umbrella. 
Further work should be undertaken to see how to establish a coordinated system that is more user-
friendly to/for all stakeholders.   

In the area of transnational cooperation stakeholders particularly report that more sustainable 
funding  resources  are  urgently  needed.  This  is  especially  true  for  the  European  universities. 
Stakeholders,  alliances,  and  organisations  representing  the  European  Universities  Alliances 
highlight  that  funding  resources  are  crucial  for  delivering  ambitious  new  activities  and 
transnational cooperation. Coordinators highlight a need to ensure bridge funding for the European 
Universities, before more holistic and integrated funding perspective is developed in the future.   
The 2020 EUA survey121 on international strategic partnerships also clearly underlined that the 
lack of funding had been one of the main reasons (along with the timeframe) for institutions not 
participating in the European Universities initiatives (84%). Strategic capacity was not the issue, 
and only 19% of respondents cite lack of strategic as a reason for not participating.  

More  generally,  because  of  the  level  of  demand  on  the  Erasmus+  budget,  many  promising 
cooperation projects to  develop innovative practices for the transformation of European  higher 
education are not funded. This represents both an individual missing return on investment for HEIs 
who submitted the project, after often dedicated considerable internal resources to the application, 
and a collective shortfall for the transformative ambition for HEIs. 

There is a need to recognise and valorise the good quality of projects proposals under Erasmus+ 
that could not be funded. This would help HEIs in their search for alternative financing for these 
projects at national level, including through the European Regional Development Fund and the 
European Social Fund+.  

In a first step, a certificate from the Commission could be delivered to the HEIs involved in good 
quality proposals that could not be funded at EU level. These HEIs could use it to facilitate their 
access to national funding for these projects. Each individual HEI involved in a multi-beneficiary 
alliance  would  need  to  seek  for  alternative  funding  individually  in  their  national  context.  This 
approach could be tested for the Call for Proposals on the European Universities initiative in 2022.  

Communication and involvement of Member States is key, and the Commission would need to 
raise awareness about a certificate among Members states and higher education national funding 
agencies, and obtain the commitment of Members States to facilitate such an approach, encourage 
them to share good practices on national co-funding of transnational cooperation projects.  

In a second step, the existing Seal of Excellence tool, a quality label awarded to project proposals 
to help them find alternative funding via ERDF/ESF+, could be operationalised under Erasmus+, 
building on what is done under Horizon Europe.  

https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/taking%20simplification%20of%20eu%20funding%20to%20the%20next%20level%20-
https://www.eua.eu/downloads/publications/policy%20input_on%20the%20model%20grant% 

119 
%20the%20university%20perspective.pdf;. 
20agreement.pdf; https://eua.eu/downloads/content/key%20messages%20for%20efficiency.pdf  
120 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289125308_A_Policy_Gap_Financing_in_the_European_Higher_Education_Area   
121 https://www.eua.eu/downloads/publications/eua%20international%20partnerships%20survey.pdf   

25 

 
 
                                                           
Higher education in Europe is dependent on public expenditure but public funding for European 
Higher education institutions (HEIs) has declined or stagnated in most higher education systems 
over the last decade. Financial revenue from private sources other than households (e.g., tuition 
fees) has traditionally represented a small share of institutional budgets across OECD countries. 
However,  research  suggests  that  higher  education  systems  that  can  mobilize  both  public  and 
private  resources,  are  able  to  achieve  higher  levels  of  spending  than  those  that  rely  only  upon 
public  resources.  This  can  lead  to  improvements  in  equality  (as  more  study  places  are  made 
available), and quality (as improved human and physical resources are provided to learners).122 
Examples of such initiatives include: 

  An EU guarantee for borrowing, such as the Erasmus+ Master Loan123, and through Invest 
EU,  can  incentivise  additional  private  and  public  investment  and  create  leverage  on  EU 
investments. 

  A “Skills & Education” pilot scheme (launched in 2020 under EFSI) has shown great interest 
from financial intermediaries and  higher education stakeholders for such  a new financial 
instrument, targeting individual students & learners (different lending models) as well as 
institutions (universities and SMEs). 

  As part of the new MFF (2021-2027), the Commission has negotiated with the European 
Investment  Bank  (EIB)  Group  that  this  pilot  scheme  is  integrated  under  the  “Social 
Investment and Skills” window of the InvestEU programme. 

Consideration should be given to achieving a better balance between public and private actors in the 
investment needs of the higher education sector, on the grounds of necessity and equity. Notably, 
this  should  be  considered  in  the  context  of  the  European  Strategy  for  Universities.  DG  RTD  is 
supporting  a  study  of  Knowledge  Ecosystems  in  the  new  ERA  including  development  of  an 
investment agenda for the European Strategy for Universities.  

Regarding  the  access  to  EU  funding  sources  and  the  alignment  with  national  public  funding 
sources,  it  is  difficult  for  universities  and  other  higher  education  institutions,  to  obtain  a 
comprehensive  overview  of  the  support  available  to  implement  their  training,  research  and 
innovation  agenda.  This  complexity  can  even  deter  stakeholders  and  policymakers  from 
envisaging, developing and implementing synergies of funding. This leads to a knowledge gap in 
the  HEIs  on  how  to  use  alternative  funding  sources.  As  noted  above,  a  lack  of  information, 
pathways  and/or  synergy  between  EU  programmes  and  initiatives  is  a  constant  point  of 
criticism by stakeholders. The programmes above can help create a more  balanced approach to 
make  more  dynamic,  sustainable,  and  competitive  HEIs  across  the  diversity  of  the  EU.  Better 
access to information on these programs and better synergies between their funding instruments is 
necessary would be a first step towards a future (long term budget after 2027) capability to support 
universities  holistically,  and  in  particular  develop  for  ambitious  initiatives  of  transnational 
cooperation,  such  as  the  European  universities  and  other  types  of  alliances,  a  more  integrated 
system blending different funding levels and programs.  

122 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1468-2273.2012.00534.x  
123 https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/opportunities/individuals/students/erasmus-master-degree-loans  

26 

 
 
                                                           
4. Quality and relevance of higher education  

4.1. The context: innovation, skills, societal and labour market needs 

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) impart knowledge and equip young people with skills and 
competences. A key question is to what extent HEIs provide learning outcomes of high quality. 
There are different ways to define and measure “quality”, but there is no doubt that Europe depends 
on  excellence.  The  quality  of  learning  outcomes  is  a  defining  factor  for  Europe’s  international 
competitiveness as well as its attractiveness in the global race for talent.  

Quality is linked to the requirement to provide skills and competences that are relevant in a 
context  of  a  quickly  evolving  labour  market.  80  million  workers  in  Europe  are  affected  by 
mismatched skills with respect to the demands of employers, which hinders Europe’s recovery and 
sustainable development, as well as profound structural change in markets and technologies. 

The  quality  and  relevance  of  HEIs  is  therefore  reflected  in  the  part  they  play  in  their  local 
industrial  and  innovation  ecosystems.  They  interact  with  business  and  civil  society  and 
intersectoral exchanges take place, which is essential to adapt higher education to labour market 
needs  and  overcome  skills  mismatches.  Intersectoral  also  means  transnational,  as  the  societal 
relevance  of  higher  education  is  boosted  by  transnational  exchanges,  mobility  across 
ecosystems, and partnerships between them. 

Innovative pedagogies 

To achieve inclusive and excellent  education, and increase the diversity of students,  support is 
needed to stimulate pedagogical innovation, including technology-enabled, digital, and blended 
approaches.  New  approaches  promoting  interdisciplinary  and  challenge-based  pedagogies 
should be stimulated, such as through the STEAM approach to STEM education.  

The  creation  of  ‘living  labs’  is  one  example.  It  helps  students’  critical  thinking,  creative  and 
entrepreneurial  skills  by  having  them  work  on  complex  societal  challenges  together  across 
disciplines and countries, and with academics, researchers, entrepreneurs, companies, cities, and 
regions. This intersectoral and challenged-based approach is key to provide future generations with 
the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are relevant in a context of quickly evolving labour market 
needs, as well as profound structural changes in markets and technologies.  

Challenge-based  learning  has  a  strong  connection  to  student-centred  learning  and  teaching, 
which  is  crucial  to  ensure  quality  and  relevance  of  higher  education.  Students  should  be 
encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning, to enable them to actively participate in 
the construction of knowledge, and to develop their autonomy as learners through self-reflection, 
research-based  activities,  and  improved  learning  skills.124  The  application  of  student-centred 
learning and teaching within higher education requires shifting focus from what teachers teach to 
what learners learn so that students can experience a transformative learning experience and thus 
achieve deeper learning outcomes.  

For HEIs to fully and successfully implement student-centred learning and teaching, 10 mutually 
reinforcing elements were identified125: Policies, rules and regulations  enabling student-centred 
learning  and  teaching;  Student-centred  curriculum  and  pedagogy;  Student-centred  assessment; 

https://nesetweb.eu/en/resources/library/mapping-and-analysis-of-student-centred-learning-and-teaching-practices-usable-knowledge-to-

124 
support-a-more-inclusive-high-quality-higher-education/  
125 ibid 

27 

 
 
                                                           
Flexible  learning  pathways;  Learner  support;  Teaching  support;  Active  learning  spaces  and 
academic  libraries;  Learning  technologies  infrastructure;  Community  learning  connections  and 
partnerships; Quality assurance supporting student-centred learning and teaching 

Innovation 

Ultimately, pedagogical innovation ensures that students, academics and researchers are equipped 
with  the  relevant  knowledge,  skills  and  attitudes  that  will  help  spurring  innovation.  Europe’s 
innovation performance has been improving, but it varies across EU member states. The Regional 
Innovation Scoreboard126 shows the most innovative regions are located primarily in Northern and 
Western Europe, while innovation capacity in Eastern and Southern regions is considerably lower, 
although convergence is continuing. Increasing innovation capacity in less innovative regions is 
the necessary precondition for better cooperation, growth, and success. 

Europe’s capacity to accelerate its innovation performance relies on harnessing the full potential 
of  all  its  HEIs,  strengthening  human  capital  and  talent  development,  investing  in  research  and 
innovation, and translating knowledge and research into new products and services.127 HEIs need 
to support both research and innovation in products, services and solutions, as well as ensure that 
their education programmes provide graduates with the skills and competences required by the 
dynamically changing labour market.  

The  geographical  distribution  of  HEIs  has  implications  for  innovation  and  competitiveness, 
especially for peripheral regions where there is a need for both human capital and RDI. Areas in 
the south and east of Europe, and in parts of France or Germany have low density of HEIs.128 In 
20% of NUTS-3 regions, a majority of the population cannot reach a university within 45 minutes, 
and these regions represent 14% of the EU plus EFTA’s population.129 Future sustainable social 
and  economic  development  will  need  innovation  hubs/regional  clusters  in  all  areas  providing 
frameworks and support to sustain innovation ecosystems and ensure social cohesion.  

Skills development 

Innovation in technology with the green and digital transitions are shaping future labour markets 
and  innovation  ecosystems.  A  key  objective  is  to  ensure  that  people  of  all  abilities  and 
circumstances can easily use the new technologies to help solve problems in their daily lives, to 
access business and public services, and social and cultural activities –no one can be left behind.  

Most new employment opportunities in industrial and innovation ecosystems will require higher-
order  cognitive,  communication  and  interpersonal  skills,  complex  problem  solving, 
creativity,  fluency  of  ideas  and  active  learning,  requiring  people  to  have  broad-based  skills 
alongside specialist knowledge. Cedefop reported in 2018 that 43% of workers in the EU had seen 
the technologies they work with change, while 47% have experienced changes in their working 
methods or practices.130 At the same time, 53% of EU companies had difficulties filling vacancies 
for ICT specialists in 2018.131 Cedefop forecasts that by 2030 around 41% of all jobs will require 

126 https://ec.europa.eu/growth/industry/policy/innovation/regional_en  
127. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2020/652060/EPRS_BRI(2020)652060_EN.pdf p.4 
128 https://eter-project.com/assets/pdf/ETER_regional_dimension.pdf    
129 https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/focus/2018_12_access_universities.pdf p.2 
130 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/8d1a7959-2284-11e8-ac73-01aa75ed71a1/language-en, p. 21 
131 https://doi.org/10.2760/679150  

28 

 
 
                                                           
higher level  qualifications, and 45% medium  qualifications.132 Digital,  innovative, and creative 
skills will be essential to enable people to take advantage of new employment opportunities within 
a global talent pool in an inter-connected world. 

There  is  room  for  further  improvement  in  the  development  of  student  and  researchers 
entrepreneurial  mindsets.  The  results  of  the  survey  conducted  by  the  European  University 
Association133  reveal  that  universities  contribute  to  the  development  of  student  entrepreneurial 
skills in various ways, but currently relatively few students benefit from entrepreneurship training. 
Furthermore, the degree with which HEIs measure their success as innovators in terms of nurturing 
the  start-up  sector  is  limited.  Only  52%  of  universities  use  it  to  a  large  or  moderate  extent. 
Equipping students and researchers with entrepreneurial skills represents a very important element 
to foster not only more attractive and effective careers, but also an enhanced circle of knowledge 
production, circulation and valorisation. 

The  concept  of  “labour  mismatch”  covers  complex  and  multifaceted  divergences  between 
qualifications and skills needs.134 To improve the balance between skill supply and labour market 
demand requires sustained dialogue and partnership within a local ecosystem between different 
policy areas (e.g., education, industry, labour, and regions) and between HEIs, business and civil 
society, and is intertwined with knowledge development and innovation policies.  

Ensuring that students have appropriate knowledge, skills, and competences requires innovative 
work-based learning initiatives and entrepreneurship programmes to promote links between SMEs 
and education as well as giving learners the appropriate skills to start their own business. Lifelong 
learning has to be a career-long priority to update knowledge and skills of graduates.  

Local impact 

The HE landscape is heterogeneous. Even in the case of elite HEIs, the concept of boosting their 
excellence would fall short in an ecosystem where non-HEI research centres, academy of science 
institutes, polytechnic universities, universities of applied science and specialised laboratories are 
all potential agents of excellence in a fragmented set-up. Hence, inclusiveness is key.  

HEIs contribute to knowledge spill-over within their ecosystems. They provide entrepreneurship 
training and opportunities, equipping graduates with the skills necessary to start businesses. They 
can  encourage  spin-offs  and  provide  access  to  multidisciplinary  research  environments.  They 
support new businesses by offering incubation service, including supporting the development of 
business  ideas  (business  plan  competitions,  support  from  technology  transfer  office),  offering 
physical space (accommodation, research facilities), support services, networking opportunities, 
mentoring staff and funding opportunities.135 

However, while Europe generates excellent new knowledge, its research intensity is weaker than 
some global competitors, and conversion into successful products or services less frequent. Too 
few start-up companies in Europe have become global innovation leaders in the past two decades, 
due to a weaker system of scientific research, connectivity between HEIs and business, too little 
intersectoral mobility of researchers, and a lower capacity of EU innovative companies and fewer 

132 https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/files/3077_en.pdf 
133 https://www.eua.eu/downloads/publications/innovation%20survey_position.pdf  
134 https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/videos/skills-mismatch-labour-markets  
135 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018.10.021   

29 

 
 
                                                           
entrepreneurs/intrapreneurs.136 There can also be an expectations mismatch regarding the roles of 
different actor in Smart Specialisation Strategies (RIS3) implementation and actual practice with 
implications for the regional innovation ecosystem.  

4.2. Challenges for innovation ecosystems and higher education 

HEIs  increasingly  prioritise  their  wider  responsibilities  within  the  development  of  their  local 
ecosystems.  HEIs  are  active  co-creators  of  knowledge,  addressing  societal  challenges  in  the 
research they conduct.137 This is reflected in the education offered, so that graduates become well 
suited  to  labour  market  needs  and  acquire  entrepreneurial  skills,  facilitating  the  creation  of 
innovative new businesses, products and services. Promoting exchanges in different fields, HEIs 
thus serve as “anchor institutions” within their cities and regions.138 

The local ecosystem is a “quintuple helix”, embracing HEIs, business, government and public 
authorities  other  educational  providers,  citizens  and  civil  society  organisations,  in  highly 
collaborative, open, flexible, sustainable, and ecologically sensitive ways.139 HEIs are major local 
employers,  purchasing  goods  and  services,  supporting  cultural  activities  and  acting  as  global 
gateways  for  attracting  both  investment  and  mobile  talent.  A  close  relationship  with  all 
stakeholders can ensure that educational and research programmes remain relevant to local as well 
as broader societal needs through providing on-going educational and training opportunities.  

Shaping the climate, social and economic transitions, and responding to health and socio-economic 
emergencies such as the COVID-19 crisis, require that excellent research results and innovation 
are efficiently valorised, and are transformed into sustainable solutions with economic and social 
value across the EU. A policy review140 shows that valorisation of research results and innovation 
occurs through various intertwined channels through which actors including academia, industry, 
private investors, public authorities and civil society interact. There is increasing evidence of the 
need to redefine the tools that lead to knowledge valorisation and adapt them to new ecosystem 
based approaches. The 2020 Science, Research and Innovation Performance Report underlined the 
need to maximise the value of the higher education sector Research and Innovation results and 
improve the management of research-based knowledge to keep up its competitiveness, while an 
OECD  report  on  university–industry  cooperation  directly  addresses  decreasing  levels  of 
cooperation.141  

Balancing priorities at local, national and EU levels can present HEIs with significant barriers to 
cooperation within their local ecosystems. Teaching programmes often regard societal innovation 
and entrepreneurship as “add-ons” and not a core part of curricula. Exploitation of innovations 
arising from academic research can be hampered by uneven regulatory frameworks for intellectual 
property rights, and by institutional bureaucratic inertia.  

Knowledge  about  innovation  capital  or  start-ups,  essential  for  scaling-up  innovation  from  the 
research  level,  can  be  difficult  to  access,  especially  if  scaling-up  takes  place  across  different 
countries.  There  are  also  different  practices  and  experiences  across  sectors  and  disciplines, 

https://www.interregeurope.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/plp_uploads/policy_briefs/2020-01-17_Policy_Brief_University-

136 
Industry_Collaboration.pdf p.8 
137 COM (2020) 625 final https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0625&from=EN  
138 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/e22067d5-c253-11ea-b3a4-01aa75ed71a1/language-en  
139 https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC88895   
140 https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-law-and-publications/publication-detail/-/publication/f35fded6-bc0b-11ea-811c-01aa75ed71a1  
141 
making/srip-report ; https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/science-and-technology/university-industry-collaboration_e9c1e648-en#page1. 

https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/strategy/support-policy-making/support-national-research-and-innovation-policy-

30 

 
 
                                                           
between staff and students, and between HEIs. Researchers attempting to start a spin-off often face 
bureaucracy  at  their  institution,  including  being  asked  for  a  large  equity  share  of  the  spin-off. 
Limited access to finance is also mentioned as a main challenge for new firms.142  

Technology  transfer  offices  liaise  between  HEIs  and  the  private  sector,  providing  access  to 
knowledge and expertise, services, consultancy and can identify and license new technologies and 
intellectual property, and offer facilities and equipment. However, most start-ups in Europe are 
created directly in the marketplace, bypassing institutional support mechanisms:143 of 116 venture 
capital-backed European unicorns, only 4 were university spin-offs.144 

Intersectoral mobility is a form of indirect cooperation between HEIs and businesses. However, 
practice varies across Member States.145  

This results in challenges for businesses, restricting exchanges with HEIs. There are insufficient 
incentives  and  resources  at  the  policy  or  institutional  level  to  support  collaboration,  patent 
valorisation arising from publicly funded research, or incentives for knowledge transfer.146 There 
are significant cultural differences and ways of working between higher education and business 
with different motivations and different approaches to time management. Too few employers know 
how to engage, resulting in fewer links with a university to serve on a committee or advise on 
course  design  –  and  vice  versa.  SMEs  refer  to  insufficient  knowledge  about  support 
programmes  or  how  to  access  such  programmes.147 Promotion  of  and  support  for  boundary-
spanning functions and people who engage regularly, and often informally, can have a positive 
impact. 

Intersectoral exchanges thrive in combination with interdisciplinary pedagogies. However, the 
structures of many study programmes are based on defined disciplines, rather than fully integrated 
interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary offers. Interdisciplinary teaching is more common in final 
year undergraduate or postgraduate study, or is  associated with  research projects  that are more 
oriented  towards  solving  challenges.  Interdisciplinary  and  intersectoral  approaches  can  be 
strengthened by collaboration between HEIs on a transnational level, requiring a European space 
of learning and research based on a high degree of transnational cooperation and mobility 
between education, training and research institutions, business and civil society organisations.  

The  importance  of  balanced  brain  circulation  has  been  increasingly  emphasised  in  policy 
discussions in recent  years. In the context of the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the EU 
(January-June 2020), the Zagreb Call for Action on Brain Circulation (2020) implied a strong call 
on EU Member States to jointly address unbalanced mobility of researchers in Europe.148 Each 
country has its historical and geographical background, culture, governance, and level of funding, 
which  determine  the  factors  leading  to  brain  drain.  Problems  at  country  level  tend  to  be 
characterised by a low capacity to consolidate young researchers in the system; a low capacity to 
attract and retain foreign researchers to the system and the need to foster reforms at system-level. 

Lastly, researchers, lecturers and all others aspiring an academic career face a lot of challenges to 
their  personal  career  development.  Research  activities  are  often  fragmented,  determined  by 

142 https://eurotech-universities.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/SV_EuroTech_Professors_Discussion_on_EU_Innovation.pdf  
143 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-016-9757-2.  
144 https://sifted.eu/articles/universities-startup-spinouts/ 
145 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/e9a18042-bdce-11eb-8aca-01aa75ed71a1/language-en   
146 https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/communities/sites/jrccties/files/technology_transfer_-_from_research_to_impact.pdf 
147 https://doi.org/10.1177/0950422221995114  
148 https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/worldwide/asean/eu-member-states-discuss-future-intra-european-talent-mobility  

31 

 
 
                                                           
publications and citations, and being competitive rather than collaborative. Researchers’ careers 
still  face  many  challenges,  including  precarious  working  conditions,  unbalanced  geographical 
mobility, trainings too much focused on careers in academia and insufficient intersectoral mobility 
between academia and business, or the lack of adequate recognition at societal level. There are 
also insufficient actions supporting females in technology and innovation, blocking the expansion 
of the share of female academics in STEM-fields.  

4.3. What has been achieved so far?  

To maximise impact, HEIs need to be more fully engaged, open, collaborative, and networked, 
building  innovative,  transformative  hybrid  structures  that  combine  physical  and  virtual  places 
which build bridges across sectors and borders. The renewed EU Agenda for Higher Education 
identified building inclusive and connected HEIs as one of its four priorities. In addition to the EU 
Green  Deal  and  the  significant  investments  into  higher  education  through  the  Recovery  and 
Resilience Package, a range of EU initiatives support better alignment between HEIs with their 
ecosystems.  

In the context of innovation, innovative practices are boosted in many ways. The European Institute 
of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has launched the Higher Education Initiative which focuses 
specifically on HEIs in areas of lagging research and innovation capacities. Building bridges with 
more advanced institutions it “will improve their entrepreneurial and innovation capacity across 
all institutional levels”.149 The EIT Label offers a quality seal for education programmes focussing 
specifically on innovation, and entrepreneurship, leadership, and creativity.150  

The  Widening  Participation  and  Spreading  Excellence  action  targets  resources  on  countries 
with lagging research and innovation capacities.151 Responsible research and innovation (RRI) 
is an inclusive approach, ensuring societal actors work together across the research and innovation 
process,  and  that  account  is  taken  of  the  effects  and  potential  impacts  on  the  environment  and 
society.152  Inno-EUt+  is  a  pilot  initiative  to  support  innovation  capacity  building  for  higher 
education.153  Erasmus+  Alliances  for  Innovation  strengthen  Europe’s  innovation  capacity  by 
boosting innovation through cooperation and flows of knowledge between higher education, VET, 
research, and the broader socio-economic environment.154 
The  EU  Knowledge  Valorisation  Platform155  provides  an  interactive  forum  to  stimulate 
cooperation across borders and improve the broad uptake of research results in society and the 
economy.  It  enables  the  sharing  of  best  practice,  knowledge  and  expertise,  thereby  improving 
policies and investments and enhancing capacities and skills related to knowledge valorisation.  

In the context of HEI-industry cooperation, European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) 
strengthen economic, social, and territorial cohesion in the European Union.156 Its funding helps 
to  “modernise  education  and  training  systems”  by  supporting  infrastructure  and  equipment  for 

149 https://eit.europa.eu/news-events/news/new-eit-initiative-launched-boost-innovation-higher-education  
150 https://eit.europa.eu/our-activities/education/eit-label  
151https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-
europe/widening-participation-and-spreading-excellence_en  
152 https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/h2020-section/public-engagement-responsible-research-and-innovation  
153 https://www.univ-tech.eu/inno-eut  
154 https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/programme-guide/part-b/key-action-2/partnerships-cooperation/alliances-innovation_en 
155 
valorisation-platform_en  
156 https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/funding/erdf/#1  

https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/research-area/industrial-research-and-innovation/eu-valorisation-policy/knowledge-

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inclusive and quality education.157 ERDF now facilitates investment into building human capital 
and modern skills in smart specialisation priority areas identified in the process of entrepreneurial 
discovery.158 

Like  ERDF,  other  initiatives  address  university-industry  cooperation.  The  European  Battery 
Alliance (EBA) brings together EU national authorities, regions, industry research institutes, HEIs 
and  other  stakeholders  in  the  battery  value  chain.  Interreg  also  positions  university-industry 
collaboration  as  a  critical  component  of  the  innovation  process.159  InnoCentive  is  an  open 
innovation marketplace which connects “Seekers” (companies and Start-ups) with Solvers (experts 
“from within and outside industry who offer perspective and free insights”).160 HEInnovate is a 
flagship initiative with OECD to provide guidance and self-assessment for HEIs to become more 
innovative and entrepreneurial, being used since 2013 by 1,300 HEIs.161  

Added to this, there are a couple of initiatives addressing the gaps between academia and civil 
society  and  business.  Smart  Specialisation  Strategies  (RIS3)  help  HEIs  to  connect  different 
actors  and  fuel  innovation,  as  shown  by  evidence  from  Lithuania162,  Portugal163,  northeast 
Romania164, and northern Netherlands.165 Higher Education for Smart Specialisation (HESS) 
explores  how  HEIs  contribute  to  smart  specialisation  knowledge  production  as  well  as  human 
capital development, knowledge dissemination and transfer, and supporting entrepreneurship.166 
The European Research Area actions include Guiding Principles for knowledge valorisation167 
and a Code of Practice for the smart use of intellectual property, by the end of 2022. The Council 
Proposal for a Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe168 identified “value creation” as a key 
principle  underpinning  European  research  and  innovation,  and  highlighted  “knowledge 
valorisation” as a priority area for joint action by Member States. 

Skills 

In line with  the  European Skills  Agenda, a feasibility study tested a new concept  to  promote 
demand-driven  industry-academia  knowledge  exchange  and  uptake  in  European-wide  setting. 
International  teams  of  students,  researchers  and  enterprise  representatives  explored  companies’ 
business challenges and produced concrete scenarios for product and service to help participating 
companies to successfully develop their business and overcome their challenges.169 

Good practice at the national level includes Spain and the Netherlands, which emphasise HEIs 
engagement with the society.170 In Ireland, engagement is a component of performance agreements 
between HEIs and the Government.171 Regional Skills Fora provide a structure at NUTS 3 level 

https://www.interregeurope.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/plp_uploads/policy_briefs/2020-01-17_Policy_Brief_University-

157 https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/policy/themes/education-training/  
158 https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/policy/themes/education-training/  
159 
Industry_Collaboration.pdf  
160 https://www.innocentive.com  
161 https://heinnovate.eu/en  
162 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/a401420b-af7d-11ea-bb7a-01aa75ed71a1/language-en  
163 https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC123230  
164 https://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/en/w/higher-education-for-smart-specialisation-the-case-of-north-east-romania  
165 https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC121432  
166 https://doi.org/10.2760/376572;   
167 https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/research-area/industrial-research-and-innovation/eu-valorisation-policy_en  
168 https://ec.europa.eu/info/news/commission-adopts-proposal-pact-research-and-innovation-europe-2021-jul-16_en  
169 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/a795bea8-19bb-11ec-b4fe-01aa75ed71a1  
170 https://www.regionalskills.ie  
171 https://hea.ie/assets/uploads/2018/01/higher-education-system-performance-framework-2018-2020.pdf  

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for employers and HEIs to meet the skills needs of their regions.172 For research, engagement and 
societal  benefit  are  both  underpinning  principles  and  indicators  for  research,  for  example  the 
Swedish  Research  and  Innovation  Bill  2021.173  Intersectoral  mobility  schemes  are  prevalent  in 
countries with a longstanding tradition of HEI-business collaboration (e.g., Belgium, Luxembourg, 
Denmark, Sweden, and Norway), but are less evident in Central and Eastern Europe where the 
innovation  capacity  of  these  countries  is  lower.  Such  schemes  are  usually  supported  and 
implemented with support of European Structural Investment Funds.174 

To  facilitate  and  support  the  development  and  cross-border  networking  of  national  knowledge 
transfer office networks and the work of existing pan-European networks, the Commission’s Joint 
Research  Centre  has  launched  an  initiative  that  aims  at  enhancing  collaboration  on  knowledge 
transfer  among  the  TTOs  (Technology  Transfer  Offices)  of  large  European  public  research 
organisations - the "European TTO circle".  The TTO Circle includes 31 of the largest European 
public  research  organisations  (PROs)  whose  prime  mission  is  to  perform  research.  They  have 
agreed  to  join  forces  on  Technology  Transfer  to  boost  innovation  in  Europe  through  a  set  of 
initiatives,  including:  fostering  the  use  of  their  knowledge  portfolio;  sharing  best  practices, 
knowledge  and  expertise;  performing  joint  activities;  establishing  informal  channels  of 
communication with policymakers; organising training programmes; and developing a common 
approach towards international standards for the professionalization of Technology Transfer.  

Mobility and staff 

Intersectoral exchanges are also supported through the Erasmus+ mobility projects, most notably 
with  the  student  traineeships  for  study  that  sent  almost  580,000  students  abroad  on  often 
intersectoral  exchanges  under  the  former  Erasmus+  programme.  Related  to  this  the  Erasmus 
Mundus  Master  programmes  which  include  a  specific  topic,  link  across  European  regions,  or 
provide  practical  fieldwork  that  encourages  students  to  acquire  skills  across  a  range  of  issues, 
encouraging  transdisciplinary.  Under  Horizon  Europe,  Marie  Skłodowska-Curie  Actions 
Doctoral Networks offer training schemes to early-stage researchers within a specific theme, such 
as health, digital industry, or sustainability, rather than a set discipline. 

To  support  academic  career  paths,  the  European  Charter  for  Researchers  and  the  Code  of 
Conduct  for  the  Recruitment  of  Researchers  (Charter  &  Code),  adopted  through  a 
Commission  Recommendation  in  2005,  and  its  implementing  mechanism  Human  Resources 
Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R), contributed towards the strengthening of the ERA and to the 
development of an attractive, open, and sustainable European labour market for researchers.  

In addition, it is important to develop initiatives for evaluating, auditing, and identifying gaps in 
researchers’ personal and professional career development. To respond to this necessity, and in 
line with the 2020 new ERA Communication and the Skills Agenda, the Commission is finalising, 
in  consultation  with  stakeholders  and  with  the  coaching  of  the  Joint  Research  Centre, 
ResearchComp – the European Competence Framework for Researchers. 

Lifelong learning for academic staff members is supported by the Erasmus+ staff mobilities, that 
sent  over  370,000  staff  members  of  European  HEIs  abroad  between  2014  and  2020. 

172 https://www.regionalskills.ie  
173 
swedish-research-council.html  
174 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/e9a18042-bdce-11eb-8aca-01aa75ed71a1/language-en    

https://www.vr.se/english/just-now/news/news-archive/2021-01-15-new-initiatives-in-the-governments-research-bill-that-relate-to-the-

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EURAXESS175  provides  valuable  support  to  overcome  obstacles  faced  by  researchers  when 
moving abroad, and by non-European researchers when moving to Europe.  

4.4. Developments needed to further the quality and relevance  

Innovation 

There is considerable potential for EU action to reinforce the value and the importance of open 
and  social  innovation.  An  open  innovation  model  can  enrich  partnerships  between  HEIs, 
businesses, and citizens, encouraging large businesses to cooperate with dynamic smaller ones. 

It is crucial to improve the translation of R&I results into the economy. This can be achieved by 
to  strengthening  the  innovation  ecosystems  for  knowledge  circulation  and  valorisation  by 
establishing  stronger  interconnection  between  existing  collaborative  and  supportive 
structures  engaging  a  diversity  of  stakeholders  in  multi-disciplinary  and  cross-sectorial 
collaborations. European Commission, in close collaboration with The European Committee of 
the Regions, the member states and stakeholders, will conceptualise, pilot and launch the  ERA 
Hubs176. This initiative will build on the existing capacities, such as the Digital Innovation Hubs 
and  clusters,  and  links  to  the  Enterprise  Europe  Network  and  StartUpEurope,  to  provide  an 
interconnected  knowledge  space.  ERA  Hubs  will  facilitate  collaboration  and  exchange  of  best 
practices, with the incentive to maximise the value of knowledge production, circulation and use. 

Stakeholders  emphasise  the  need  to  foster  synergies  and  cohesion  between  existing  and 
emerging  instruments  at  the  EU,  regional  and  national  levels.  More  knowledge  and  trans-
European  networks  and  dedicated  platforms  can  be  decisive  in  identifying  capabilities  and 
connecting key actors. The alignment of EU programmes should be done both at the level of policy 
priorities  and  programme  objectives,  and  at  the  level  of  funding  rules  and  implementation 
modalities.177 Providing structures and opportunities for more links between higher education and 
the European Innovation Council, and with national research councils, would be beneficial.  

Industry-university cooperation 

Meeting  many  of  the  economic  and  social  challenges  of  the  future  will  require  fundamental 
improvements  in  our  public  services  and  the  way  we  do  things  as  well  as  new  products  and 
processes. Capitalising on the benefits of both social and technological innovation, while keeping 
on  building  on  Europe’s  social,  cultural  and  regional  advantages  and  diversity,  is  key  to 
underpinning European competitiveness. Developing sustainable collaboration models between 
HEIs and all stakeholders in their local ecosystem is seen as an important contributor to success, 
helping to close innovation gaps between different European regions.178  

Correspondingly, stakeholders need strategic investment in education and training to enable 
learners  to  attain  high-level  skills  and  expertise,  including  entrepreneurial  skills.179  Better 
integration of entrepreneurship training into all study programmes could address a broad range of 
entrepreneurial and transversal skills, including in interdisciplinary contexts. Such training would 

175 https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/  
176 https://cor.europa.eu/en/news/Pages/towards-full-recognition-Regional-Innovation-Hubs.aspx  
177 
programmes.html   
178 
interest  
179 https://www.cesaer.org/content/5-operations/2020/20200420-position-european-education-area.pdf    

https://eua.eu/resources/publications/918:building-synergies-between-education,-research-and-innovation-by-aligning-the-eu-funding-

https://www.esu-online.org/?policy=esus-reaction-to-the-eu-council-conclusions-on-the-european-universities-lets-do-it-right-for-students-

35 

 
 
                                                           
contribute to the development of innovative mindsets, bringing added value for a wide range of 
career  paths.  More  investment  is  required  also  in  investigation-driven  frontier  and  application-
oriented  research. HEIs  are  in  an  ideal  position  to  offer  interdisciplinary,  transdisciplinary  and 
transversal skills to address challenges such as digital transformation or climate change.180  

It  is  important to  valorise engagement and innovation. HEIs and their  researchers have been 
incentivised  and  rewarded  more  according  to  research  outputs,  income  generation,  and 
collaboration  internationally.  This  has  been  strengthened  by  international  league  tables/rankings 
which  prioritise  global  excellence  rather  than  research  of  national  or  regional  significance.  This 
undermines interdisciplinarity, regional engagement and the diversity of Europe’s HEIs.  

More attention should be placed on recognising knowledge that makes an impact on society from 
across a wider spectrum of education and research activities and takes advantage of open science 
to share outcomes and benefits. Regional engagement, and interdisciplinary teaching and research, 
should be given due regard in any reward and assessment system. Consultations with stakeholders 
recognised the need for basing assessment criteria on qualitative judgement for which peer-review 
is  central,  supported where needed by responsible use of quantitative indicators181. This  would 
help to expand how merit is recognised and rewarded across disciplines, activities, and across the 
full career-span, and hence broaden academic career opportunities.  

Staff careers 
The pursuit of research excellence182 needs to be underpinned by a system where HEIs are seen as 
attractive employers, providing rewards and incentives, clear career paths and the opportunities 
for collaboration and mobility. Alongside this, HEIs need to be incentivised to provide outstanding 
research  infrastructure  and  rationalisation  of  the R&I  landscape  in  Member  States  to  make  the 
local R&I ecosystems more efficient and effective. 

A comprehensive framework should further strengthen all the aspects related to research careers 
that have not been sufficiently addressed by the Charter and Code and other existing instruments, 
including  due  to  their  lack  of  binding  effects.  There  is  a  need  to  improve  employment  and 
working  conditions  for  researchers  in  HEIs,  to  promote  the  skilling  of  researchers  with  a 
lifelong learning perspective to align their skills and competences to the needs also of the sectors 
beyond academia, to foster intersectoral and interdisciplinary mobility and career diversification, 
to move towards a research assessment system more focused on quality and impact of research, 
than on the number of publications, and to close any gaps relating to gender.  

Traditionally,  HEIs  and  their  researchers  have  been  incentivised  and  rewarded  according  to 
research outputs and income  generation  and  collaboration internationally  rather than service to 
society. This approach has been strengthened by international league tables/rankings which prioritise 
global excellence rather than research of national or regional significance. More attention should be 
placed on recognising and valuing knowledge that makes an impact on society from across a 
wider spectrum of education and research activities and takes advantage of open science to share 

https://eurotech-universities.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/THE-FUTURE-OF-THE-EU-AS-AN-INCLUSIVE-AND-SUSTAINABLE-

180 
INNOVATIVE-ECONOMY.pdf   
181 European Commission scoping report (2021) “Towards a reform of the research assessment system” https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/707440 
182 https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-13701-2021-INIT/en/pdf.  

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outcomes  and  benefits  with  society.  Regional  engagement,  and  interdisciplinary  teaching  and 
research, should be given due regard in any reward and assessment system.183 

All learners should be considered lifelong learners. Micro-credentials, alongside other formal, non-
formal and informal  learning opportunities, have an  important  role to  play  in  recognising such 
learning.184  They  can  be  a  driver  of  innovation  providing  flexible  and  inclusive  learning 
opportunities  for  people  entering  or  re-entering  higher  education,  for  continuous  professional 
development  (CPD),  for  people  seeking  re-skilling  or  up-skilling,  and  as  a  complement  to 
traditional qualifications.185 Mechanisms to recognise prior learning and to more specifically link 
learning  to  existing  competencies,  are  also  important.  This  requires  on-going  cooperation  with 
regional stakeholders to ensure the relevance of the programmes.  

However, innovative pedagogical approaches and lifelong learning remains strongly dependent on 
national  institutional  frameworks  and  qualification  systems,  where  convergence  remains  slow. 
Thus, to meet the EU ambition, more work is required to spur pedagogical innovation and to ensure 
a common understanding, definition of standards and recognition of new qualifications, as well as 
ensuring that EHEA tools are appropriately applied.  

Success stories of transnational projects showcasing the quality and relevance of European 
higher education 
Funded through Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020, EU-CONEXUS is the European Universities Alliance for 
Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability186. It is an alliance of six universities located in urban coastlines areas, 
and has the ambition to cover smart urban sustainable coastal development from a holistic point of view by 
using  transdisciplinary  approaches  in  education  and  research.  It  actively  contributes  to  economic 
development and regional policy-making, and with socio-economic stakeholders, it has launched a Joint 
Master Programme in Marine Biotechnology. 

Towards  a  European  Framework  for  Community  Engagement  in  Higher  Education 
(TEFCE)187 is an Erasmus+ Support for Policy Reform project. Ten partners range across universities, 
consultancies, local and governments, and stakeholder organisations. The objective of the TEFCE project 
is to develop innovative policy tools at the university, and European level for supporting, monitoring and 
assessing  the  community  engagement  of  higher  education  institutions.  It  has  developed  an  innovative 
toolbox on the community engagement of universities and has assessed tools to monitor and incentivise 
community engagement of universities at the European level. 

Institutions  for  Knowledge  Intensive  Development:  Economic  and  Regulatory  Aspects  in 
South-East Asian Transition Economies188 is funded through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research 
and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) Action. Participants are from Estonia and Switzerland, with partners 
in  Laos,  Vietnam,  and  Cambodia.  The  project  seeks  to  understand  the  causes  and  consequences  of  the 
differences  in  the  evolution  of  knowledge  intensity  of  economies.  It  is  developing  lasting  excellence-
oriented  cooperation  with  South-East  Asian  universities,  based  on  European  academic  values.  Through 
inter-sectoral  knowledge  transfer,  it  contributes  to  social  innovation  through  policy  suggestions,  and 
reassesses the role of institutions in transition processes. 

https://www.esu-online.org/?policy=esus-reaction-to-the-eu-council-conclusions-on-the-european-universities-lets-do-it-right-for-students-

183 https://www.vsnu.nl/recognitionandrewards/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Position-paper-Room-for-everyone’s-talent.pdf  
184 
interest  
185 https://ec.europa.eu/education/education-in-the-eu/european-education-area/a-european-approach-to-micro-credentials_en   
186 https://www.eu-conexus.eu/en/  
187 https://www.tefce.eu/  
188 https://taltech.ee/en/ikid  

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Structuration  et  Accompagnement  de  L’Entrepreneuriat  Etudiant  au  Maghreb 
(SALEEM)189 is funded by the Erasmus+ capacity building in higher education action. Partners in France, 
Belgium and Romania link to those in Morocco and Tunisia to foster student entrepreneurship. There are 
two  specific  objectives:  1.  Accompany  the  Ministries  of  Higher  Education  of  Tunisia  and  Morocco  in 
setting up a national system on student entrepreneurship; 2. Strengthen the capacity of higher education 
institutions to support student entrepreneurs in four pilot cities, in partnership with employment agencies 
and economic actors.  
Micro-credentials linked to the Bologna key commitments (MICROBOL)190 is an Erasmus+ 
Key Action 3 project. The project supports ministries and stakeholders in exploring, within the Bologna 
Process, whether and how the existing Bologna tools can be used and be adapted to be applicable to micro-
credentials. Based on the findings of these activities, a common European framework for micro-credentials, 
notably in the context of higher education, will be proposed in February 2022. 

5. Diversity, inclusiveness, and gender equality  

5.1. Key guiding principles in inclusiveness, diversity, and gender equality in European 

higher education  

Social and economic equality is a value deeply engrained in European culture, being promulgated 
through European social welfare models. However, income inequality has been on the rise in most 
European countries. The most vulnerable groups have been young people, especially low-skilled 
youths, people with immigrant backgrounds, ethnic minorities, and families with children.191  

Gender equality is a core European value enshrined in the Treaties, and in the European Pillar of 
Social Rights,  but  gender  inequalities  persist  across  the  EU and  have  been  reinforced  by  the 
COVID-19 pandemic.192 Such inequalities can hamper social cohesion. Higher education, and the 
entire  education  and  training  system,  has  a  key  role  to  play  in  overcoming  inequalities,  and 
enhancing social mobility and opportunity for everyone in Europe. To strengthen this role, it is 
crucial to ensure equal access to, and completion of, a quality higher education for all.  

Europe prides itself that it has a highly accessible higher education system. In some EU Member 
States higher education tuition for first-cycle students continues to be free of charge.193 However, 
Europe  faces  underrepresentation  of  disadvantaged  groups  in  higher  education.  Ensuring  that 
higher education is accessible to diverse student populations remains a key objective for the EU, 
as  declared  in  the  European  Commission’s  Communication  on  achieving  the  European 
Education  Area  by  2025.194  The  EU  action  in  higher  education  also  fully  adheres  to  the  first 
Principle of the European Pillar of Social Rights.195 

EU action towards inclusiveness, diversity, and gender equality in European higher education is 
based on an inclusive excellence approach. The EU promotes a vision of excellence that is open, 

189 https://www.projet-saleem.org/  
190 https://microcredentials.eu/  
191 https://www.oecd.org/wise/Inequalities-in-Household-Wealth-and-Financial-Insecurity-of-Households-Policy-Brief-July-2021.pdf  
192 https://eige.europa.eu/gender-equality-index/2021    
193 https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/content/national-student-fee-and-support-systems-european-higher-education-202021_en  
194 COM(2020) 625 final  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52020DC0625&qid=1634726045354   
195 
rights/european-pillar-social-rights-20-principles_en 

https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/economy-works-people/jobs-growth-and-investment/european-pillar-social-

38 

 
 
 
                                                           
fair, and spread across the regions, types of HEIs, and across the four missions196 in a balanced 
way.197  The  European  model  of  inclusive  excellence  is  strongly  articulated  in  the  principle  of 
social dimension as defined in the Principles and Guidelines to Strengthen the Social Dimension 
of Higher Education in the EHEA (Rome Ministerial Communiqué 2020 Annex II).198 

Inclusive excellence: fair and balanced across regions, HEIs and their missions 

The  idea  behind  the  principle  of  inclusive  excellence  is  that  EU  funding  for  higher  education 
should not  be distributed to  only a few institutions with  strong research  capabilities, but  rather 
should support excellence in HEIs throughout Europe. Furthermore, the current understanding of 
a fair and balanced excellence is that excellence does not reside only in research, but that the EU 
should support and validate excellence and potential for impact in any HEI, and any core mission. 
The EU’s approach is distinct compared to other parts of the world where market-led competition 
has resulted in strong hierarchies of HEIs. The principle of inclusive excellence is rooted in the 
European values, and it is aligned with the EU’s commitment to social and regional cohesion. 

Within the European approach, excellence is sought across all higher education core missions – 
learning and teaching, research and innovation, knowledge utilisation and diffusion, engagement 
and  service  to  society,  and  institutional  governance  and  management.  This  recognises  that  all 
(types) of HEIs can have activities of international excellence or have a potential for significant 
social impact that is worth supporting. The European model offers every HEI the opportunity to 
develop excellence in their most competitive fields or in those areas with most potential for societal 
impact.  It incentivises HEIs to build excellence in areas which they deem important, be that in 
global competition for knowledge, addressing societal challenges (such as SDGs), and/or meeting 
the specific needs of the local communities or regions in which these institutions are embedded, 
and where they provide support and purpose.  

The  European  model  has  intrinsic  value  for  Europe’s  global  competitiveness.  Strengthened 
excellence,  social  fairness,  more  equitable  development  across  the  European  higher  education 
system  also  raises  the  global  competitiveness  of  European  higher  education.  Maximising  the 
overall capacity and capability of Europe’s diverse HEIs through fair and balanced excellence 
and transnational cooperation, such as European Universities and other alliances199, strengthens 
Europe’s role internationally. Europe can therefore further strengthen its global competitiveness 
when transnational cooperation involves different types of HEIs conjoining different aspects of 
excellence and experiences, to create multiple layers of deep collaboration.  

Inclusive excellence: the link to the social dimension in higher education 

Inclusive excellence is about providing additional targeted support to under-represented and under-
served  communities  from  across  Europe  to  ensure  their  effective  equal  access  to  excellent 
education,  and  equal  chance  of  achievement  in  higher  education.  Creating  an  inclusive 
environment in higher education that fosters equity and diversity, and is responsive to the needs 
of local communities, the “social dimension in higher education” (as defined in the Principles 

196  This  relates  to  principles  as  initially  defined  in  the  policy  paper  by  the  German,  French,  and  Polish  Rectors’  Conferences:  
https://www.hrk.de/fileadmin/redaktion/hrk/02-Dokumente/02-05-Forschung/CPU-HRK-
KRASP_Living_Up_to_the_Significance_of_Universities_CZ_SVN_SVK.pdf  
196 http://www.ehea.info/Upload/Rome_Ministerial_Communique_Annex_II.pdf  
197 
KRASP_Living_Up_to_the_Significance_of_Universities_CZ_SVN_SVK.pdf  
198 http://www.ehea.info/Upload/Rome_Ministerial_Communique_Annex_II.pdf  
199 https://ec.europa.eu/education/education-in-the-eu/european-education-area/european-universities-initiative_en  

https://www.hrk.de/fileadmin/redaktion/hrk/02-Dokumente/02-05-Forschung/CPU-HRK-

39 

 
 
                                                           
and Guidelines to Strengthen Social Dimension of Higher Education in the EHEA200) is one of the 
key commitments in EU’s policies on higher education. EU action in higher education seeks to 
support excellent higher education while ensuring equity of access, participation, and successful 
completion, with a special focus on learners from underrepresented, disadvantaged, discriminated 
and marginalised communities.  

The EU provides support measures which enable students with different needs and circumstances 
to access, participate in and complete higher education. This includes flexible learning pathways, 
recognition of prior learning, counselling, guidance and support to transition from schooling to 
higher  education,  inclusive  learning  environments,  digitalisation,  and  access  to  international 
mobility  programs.  In  this  regard,  EU  action  is  aligned  with  the  vision  of  a  socially  inclusive 
European Higher Education Area. 

Digital transitions that ensure inclusive access to skills, equipment and digital infrastructure offer 
new opportunities not only for access to higher education, but also for access to transnational 
cooperation  and  mobility,  for  learners,  academics  and  researchers  that  might  have  fewer 
opportunities due to their social circumstances, thus helping to encourage diversity and  help to 
overcome disadvantage and geographic disparities. 

5.2. Further improvements needed on inclusiveness, diversity, and gender equality   

It is through the diversity of European HEIs, their many purposes, disciplinary orientations, and 
approaches that together we can address complex societal challenges. Collectively HEIs can fulfil 
societal  expectations and cater for the diverse needs and expectations of students.  However, in 
some  Member  States,  higher  VET  institutions,  i.e.  those  providing  VET  at  levels  5-8  of  the 
European  Qualification  Framework  (EQF)  are  perceived  as  less  prestigious  than  research 
universities. Such status differentiation drives cultural and social misperceptions about the value 
and  importance  of  VET.  In  the  eyes  of  some,  they  can  diminish  the  worth  of  these  career 
pathways.201 However, higher VET is key to equip workers with the advanced vocational skills 
needed to address the digital and green transitions as well as for the recovery and better resilience 
in a socially fair post COVID-19 context. In general, the COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us 
that we need people working in all kinds of employment, such as in manufacturing and technical 
fields, hospitals and healthcare centres, retail and software, building design and planning, logistics. 

VET is a vital part of a multi-faceted higher education system. It can support innovation by raising 
the  overall  productive  capacity,  and  increasing  growth  in  both  high-tech  and  lower-tech 
industries.202 Because economies require a diversity of occupations, higher education must provide 
learners with a range of flexible and interconnected learning pathways and formats with access 
into employment and/or into education and training throughout their lives, and collaborate with 
vocational education and training institutions to provide opportunities for  individuals to upskill 
and reskill themselves.203 204 

200 http://www.ehea.info/Upload/Rome_Ministerial_Communique_Annex_II.pdf 
201 Goodhart, D. (2020) Head, Hand, Heart: Why Intelligence is Over-Rewarded, Manual Workers Matter and Caregivers Deserve More Respect. 
New York, London, Toronto, Sydney, New Delhi: Free Press.  
202 https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC118229    
203 Ibid. 
204  Note  in  this  context  also  the  educational  toolkits  to  help  fight  gender  stereotypes  based  on  examples  from  the  transport  sector 
(https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/6b595f96-3087-11ec-bd8e-01aa75ed71a1/language-en ) 

40 

 
 
                                                           
Higher VET can open up new doors for learners who can build on their previous studies and/or 
non-formally and informally acquired skills and competences. By providing pathways for VET 
graduates to higher education, higher VET contributes to more diversity among higher education 
learners. For example, indicative data show that qualifications at EQF level 5 – the so-called short-
cycle  programmes  –  are  particularly  attractive  to  learners  with  a  VET  background  and  those 
already in employment205.  

Many  Member  States  have  strong  and  respected  systems  of  vocational  education  and  training, 
successfully providing people with the knowledge, know-how, skills, and competences required 
for a rapidly changing labour market. Their HEIs have strong traditions offering education and 
training, often blending in-classroom learning with experiential learning in the workplace, and at 
EQF-level  5  or  above.  Yet,  too  often,  public  investment  and  resources  in  these  institutions  is 
significantly less than in research HEIs.206  

It is therefore imperative that Member States allocate resources do develop an  inclusive higher 
education system in which a diversity of HEIs flourish, and can individually and collectively offer 
flexibility and choice to learners and all other higher education stakeholders.  

Fostering a diversity of learners that reflects the diversity of European societies, and helps 
equity and inclusion is promoted in the European Pillar of Social Rights. Yet, across European 
higher education, many societal groups are under-represented among academic staff, students, and 
researchers. Participation in higher education continues to be unequal from a social background 
perspective, leading to the stratification of opportunity. This goes against the basic human rights 
principles of equity and inclusion, and is a waste of talent.  

Students  born  to  parents  with  a  low  level  of  educational  attainment,  the  so-called  “first 
generation students”, are under-represented in all EU countries, and their trajectories into and 
through  higher  education  often  differ  from  students  whose  parents  attained  tertiary  education 
degrees.  A  2021  EUROSTUDENT  report207  highlights  that  parental  education  and  financial 
background  of  students  play  a  key  role  in  shaping  their  study  experience  and  living.  Students 
without  tertiary  educated  parents  are  underrepresented  in  almost  all  25  EUROSTUDENT 
countries.  Fewer  students  whose  parents  did  not  attain  a  tertiary  degree  are  enrolled  in  HE 
compared to the rest of the population. First generation student pathways into higher education are 
on average through later entry, and more often via alternative access routes. These students are 
more often enrolled in HEIs other than universities than in universities. Moreover, participation in 
study periods abroad is lower among first generation students.  

Alongside their studies, students without tertiary educated parents are more likely to have a paid 
job during the teaching and learning period, and rely on public support or their own income to a 
greater extent. Their parents are financially less well-off than those of students whose parents have 
a tertiary education background. The financial difficulties of students are clearly related to parental 
financial status, and almost every second student whose parents are not well-off indicated that they 
would be able to cover an unexpected expense requiring 60%  of  the  national  median  monthly 

205 https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/publications/6123#group-downloads  
206 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/bookmark/593f091b-d688-41a5-856d-495b1d68dabc?lang=en&page=time:2018  
207 https://www.eurostudent.eu/download_files/documents/EUROSTUDENT_VII_Synopsis_of_Indicators.pdf  

41 

 
 
                                                           
income (e.g., to replace a laptop), while only 10% of students with very well-off parents would 
not be able to afford the expense.208  

Migrants and students with migrant parents are less likely to succeed in higher education than 
native  students.  Disparities  are  particularly  significant  in  southern  European  countries  where 
participation  rates  are  twice  as  high  for  native-born  as  opposed  to  foreign-born  students.209 
According to EUROSTUDENT VII, compared to the general population, students from the second 
generation  of  migrants  (with  at  least  one  parent  born  abroad)  are  underrepresented  in  many 
countries, particularly students with two foreign-born parents.210  

HE systems are also not adapting sufficiently to meet the needs of students with physical and 
mental impairments. The EUROSTUDENT VII report notes that the proportion of students that 
indicated feeling out of place in higher education is higher among students with an impairment 
than among their peers without.211 

While the number of mature students has increased in recent years, there are increasing societal 
challenges with a fast-changing labour market and technological changes. HEIs need to continue 
diversifying, and to continue showing flexibility in terms of access through prior non-formal and 
informal  learning.  Currently  systems  for  recognising  informal  and  non-formal  learning  are 
uneven, with Belgium (Flemish Community), Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, and Romania 
having well-developed procedures in place.212  

While the overall percentages of women and men studying in higher education have stabilised in 
recent years at around 54% female and 46% male213, there persist notable gender imbalances in 
some discipline areas. Education, health and welfare and arts and humanities are fields of study 
that are strongly female dominated, varying at between 65% and 80% female participation.214 In 
information  and  communication  studies  and  engineering,  manufacturing,  and  construction  the 
inverse picture exists, with males comprising between 67% and 82% of students. If this imbalance 
remains, this will perpetuate problems for the labour market and society.  

Another gender imbalance concerns participation in academic professions. Gender balance in 
Europe clearly decreases with seniority: women occupy 26% of top academic positions, but only 
18% in engineering and technology. Among Heads of HEIs, women hold slightly below 24% of 
these positions in EU27,215 and only about 14% of rectors are female.216  

208 https://www.eurostudent.eu/download_files/documents/EUROSTUDENT_VII_Synopsis_of_Indicators.pdf 
209 https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/content/european-higher-education-area-2020-bologna-process-implementation-report_en 
p.107 
210 https://www.eurostudent.eu/download_files/documents/EUROSTUDENT_VII_Synopsis_of_Indicators.pdf  
211 ibid 
212 https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/content/european-higher-education-area-2020-bologna-process-implementation-report_en 
p.118 
213 ibid p.103 
214 ibid p.104 
215 https://op.europa.eu/s/tflN  
216 
https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/web_diversity%20equity%20and%20inclusion%20in%20european%20higher%20education%20institution
s.pdf  

42 

 
 
                                                           
Difficulties are also experienced by academic staff from different ethnic or racial backgrounds. 
For  example,  a  survey  in  Ireland  found  that  much  more  needs  to  be  done  to  address  ethnicity 
discrimination and inequality with regards to salary, promotion, and other career opportunities.217  

According  to  the  NESET  “under-represented,  vulnerable  and  disadvantaged  groups  were 
disproportionately  affected  by  the  impact  of  COVID-19  on  higher  education,  in  terms  of 
perceived learning losses, financial concerns and lower levels of mental health and well-being”.218 
In turn, students with lower levels of mental health and well-being face a greater risk of drop-
out.219 The effects of COVID-19 on deteriorating educational equality in pre-tertiary education are 
also likely to have a direct effect on lowering the level of participation of disadvantaged groups in 
higher education.220  

The  NESET  report  also  pointed  out  the  challenge  facing  international  student  mobility  in  the 
medium term (up till 2025) both in terms of how HEIs will cope with decreasing enrolments of 
international  students  and  how  they  will  support  those  who  have  decided  to  enrol  in  virtual 
mobility or blended mobility programmes.221 Supporting higher education in designing online and 
blended  provision,  and  equipping  teachers  and  students  with  digital  skills  for  quality  online 
teaching  and  learning,  have  been  highlighted  as  major  issues  that  needs  to  be  addressed 
promptly.222 

Policies  implemented  by  HEIs  to  address  inclusiveness,  diversity  and  gender  equality  are 
relatively  broad,  and  include  measures  particularly  addressing  disability  and  gender.  Age  and 
religious  diversity  play  a  minor  role.223  State  policies,  however,  are  often  narrower  in  scope, 
focusing  on  supporting  access  and  attainment  of  prospective  students  based  on  their  socio-
economic  and  educational  backgrounds.224  Comprehensive  state  policies  tend  to  be  lacking, 
especially ones that adopt an intersectional approach: Only a small number of EU countries225 
have coherent strategies to foster social inclusion in higher education,226 and HEIs tend to be left 
to themselves to deal with inclusion and diversity. The situation is slightly different with gender 
equality, as an increasing number of Member States have developed policies promoting gender 
equality in higher education and research organisations, in the context of the European Research 
Area (ERA).227 

Quantitative targets for the inclusion of disadvantaged groups in higher education at state-
level  are  not  wide-spread.  Although  a  majority  of  EU  countries  have  some  targets  related  to 
widening  participation  in  higher  education,  most  objectives  do  not  focus  on  specific  under-
represented groups, but are about widening overall participation.228 Overall, about one in five of 

217  https://hea.ie/assets/uploads/2021/10/HEA-Race-Equality-in-the-Higher-Education-Sector-Analysis-commissioned-by-the-Higher-Education-
Authority-1.pdf  
218 https://nesetweb.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NESET-AR4-2020_Full-Report-1.pdf  
219 Ibid. 
220 Ibid. 
221 Ibid.  
222 Ibid. 
223 https://www.cesaer.org/content/5-operations/2019/20190906-white-paper-equality-final.pdf 
224 https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/sites/default/files/bologna_internet_chapter_5_1.pdf  
225 These include Austria, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Croatia. 
226 
https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/web_diversity%20equity%20and%20inclusion%20in%20european%20higher%20education%20institution
s.pdf; https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC117257 
227 https://genderaction.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/D3.2._MonitoringERApriority4implementation.pdf   
228  Countries 
policies/eurydice/sites/default/files/bologna_internet_chapter_5_1.pdf 

the  Czech  Republic,  and  France:  https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-

that  do  set  specific 

include  Austria, 

targets 

43 

 
 
                                                           
surveyed  HEIs  have  declared  that  quotas  either  for  students  (20%)  or  staff  with  diverse 
backgrounds  (18%)  are  a  driver  of  institutional  engagement  in  equity,  diversity  and  inclusion 
topics.229  

HEIs are much more likely to set internal voluntary targets for diversity and inclusion, while shares 
of students and staff from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds are top indicators of 
the impact of diversity and inclusion policies.230 The Joint Research Centre (JRC) confirms the 
above observation of the EU Member States’ policies for social inclusion in higher education.231 
The ET 2020 Working Group on higher education232 also noted that “governments do not clearly 
define strategies to promote inclusion, nor do they establish concrete targets to enrol and support 
students  from  underrepresented  and  disadvantaged  groups”.  Other  issues  were  identified.  Only 
some of the underprivileged and underrepresented groups relevant in a regional or national context 
are targeted. Inclusion objectives may be implemented in a specific part of the higher education 
system, without including the most prestigious HEIs. There are inadequate resources dedicated to 
supporting students from underrepresented and disadvantaged groups to complete their studies and 
enter the labour market.  

One  of  the  obstacles  to  providing  high-quality  evidence  is  the  difficulty  in  tracking  the 
information  on  the  participation  of  under-represented  groups.233  While  sex  and/or  gender 
disaggregated data collection among both the student population and staff is common practice in 
most  Member  States  and  HEIs,  data  collection  on  aspects  such  as  ethnicity  or  migration 
background is a sensitive issue (or even forbidden in law, as in France).234 Institutions are often 
reluctant to gather such data – even though basic data on gender or age of students and staff is 
available  to  most,  few  HEIs  systematically  collect  data  such  as  ethnic,  migration  and  religious 
background or sexual identity (Figure 5.1). 

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Gender

Disability

Socio-economic background

Migration background

Sexual identity

None

Students

Academic staff

Figure 5.1 Data collected by higher education institutions. Source: EUA235 

229 
https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/web_diversity%20equity%20and%20inclusion%20in%20european%20higher%20education%20institution
s.pdf 
230 ibid 
231 https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC117257 
232 http://w3.ese.ipsantarem.pt/literaciadigital/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/PLA-Social-Inclusion_Policy-Conclusions-1.pdf   
233 https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/sites/default/files/bologna_internet_chapter_5_1.pdf 
234https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/web_diversity%20equity%20and%20inclusion%20in%20european%20higher%20education%20instituti
ons.pdf 
235 ibid 

44 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
5.3. What has been achieved so far at the EU level? 

Equal opportunities, diversity, and gender equality are at the heart of EU policy development.  

The European Council Conclusions of 14 December 2017236 noted that education is one of the 
keys to building inclusive and cohesive societies. The Communication of 30 September 2020 on 
achieving the European Education Area by 2025237 defines inclusion and gender equality as 
key  objectives  to  ensure  that  higher  education  is  accessible  to  diverse  student  populations  and 
reduced  gender  gaps;  objectives  made  more  challenging  by  the  impact  of  the  global  health 
pandemic.  
The European Pillar of Social Rights238 has four underlying principles: 1) Education, training, 
and  life-long  learning,  2)  Gender  equality,  3)  Equal  opportunities,  and  4)  Active  support  to 
employment. The reinforced Youth Guarantee239 affirms a commitment by all Member States to 
ensure  that  all  young  people  under  the  age  of  30  receive  a  good  quality  offer  of  employment, 
continued education, apprenticeship, or traineeship within four months of becoming unemployed 
or leaving education.240 241  
The European Skills Agenda242 includes 12 actions to help that people have the optimal skills for 
jobs and to support people in their lifelong learning pathways. Among the Agenda’s actions are a 
Proposal for a Council Recommendation on vocational education and training (VET) (Action 4), 
rolling out the European Universities Initiative and upskilling scientists (Action 5), and a European 
approach  to  micro-credentials  (Action  10).  The  European  Skills  Agenda  affirms  the 
complimentary contribution of the diversity of the European HEIs. Some HEIs focus on vocational 
education and professional training, while others advance academic skills and research excellence, 
with  an  aim  of  building  sustainable  competitiveness  as  set  out  in  the  European  Green  Deal, 
ensuring  social  fairness,  as  in  the  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights,  and  building  resilience, 
including helping all Europeans to acquire at least basic digital skills.  
Yearly issues of the Education and Training Monitor243 have included annual updates of a range 
of EU policy measures designed to improve equal opportunities and diversity in higher education, 
including quantitative targets for widening participation and/or attainment of  under-represented 
groups and performance-based funding mechanisms with a social dimension focus. 

The  Council  Recommendation  on  vocational  education  and  training  for  sustainable 
competitiveness,  social  fairness  and  resilience244  recommends  that  Member  States  further 
develop vocational education and training programmes at EQF levels 5 to 8 to support a growing 
need for higher vocational skills in line with national context. The  Osnabrück Declaration245, 
adopted in 2020, emphasises the relevance of VET at higher levels on a par with higher education. 

https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/economy-works-people/jobs-growth-and-investment/european-pillar-social-

236 CO EUR 24 CONCL 7 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/32204/14-final-conclusions-rev1-en.pdf  
237 COM(2020) 625 final https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52020DC0625    
238 
rights/european-pillar-social-rights-20-principles_en  
239 
content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.C_.2020.372.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AC%3A2020%3A372%3ATOC  
240 https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1079&langId=en  
241 COM(2020) 276 final https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1594047420340&uri=CELEX%3A52020DC0276  
242 https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1223&langId=en  
243 https://op.europa.eu/webpub/eac/education-and-training-monitor-2020/en/  
244 COM(2020) 417 final https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32020H1202(01)&from=EN  
245 https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/files/osnabrueck_declaration_eu2020.pdf  

2020/C 

372/01 

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-

45 

 
 
                                                           
One of the short term actions to be achieved at national level by 2025 is to support Vocational 
Excellence and improve permeability between vocational and academic pathways. 

Attention to gender equality in higher education and research is also a longstanding commitment 
of the EU. The Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025 highlights the key role that the Erasmus+ 
and  Horizon  Europe  programmes  are  playing  in  supporting  gender  equality.  The  2021–2027 
Erasmus+ Inclusion & Diversity Strategy246 provides guidance on how the programme can help 
address  gender  inequalities  in  the  education  and  training,  youth,  and  sport  sectors.  Horizon 
Europe  introduced  strengthened  provisions  and  requirements  for  gender  equality,  including  a 
requirement that all HEIs have in place a gender equality plan247 (GEP) as a condition for receiving 
funding. 
The Communication of 30 September 2020 on a new ERA for Research and Innovation248, 
sets gender equality and inclusiveness as key priorities for deepening the ERA and proposes as an 
umbrella action the development of inclusive GEPs, with Member States and stakeholders. This 
approach is supported by Member States in the Council Conclusions of 1 December 2020 on the 
New ERA249, and the Council Conclusions of 28 May 2021 on research careers250. Among the 
stakeholders,  the  European  Students  Union  (ESU)  has  campaigned  for  greater  policy  focus  on 
measures to promote equality and diversity in higher education. In its 2019 policy paper on the 
social dimension, prioritising the social dimension is seen as an essential step towards creating a 
“society that is equal, intelligent, diverse, safe, prosperous and sustainable”. 251 A persistent culture 
of  inclusion  must  exist  in  policy-making  processes,  following  principles  of  representation  and 
dialogue and student representation in decision-making. 

Different  EU  equality  strategies  and  inclusion  frameworks  adopted  in  2020-2021  also  have  a 
strong education or higher education dimension and are worth mentioning here: the EU anti-racism 
action  plan  2020-2025  (2020  September)252;  the  EU  Roma  strategic  framework  for  equality, 
inclusion and participation 2020-2030 (2020 October – March 2021: Council adoption of Council 
Recommendation)253; the LGBTIQ equality strategy 2020-2025 (2020 November)254; the Strategy 
on  the  rights  of  persons  with  disabilities  2021-2030  (March  2021)255;  the  Action  plan  on 
integration  and  inclusion  2021-2027  (2020  November)256;  the  EU  strategy  on  combatting 
antisemitism and fostering Jewish life 2021-2030(October 2021).257 

The European University Association (EUA) considers inclusiveness to be a strategic question for 
HEIs258, impacting learning and teaching, research, and institutional cultures. The EUA is working 
to ensure that HEIs across Europe have a platform to share their approaches and strategies. The 
EUA fosters peer-learning activities and supports members in embedding diversity, equity, and 
inclusiveness  across  all  activities.  It  also  focuses  on  this  topic  through  the  “Higher  Education 

246 https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-a/priorities-of-the-erasmus-programme  
247 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/ffcb06c3-200a-11ec-bd8e-01aa75ed71a1  
248 COM(2020) 628 final https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2020%3A628%3AFIN  
249 RECH 483 COMPET 611 https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-13567-2020-INIT/en/pdf  
250 RECH 267 COMPET 424 EDUC 215 SOC 352 EMPL 261 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/49980/st09138-en21.pdf  
251 https://www.esu-online.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Social-Dimension-Policy-Paper-2019.pdf  
252 EUR-Lex - 52020DC0565 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu) 
253 EUR-Lex - 52020DC0620 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu) 
254 EUR-Lex - 52020DC0698 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu) 
255  https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=738&langId=en&pubId=8376&furtherPubs=yes  
256 EUR-Lex - 52020DC0758 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu) 
257 EUR-Lex - 52021DC0615 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu) 
258 See also https://www.leru.org/publications/equality-diversity-and-inclusion-at-universities 

46 

 
 
                                                           
Supporting Refugees in Europe” project and the “Refugees Welcome Map”. EUA is also active in 
monitoring gender equality, especially in university leadership.  
In its statement for the European Higher Education Area ministers,259 EURASHE called for the 
recognition of a greater diversity of institutional missions and provisions that would allow higher 
education  to  accommodate  a  growing  variety  of  learners  of  differing  ages,  social  groups, 
experience, and qualification levels. Through such diversity, research and innovation projects can 
be  fostered  within  innovation  ecosystems  as  well  as  in  strategic  partnerships.  EURASHE  also 
highlighted the importance of accessible online learning and the equipment of teachers with digital 
competences to deliver quality online education as a means to close existing socio-economic gaps 

5.4. What is needed to foster inclusiveness, diversity, and gender equality in HEIs 

To  support  inclusiveness,  diversity,  and  gender  equality  through  enhanced  transnational 
cooperation,  the  EU  can  should  create  synergies  between  actions  such  as  Erasmus+,  Horizon 
Europe, Digital Europe, the Recovery and Resilience Facility, European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), 
the European Student Card Initiative, and InvestEU.  

Support should be devoted to reinforcing capacities of individual HEIs to foster excellence and 
societal impact in their areas of strength, or areas of need of the local communities and regions in 
which  they  are  embedded.  Funding  should  also  incentivise  transnational  cooperation  between 
HEIs  to  pool  expertise,  creativity,  resources,  and  energy  to  tackle  complex  challenges  facing 
Europe and the world and to support Global Europe. Tackling global challenges, such as the SDGs, 
intrinsically require collaborative efforts.  

Furthermore,  the  EU  can  support  Member  States  and  HEIs  in  strengthening  practices  towards 
diversity,  inclusion,  and  gender  equality  in  higher  education,  including  the  governance  and 
management  practices  in  HEIs.  Using  tools  such  as  the  Erasmus  Charter  for  Higher 
Education260, the EU can incentivise HEIs to systematically foster equity, diversity, and inclusion. 
The EUA INVITED study261 highlights inclusiveness as a strategic issue in HEIs as well at system 
level, and highlights main barriers. It is also important to look into which dimensions of diversity 
are recognised and determine how possible forms of discrimination or implicit bias are countered 
the best.262 

The EU will support flexible learning pathways, including through recognition of prior learning 
and the Council recommendation on a European approach to  micro-credentials. European 
Quality  Assurance  for  Vocational  Education  and  Training,  and  the  European  Quality 
Assurance  and  Recognition  System,  have  an  important  role,  as  they  too  can  reinforce  the 
principles  of  equity,  diversity,  and  inclusion  in  standards  and  guidelines  for  quality  of  higher 
education  and  vocational  education  and  training.  In  addition,  the  Commission  can  continue  to 
support  Member  States  towards  full  implementation  of  the  Council  Recommendation  on 
promoting automatic mutual recognition of higher education and upper secondary education 

259 https://www.eurashe.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/EURASHE-Statement_EHEA-Ministerial-Conference-Rome2020.pdf  
260 https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/resources-and-tools/erasmus-charter-for-higher-education  
261 
https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/web_diversity%20equity%20and%20inclusion%20in%20european%20higher%20education%20institution
s.pdf  
262 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/4cce61a7-6736-11ea-b735-01aa75ed71a1/language-en   p.84 

47 

 
 
                                                           
and  training  qualifications  and  the  outcomes  of  learning  periods  abroad263,  and  with  the 
development of transparent and coherent recognition processes. 

As discussed in the NESET study on student-centred learning and teaching for inclusivity, the EU 
can support and incentivise development and implementation of student-centred learning and 
teaching  (SCLT)  approaches  which  contribute  to  more  inclusive  education  both  by  better 
attending to the needs of the diverse student body and by improving access to  higher education 
and to the most suitable learning experiences within higher education.264 Student-centred learning 
and  teaching  fosters  inclusiveness  through:  inclusive  curricula  and  pedagogy;  flexible  learning 
pathways  and  technology-enhanced  learning;  teaching  and  learning  support;  inclusive  learning 
spaces and libraries; community engagement and partnerships.265 The Council Recommendation 
of  22  May  2018  on  promoting  common  values,  inclusive  education,  and  the  European 
dimension of teaching266 has laid the ground for further action in this direction.  

The EU can support HEIs to build partnerships with schools, to improve guidance for choosing 
the right form of higher education and create outreach activities specifically for underrepresented 
groups. Partnerships between HEIs and industry, the public sector and the non-profit sector 
can create equal opportunities for underrepresented, disadvantaged, or vulnerable students, support 
and mentor them, and prevent discrimination or bias. European actions should foster integration 
and empowerment of students from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds rather than 
“over  support”  them  which  may  deepen  social  divides,  drive  identity  politics  and  reinforce  a 
victimhood culture.267   
Within the European Research Area, the European Charter for Researchers268, and the Code of 
Conduct  for  the  Recruitment  of  Researchers269  need  to  be  updated  to  better  address  gender 
inequality,  fostering  diversity  of  researchers,  and  offering  mentorship  and  support  to  all 
researchers,  and  especially  those  from  under-represented  populations.  Furthermore,  addressing 
gender  inequality  imbalances,  fostering  diversity  of  researchers,  and  offering  mentorship  and 
support to all researchers must be reflected in the future European initiatives on academic careers. 

There is a strong need for increased synergies between the European Education Area, the European 
framework  for  attractive  and  sustainable  careers  within  and  beyond  academia,  and  the  new 
European Research Area, the Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe and the related ERA 
policy agenda, on the development of institutional change through inclusive gender equality plans 
in  universities.  Plans  should  particularly  address  equal  opportunities  in  recruitment  and  career 
progression, gender balance in decision-making positions, integration of the gender dimension into 
research and innovation content and curricula, as well as gender-based violence including sexual 
harassment in academia, paying attention to intersectionality between gender and other diversity 
categories, and grounds for discrimination such as ethnicity, disability or sexual orientation.  

263 2018/C 444/01 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:32018H1210(01)    
264  https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/4cce61a7-6736-11ea-b735-01aa75ed71a1/language-en  pp.100-101 
265 Ibid., p.82 
266 2018/C 195/01  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32018H0607%2801%29  
267 https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-70329-9   
268 https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/european-charter  
269 https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/code  

48 

 
 
                                                           
In particular, Europe would benefit from European Universities Alliances adopting gender equality 
strategies at the Alliance level, complementing the requirement to have a gender equality plan at 
institutional level that has been introduced in Horizon Europe. 

Access to reliable data related to diversity, inclusiveness and equality of opportunity to serve as 
evidence in policy making is a challenge which the EU could address through integrating and 
reinforcing the current EU data tools, such as especially Eurostudent,270 Eurograduate,271 and 
ETER,272  as  well  as  U-Multirank,273  EQAR,274  Eurydice  data  on  the  Bologna  implementation 
reports  275and  the Mobility Scoreboard276,8 to enhance the use as evidence in policy making at 
Member  States  and  EU  level  –  as  proposed  by  the  introduction  of  a  Higher  Education 
Observatory. 

Success stories of transnational projects fostering diversity, inclusiveness and gender 
equality 
The European University of Post-Industrial Cities (UNIC)277 is an Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020 
European  Universities  Alliance  of  eight  universities  located  in  post-industrial  cities  characterized  by  a 
“superdiversity”  in  terms  of  socio-economic  and  socio-cultural  backgrounds  of  their  populations  and 
student  bodies.  UNIC  has  the  ambition  to  ensure  greater  social  inclusion  by  broadening  educational 
opportunities for non-traditional students and pooling both the research and the learning and teaching of its 
partner universities in this area. 
Women with Disabilities in Social Engagement (RISEWISE)278 is funded under the Horizon 2020 
Marie  Skłodowska-Curie  Actions.  Linking  stakeholder  and  technology  organisations  with  university 
researchers, the project focuses on women with disabilities, trying to identify needs and best practices in 
EU  countries,  representing  different  cultural  and  socio-economic  environments,  for  the  integration  and 
improvement of their quality of life.  

Peer  Learning  Activities  and  Resources  for  Social  Inclusion  in  Mobility  Programmes 
(PLAR-4-SIMP)279 is funded by Erasmus+. The project involves two peer-learning activities on social 
inclusion  in  mobility  programmes  to  strengthen  mutual  learning  and  deepen  the  exchange  of  practices 
between  EHEA  countries  in  different  implementation  stages.  It  will  equip  policy  officers  of  national 
authorities, HEI staff and student organisations across EHEA with knowledge, skills, and tools required to 
best organise inclusive student mobility in the 21st century, providing them with a multi-use "toolbox on 
inclusive mobility”. 
Master's Degree in Women's and Gender Studies (GEMMA)280 is an Erasmus+ Erasmus Mundus 
Joint Masters Programme. It is taught by a consortium formed by seven prestigious European universities, 
thirteen  associated  American  universities,  and  industrial  partners  from  diverse  multi-disciplinary  and 
sectoral areas. GEMMA´s mission is to form much needed gender experts who will be able to contribute to 
greater equality between men and women, taking into account the intersections of ethnicity, race, class and 
sexuality and contributing to citizenship. 

270 https://www.eurostudent.eu/  
271 https://www.eurograduate.eu/  
272 https://ec.europa.eu/education/european-tertiary-education-register_en  
273 https://www.umultirank.org/   
274 https://www.eqar.eu/  
275 https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/content/european-higher-education-area-2020-bologna-process-implementation-report_en  
276 https://national-policies.eacea.ec.europa.eu/mobility-scoreboard/higher-education/scoreboard-indicators  
277 https://www.unic.eu/en  
278 http://www.risewiseproject.eu/  
279 https://plar4simp.inclusivemobility.eu/  
280 https://masteres.ugr.es/gemma/  

49 

 
 
                                                           
6. European democratic values  

6.1. Higher education contributions to democracy 

Europe  has  a  long-established  tradition  of  higher  education.  Medieval  universities  were  the 
prototypes  of  our  current  higher  education  institutions  (HEIs),  and  after  the  Renaissance  they 
embraced  the  humanistic  traditions  of  learning.  In  the  18th  century  they  secularised  during  the 
Enlightenment,  after  which  they  nurtured  research  and  innovation  driving  the  Industrial 
Revolution. Since then, Europe has developed a strong and diverse higher education landscape.  

Humanistic  traditions  of  learning  broadened  the  scholastic  outlook,  emphasised  clarity  of 
expression,  language learning,  and civic  engagement. This  model of education has  emphasised 
learners’ self-formation and the fulfilment of individual potential, cultivating their broader sense 
of civic responsibility and engagement  in  civic life. Through humanistic traditions  of learning, 
HEIs  have  embraced  the  democratic  mission  to  contribute  to  European  open  and  democratic 
societies, based on the rights of citizens and the rule of law. 

Confronting  illiberal  practices  that  threaten  to  undermine  democratic  societies  in  Europe  is  as 
important  as  ever,  especially  with  the  recent  rise  in  populism  and  extremism,  and  perceived 
mistrust  between  people  and  politicians.  The  internet,  and  especially  social  media,  has  created 
possibilities for much faster and wider spread of misinformation, which risks fuelling populism 
and extremism among citizens. The so-called “post-truth” era is characterised by loss of trust in 
science, and the rise of misinformation and “fake news”.  

HEIs have a vital role to play in protecting democratic values and making democracies in the EU 
more resilient. They  can foster social innovation and research to  address social challenges  and 
transformations,  and  to  engage  with  their  local  and  regional  innovation  ecosystems.  Through 
practices of democratic governance that enable stakeholder involvement, and by creating public 
service opportunities for students, HEIs can act as sites of citizenship and civic involvement. They 
also have a key role to play in preserving and advancing freethinking, critical inquiry, and civil 
discourse across intellectual disagreements.  

As educators and producers of scientific knowledge, HEIs have a social responsibility to engage 
in public debate and to fact-check disinformation, making verified information easily accessible. 
Higher  education  needs  not  only  to  produce  knowledge,  but  also  to  reassure  citizens  in  the 
credibility and value of science and inform citizens of the rigorous scientific processes involved 
in  the  generation  of  knowledge.  Citizens  need  to  understand  scientific  methods  to  be  able  to 
evaluate information, distinguish between credible information and misinformation. 
The 2021 Eurobarometer281 on citizens’ attitudes to science indicates that 86% of citizens think 
that the overall influence of science and technology is positive, and a range of technologies will 
have positive effects on the future. There is a high level of interest in science and technology (82%) 
and a desire of citizens to learn more about it in places like town halls, museums, and libraries 
(54%).  Such  occasions  present  opportunities  for  HEIs  to  develop  trust  and  understanding  of 
science in citizens, giving them the capacity to critically evaluate information.  

As  places  of  learning,  HEIs  can  educate  learners  and  society  about  the  importance  of  the 
democratic process  and  of participating in  it. They  can help  people make connections between 
learning that takes places inside the classroom and events taking place outside the classroom. They 

281 https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2237    

50 

 
 
                                                           
can prepare students for active citizenship in democratic societies, by giving them tools to engage 
as citizens in a thoughtful and informed way.  

There  have  been  rising  concerns  about  declining  youth  participation  in  voting  and  in  political 
parties,  and  the  need  to  better  understand  the  transformation  of  young  people’s  political 
engagements  has been addressed.282 Concerns point to  declining interest  in, and knowledge of, 
political  processes,  as  well  as  low  levels  of  trust  in  politicians  and  growing  cynicism  about 
democratic institutions.283 However, the data shows a more multifaceted situation – with young 
people having a very keen interest in issues which affect their lives and society. In fact, the 2017 
Eurobarometer has indicated that young people’s interest and engagement in democratic life had 
been  growing since 2014.284 Compared to  2014 data, more  young people voted in  2017 (48 to 
64%285), and more were involved in organised voluntary activities (24% in 2011 to 31% in 2017286).  

The 2017 Eurobarometer data also shows that young people mostly agree with the need to promote 
critical  thinking  and  the  ability  to  search  for  information  to  combat  fake  news  and  extremism 
(49%), and to promote behavioural change through environmentally friendly initiatives such as 
sustainable transport or recycling systems across Europe (40%). Furthermore, more than half of 
young  Europeans  consider  education  and  skills  as  the  top  priority  for  the  EU,  followed  by 
environmental  protection  and  fighting  climate  change,  employment,  and  the  management  of 
migratory flows and integration of refugees.  

There is also evidence of the influence of (higher) education on expanding the interests of citizens, 
and their sensitivities to and knowledge of political, democratic, and civic issues.287 Furthermore, 
higher education is credited for the development of skills needed for active citizenship and civic 
engagement,  building  greater  trust  in  institutions,  interpersonal  trust,  and  a  tolerance  of 
diversity.288 Results from the 2019 European Parliament elections shows people with higher levels 
of education are more likely to vote: “Although the turnout in 2019 was higher among all groups 
of  the  population,  the  increase  was  led  by  the  younger  generation,  with  large  increases  among 
people  aged  under  25  (+14  pp)  and  aged  25–39  (+12  pp).  The  cross-section  of  voters  in  2019 
appears to be more highly educated than in 2014, while the declared level of political interest has 
increased among both voters and abstainers”.289  

6.2. Values inherent in European higher education 

There is a strong link between the contribution of higher education to democracy and institutional 
autonomy, academic freedom, and democratic practices of learner and staff participation in higher 
education  governance.  In  the  2020  Rome  Ministerial  Conference,  the  Statement  on  Academic 
Freedom affirmed that academic freedom and institutional autonomy are fundamental needs.290 
Within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), the democratic mission of higher education 

282 https://ec.europa.eu/assets/eac/youth/policy/documents/perception-behaviours_en.pdf  
283 ibid 
284 https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2163  
285 ibid  
286 ibid 
287 For a recent review of literature, see: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67245-4_23   
288 ibid 
289  https://www.europarl.europa.eu/at-your-service/files/be-heard/eurobarometer/2019/post-election-survey-2019-complete-results/report/en-post-
election-survey-2019-report.pdf 
290 https://rm.coe.int/bfug-annex-i-communique-statement-academic-freedom-19-11-2020/1680a07858 p.3 

51 

 
 
                                                           
has  been  especially  promoted  and  advanced  by  Council  of  Europe,  one  of  the  consultative 
members of EHEA.291 

The Statement on Academic Freedom emphasises “academic staff and students should participate 
meaningfully  in  decision-making  processes  and  have  the  right  to  express  their  views  on  their 
institution’s policies and priorities without fear of reprisals”.292 Democracy rests, in part, on how 
higher education teaches, investigates, reflects, and represents democratic values. Student and staff 
participation in higher education governance reinforces the democratic mission of higher education 
institutions and encourages  civic involvement.  It provides learners  with  opportunities to  affirm 
their own citizenship or student political agency within HEIs. 

It is in the inherent nature of HEIs to be places of freedom, be it freedom of speech, of thought, of 
learning, of research, or of academic freedom at large. Any form of oppression, of violation of the 
Fundamental  Rights  of  the  EU  poses  a  direct  threat  to  HEIs  and  the  European  way  of  life. 
Academic  freedom,  institutional  autonomy  and  full  participation  of  students  and  staff  in 
governance represent the core values of European higher education.  

Academic freedom  

Academic freedom and freedom of scientific research are core principles of the EU. The Rome 
Ministerial Conference in 2020293 emphasised that “Academic freedom is an indispensable aspect 
of quality learning, teaching and research in higher education as well as of democracy. (…) the 
concept  ensures  that  the  academic  community  may  engage  in  research,  teaching,  learning  and 
communication in society without fear of reprisal”. 294 
Academic  freedom  is  anchored  in  the Charter  of  Fundamental  Rights  of  the  EU295  and  also  in 
the Commission’s key political priorities (2019-2024)296, in the European research and education 
agendas, as highlighted in the European Research Area (ERA)297 and European Education Area 
(EEA)298 Communications  (September  2020),  the Bonn  Declaration  on  Freedom  of  Scientific 
Research299 (October 2020), and the Rome Ministerial Communiqué300 (November 2020).  

The 2020 Bonn Declaration establishes freedom of scientific research as a universal public good, 
and as part of the EU’s Fundamental Rights. It defines freedom of scientific research as: the right 
to carry out research and to disseminate and publish the results; to express their opinion without 
fear  of  reprisal  from  the  institution  or  system  in  which  they  work  or  from  governmental  or 
institutional censorship; and, the freedom to associate in professional or representative academic 
bodies.  Researchers  should  have  freedom  of  physical  mobility,  to  be  able  to  interact  with 
colleagues  and  to  travel,  while  HEIs  should  have  autonomy  coupled  with  reliable  and  stable 
financing. The Bonn Declaration also warned about violations of freedom of scientific research. 
Positioning  Europe  as  a  guardian  of  democracy,  equality,  and  the  rule  of  law,  the  European 
Research Area aims to guarantee the safeguard of freedom of scientific research.  

291 https://www.coe.int/en/web/higher-education-and-research/democratic-mission-of-higher-education  
292 https://rm.coe.int/bfug-annex-i-communique-statement-academic-freedom-19-11-2020/1680a07858 p. 4. 
293 https://rm.coe.int/rome-ministerial-communique-19-11-20/1680a07857  
294 https://rm.coe.int/bfug-annex-i-communique-statement-academic-freedom-19-11-2020/1680a07858  
295 2012/C 326/02 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A12012P%2FTXT  
296 https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024_en  
297 COM(2020) 628 final https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2020%3A628%3AFIN  
298 COM(2020) 625 final https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52020DC0625  
299 https://bmbf.bmbfcluster.de/files/_DRP-EFR-Bonner_Erkl%C3%A4rung_EN_with%20signatures_M%C3%A4rz_2021.pdf   
300 http://www.ehea.info/Upload/Rome_Ministerial_Communique.pdf  

52 

 
 
                                                           
The Council Recommendation on a Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe301 recommends 
that Member States apply the common set of values and principles for research and innovation in 
the  Union.  Values  include  ethics  and  integrity  of  research  and  innovation,  gender  equality  and 
equal opportunities for all, and freedom of scientific research. 

Finally, the Magna Charta Universitatum is a charter of academic freedom created by European 
Rectors  in  1988.  It  promotes  principles  of  academic  freedom  and  institutional  autonomy  as 
guidelines for good governance and self-understanding of HEIs. Currently, it has 816 signatories 
from eighty-six countries supporting the idea that “intellectual and moral autonomy is the hallmark 
for  any  HEI  and  a  precondition  of  its  responsibilities  to  society”.302  Similarly,  the  Council  of 
Europe’s Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education commits 
their member states  to  “…providing every person within their territory  with  the opportunity of 
education for democratic citizenship and human rights education”.303  

The Academic Freedom  Index has been developed collaboratively by the  Global  Public Policy 
Institute (GPPi), the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Scholars at Risk 
Network (SAR), and the V‑Dem Institute. The index is based on five expert-coded indicators that 
capture key elements: (1) freedom to research and teach; (2) freedom of academic exchange and 
dissemination; (3) institutional autonomy; (4) campus integrity; and (5) freedom of academic and 
cultural expression. Its 2021 report304 notes that since the 1990s, Europe has been positioned as 
the region with the highest Freedom Index, surpassing the Americas and Oceania.305  

Threats to academics 
The global Scholars at Risk Network306 reports that although each individual scholar’s situation is 
unique,  clear  patterns  have  emerged  since  its  founding  in  2000.  Based  on  over 20 
years’ experience receiving requests for assistance from at-risk scholars, academics, researchers, 
doctoral students, institutional leaders, and other members of higher education communities, SAR 
identifies three broad categories of risk:   

  Risk  due  to  the  content  of  a  scholar’s  work,  research,  or  teaching  being  perceived  as 
threatening by authorities or other groups. When the development of ideas, exchange of 
information, and expression of new opinions are considered threatening, individuals are 
particularly vulnerable.  

  Risk  because of the individual’s status.  Because  of their education, frequent  travel,  and 
professional standing, scholars are often prominent members of their community. Where a 
scholar is a member of a political, ethnic, or religious minority, female, or a member of 
LGBTQ+  communities,  an  attack  on  an  individual  scholar  may  be  a  highly  visible  and 
efficient means for intimidating and silencing others.  

  Risk, resulting from the peaceful exercise of basic human rights, in particular the right to 

freedom of expression or freedom of association.  

Researchers report threats by a range of state and non-state actors, including armed militant and 
extremist groups, police and military forces, government authorities, and members of their own 

301 https://ec.europa.eu/info/news/commission-adopts-proposal-pact-research-and-innovation-europe-2021-jul-16_en   
302 http://www.magna-charta.org/magna-charta-universitatum  
303 https://rm.coe.int/learning-to-live-together-council-of-europe-report-on-the-state-of-cit/1680727be5  
304 https://www.gppi.net/2021/03/11/free-universities  
305 https://www.v-dem.net/en/analysis/VariableGraph/  
306 https://www.scholarsatrisk.org/  

53 

 
 
                                                           
higher education communities. Requests for assistance have also been received from HEIs facing 
ideological  pressure  and  censorship,  imposition  of  national  ideology,  ideological  revisionism, 
closing of schools and HEIs, suppression of strikes and protests, restrictions on travel, restrictions 
on information exchange, and discriminatory restrictions on academic resources. These practices 
go  against  the  values  engrained  in  the  European  Union  treaties  and  within  European  higher 
education.  
As  outlined  in  a mapping  report307 published  in  October  2020  by  EU-funded  Inspireurope308, 
NGOs and support organisations arrange temporary positions for researchers at risk at HEIs, to 
enable  them  to  continue  their  work  safely.  However,  applications  for  assistance  far  exceed 
available funding for positions.   

Projects funded by Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020 have supported collaboration between institutions 
and organisations in career development opportunities for researchers at risk, as well as mentoring, 
information,  and  advice  (for  example, through  webinars,  training,  and  guidance  materials)  and 
networking  opportunities.  European  fellowship programmes (such  as  MSCA  or  European 
Research Council fellowships) and national fellowship programmes are open also to researchers 
at risk, even though they are not always widely accessible. More is needed, especially in those 
countries where support structures do not yet exist, or barely.  

Foreign interference 

Europe’s Research and Innovation institutions have a strong record of internationalisation. This 
openness and collaboration contributed significantly to their success, but it also facilitated foreign 
interference as they are often insufficiently aware of potential threats and have not taken preventive 
measures. Since 2019, increased number of activities are observed that are carried out by, or on 
behalf of a foreign actor, which are coercive, covert, deceptive or corrupting and are contrary to 
the EU’s sovereignty, values and interests.309 

Foreign  interference  occurs  when  activities  are  carried  out  by,  or  on  behalf  of  a  foreign  actor, 
which  are  coercive,  covert,  deceptive  or  corrupting  and  are  contrary  to  the  EU’s  sovereignty, 
values and interests. Foreign interference in  the EU is  a matter of concern for the EU, and the 
Commission  has  in  recent  years  launched  initiatives  to  counter  foreign  interference,  including: 
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) screening;  a legislative proposal on foreign subsidies; the anti-
coercive measures instrument, and the Communication on “on the Global Approach to Research 
and Innovation”.310 

Institutional autonomy 
There is some variation about what institutional autonomy means, and entails, across Europe.311 
There  are  also  differences  in  the  “social  contract”  between  higher  education  and  society, 
understandings of public responsibility for higher education, and, accordingly, the level and type 
of  control  that  the  state  should  exert  over  higher  education  institutions.  The  core  issue  is  the 
relationship  between  higher  education  institutions  and  the  state  and  the  appropriate  balance 
between institutional autonomy and accountability to the public (for public funding obtained and 

307 https://eua.eu/resources/publications/947:researchers-at-risk-mapping-europe%E2%80%99s-response.html  
308 https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/sar-europe/inspireurope  
309 https://s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/euobs-media/3ef6dc3d60ee27a2df16f62d47e93fdc.pdf  
310 COM(2021) 252 final/2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=COM:2021:252:REV1&rid=2  
311 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10734-012-9578-4   

54 

 
 
                                                           
the  public  role  higher  education  has  in  a  society).  Despite  national  differences,  there  are  four 
dimensions to institutional autonomy:  

  Organisational autonomy: determining the internal organization of the institution. 
  Financial autonomy: control over the internal financial affairs, management, and salaries. 
  Staffing autonomy: the freedom to recruit its staffs and its actions on admission. 
  Academic autonomy: including programs, language of instruction and quality assurance.312 

These are measured through the EUA’s University Autonomy Tool which enables comparison of 
HEI autonomy in 29 European higher education systems. 
The EUA consistently argued that institutional autonomy is a precondition for modernisation.313 
A 2011 EUA report showed that although institutional autonomy of European HEIs has generally 
increased,  several  countries  still  grant  their  HEIs  too  little  autonomy  and  thereby  restrain  their 
performance.314  The  EUA  2017  report  notes  that  although  some  countries  have  achieved  a 
relatively  high  degree  of  HEI  autonomy  in  all  or  most  of  the  four  dimensions  considered,  no 
common approach to foster autonomy across Europe exists.315 The report also reveals the absence 
of a universal view of HEI autonomy when designing and implementing reforms. Without doubt, 
the  challenging  economic  context  raised  issues  about  institutional  autonomy  in  different  ways, 
including the introduction of stronger steering, governance, and funding mechanisms.  

A joint statement by the EUA, the All European Academies (ALLEA), and Science Europe urges 
governments to protect institutional autonomy by providing regulatory frameworks and refraining 
from interference in the internal affairs of HEIs.316 As stated in the EUA 2017 report, there remains 
“a frequent gap between formal autonomy – autonomy ‘on paper’ – and a university’s actual ability 
to act independently.”317  

Student and staff participation in higher education governance 

The  Ministerial  Communiques  of  the  EHEA  have  repeatedly  included  student  and  staff 
participation in higher education governance as one of the fundamental values in the EHEA. 
Student and staff involvement in decision-making is associated with democracy, legitimacy, and 
efficiency of higher education decision processes.318 The EHEA affirms a value of partnership, 
shared responsibilities, and collective commitments of all higher education stakeholders to higher 
education  outcomes.  It  also  offers  students  opportunities  to  develop  civic  mindedness  and 
knowledge, skills and dispositions for citizenship and civic engagement. 

Institutional governance changes in higher education have led to a shift from democratic principles 
of shared governance, towards more corporate models, unravelling the political power of staff and 
students vis-à-vis academic leaders and external stakeholders - albeit to a various extent in different 
institutional and national contexts.319 320 

312 https://www.university-autonomy.eu/    
313 https://eua.eu/resources/publications/619:lisbon-declaration.html p.2 
314 https://eua.eu/component/publications/publications/79-report/401-university-autonomy-in-europe-ii-the-scorecard.html    
315 https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/university%20autonomy%20in%20europe%20iii%20the%20scorecard%202017.pdf  
316 https://www.eua.eu/downloads/content/academic%20freedom%20statement%20april%202019.pdf 
317 https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/university%20autonomy%20in%20europe%20iii%20the%20scorecard%202017.pdf p.41 
318 https://www.elgaronline.com/view/edcoll/9781785369742/9781785369742.00035.xml   
319 
education/93D96186E42D19AD1E0A13764AC942AE   
320  https://brill.com/view/title/55003  

https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/convergence-and-diversity-in-the-governance-of-higher-

55 

 
 
                                                           
A  Eurydice  report  on  the  academic  profession  notes  a  variation  in  the  working  conditions  and 
career structures for academic staff, including their power in higher education governance.321 The 
European Students’ Union (ESU) has tracked student participation in higher education governance 
through studies such as “The Bologna Process through Student Eyes” (BWSE). Their 2020 report 
argues  that  “on  paper,  student  participation  seems  well  embedded  in  the  EHEA;  however,  in 
practice the enactment is not unanimously celebrated by student representatives.”322 The report 
also  notes  that  the  financial  autonomy  of  student  unions  as  the  representative  associations  of 
students  is  presented  as  a  major  challenge  to  their  representative  roles  in  higher  education 
governance.  

The  active  involvement  of  learners,  academics,  researchers,  and  professional  staff  is  needed  in 
higher education institutional governance structures and management practices for transnational 
alliances.  The  effectiveness  of  governance  arrangements  for  deep  and  ambitious  transnational 
cooperation  depends  on  the  diversity  of  ideas  and  insights,  as  well  as  a  sense  of  shared 
responsibility for the success of the transnational cooperation from all key stakeholders.  

6.3. What is needed to foster and protect academic freedom, institutional autonomy and 

fundamental rights  

Fostering and protecting academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and fundamental rights 
within higher education is a major priority for the EU requiring close cooperation with the Member 
States,  HEIs  and  stakeholder  associations.  Concrete  actions  involve  the  creation  of  guiding 
principles  on  protecting  fundamental  academic  values  and  addressing  disinformation, 
guiding all activities supported through EU actions.   

Adhering to these core European values also means encouraging HEIs to reflect these values in 
their governance structures and management procedures. HEIs have to be motivated to increase 
the  involvement  of  learners,  teachers,  academics,  researchers,  and  general  staff  in  higher 
education governance, including the governance of transnational alliances, while respecting 
the  principles  of  equity,  diversity,  and  inclusion.  Furthermore,  these  values  should  be  made  a 
prerequisite for setting up common governance arrangements for deeper transnational cooperation. 

HEIs  should  also  be  encouraged  and  supported  to  develop  their  civil  role  and  social 
responsibility through cooperation with local and regional innovation ecosystems, engagement in 
social innovation and knowledge transfer, and setting up governance practices that foster regional 
engagements and emphasise regional cohesion and collaboration. Within their local ecosystems, 
HEIs  can  communicate  on  the  rigor  of  scientific  methods  and  research  processes  that  generate 
knowledge and in this way build public trust in the credibility and value of science.  

Developing  action  plans  in  support  of  freedom  of  scientific  research  is  also  needed.  Scientific 
freedom should be incorporated into the European framework for attractive and sustainable 
careers within and beyond academia which will address developing flexible and attractive career 
structures and improve working conditions.   

Support  towards  the  development  of  action  plans  by  HEIs  to  tackle  foreign  interference  is 
needed.  When  using  digital  means  in  general  and  in  transnational  cooperation  activities  in 
particular, HEIs need to plan ahead to address risks of data security breaches and potential foreign 

321 https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/content/modernisation-higher-education-europe-academic-staff-%E2%80%93-2017_en   
322 https://www.esu-online.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/BWSE2020-Publication_WEB2.pdf  

56 

 
 
                                                           
interference,  and  be  capable  to  prevent,  manage  and  respond  to  such  actions.  Europe's  global 
approach to  cooperation  in  research and innovation323  will develop  and promote  guidelines on 
dealing with foreign interference that targets EU R&I institutions. The guidelines aim to support 
R&I  Institutions,  including  HEIs  and  research  performing  organisations,  in  their  endeavour  to 
protect  their  fundamental  values  by  safeguarding  academic  freedom,  integrity  and  institutional 
autonomy, and to protect their key research findings and intellectual assets. The approach is based 
on a positive agenda of partnership coupled with the constructive management of differences. 

Fundamental values are included in the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education as a prerequisite 
to receive any Erasmus+ funding, and the Erasmus Student Charter, which presents the rights 
and responsibilities of Erasmus+ students while on mobility and integrates academic freedom and 
integrity. Implementation of both Charters will be monitored.  

The EU will implement and monitor the Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe and the 
Bonn  Declaration for  freedom  of  scientific  research.  In  particular,  the  EU  will  facilitate  the 
development  of  a  policy  approach  to  safeguard  the  freedom  of  scientific  research  in  Europe; 
support interested organisations in implementing the recommendations of the guidelines on foreign 
interference,  and  will  provide  a  first  European  monitoring  report  on  the  freedom  of  scientific 
research. 

Within the EHEA, the EU will promote inclusion of fundamental values within the European 
Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance for Higher Education in Europe. The EU 
will also support the implementation of the Rome Ministerial Communiqué which also refers to 
academic freedom and institutional autonomy. 

Within  the  Jean  Monnet  higher  education  networks,  the  EU  will  support  activities  to  foster 
academic  debates  on  values  and  democracy,  will  identify  best  practices,  and  will  protect  and 
nurture  academic  values  with  partners  outside  Europe.  Research  on  academic  values  and 
democracy within the EU is also supported also through Horizon Europe, including through the 
Marie  Skłodowska  Curie  actions,  the  EIT’s  Knowledge  and  Innovation  Communities,  and 
European Research Council grants. 

Success stories of transnational projects promoting European democratic values 

Circle U! is an Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020 European Universities Alliance. One of its knowledge hubs324 
focuses on democracy. It will be a physical and virtual space where students and staff co-create knowledge 
and  solutions  across  disciplines  and  borders  with  external  stakeholders  and  find  new  ways  of  working 
together. They examine the alarming trends in parts of Europe and elsewhere where democratic values are 
undermined, and develop strategies to strengthen democracy and civic engagement. 

ACT-WB - Active Citizenship – Western Balkans325 is an Erasmus+ Jean Monnet project. It brings 
together partners from Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Italy, the Republic of North Macedonia and Serbia, to 
explore  innovative  democratic  practices.  The  project  focuses  on  investigating  the  interaction  between 
democratic innovations promoted in the EU countries and bottom up citizen’s mobilizations in the Western 
Balkan countries. It will foster a political culture that will build strong citizen’s resilience to antidemocratic 
tendencies. 

323 COM/2021/252 final https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2021:252:FIN  
324 https://www.circle-u.eu/initiatives/knowledge-hubs/  
325 https://act-wb.net/  

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ENAI, the European Network for Academic Integrity326 is an Erasmus+ strategic partnership for 
higher  education.  The  network  brings  together  academics  from  all  sectors  to  exchange  research  and 
information and access resources in the field of academic integrity. It has produced educational material 
and supported the development of self-assessment and plagiarism detection tools. 

ENERI set up a unique European Network of Research Ethics and Research Integrity327. It has been 
funded by Horizon 2020. ENERI connects and strengthens the existing networks. The European Network 
of Ethics Committees (EUREC); the European Network of Research Integrity Offices (ENRIO); the All 
European Academies (ALLEA) and other joined forces to form strong ties between Research Ethics and 
Research integrity. An e-Community of 165 RE/RI experts encourages the sharing of best practices.  

7. Skills and competences for the green transition  

7.1. Higher education and the green transition  

Recognising  the  global  impact  of  climate  change,  international,  European,  and  national  policy 
makers are placing more emphasis on concrete measures to make societies more environmentally 
sustainable. At the European level, the flagship European Green Deal sets the agenda for the green 
transition.  In higher education, all missions of learning and teaching, research, innovation,  and 
service to society have a role in building a more sustainable society.  

Higher  education  institutions  (HEIs)  are  actively  engaged  in  implementing  environmental 
sustainability  initiatives  in  their  campuses,  as  well  as  in  disseminating  best  practices  to  the 
surrounding communities and society. The pursuit of sustainability covers many different areas, 
such as research, teaching and learning curricula and programmes, innovation and development 
(I&D),  infrastructure  partnerships,  stakeholder  involvement,  innovation,  digitalization,  and 
sustainable architecture.  

As  responsible  societal  actors,  HEIs  can  positively  impact  society  and  stakeholders  through 
demonstrated  social  and  environmental  responsibility,  benefiting  from  sustainable  campus 
experiences  and  research  that  can  be  extrapolated  to  the  surrounding  environment.  Indeed,  the 
engagement of HEIs with their local ecosystems is crucial for their greening, and will also help to 
build partnerships tackling specific challenges, like developing sustainable cities. 

Stakeholders,  including  the  European  University  Association  (EUA),  agree  that  the  higher 
education sector could contribute more to carbon neutrality, and more substantially support the 
green transition and the Green Deal Initiative. The green transition offers HEIs an opportunity to 
intensify  collaboration  and  peer  learning  both  among  higher  education  institutions  and  with 
industry and local innovation ecosystems. This, in turn, may enhance their wider societal impact 
through education, research and innovation, and foster the engagement with society at the global 
to local levels.328 

326 https://www.academicintegrity.eu/wp/  
327 https://eneri.eu/  
328 https://eua.eu/downloads/content/eua strategic plan final.pdf  

58 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
7.2. Challenges relating to higher education’s contribution to the green transition 

The green transition requires changes across the higher education sector, concerning how higher 
education institutions are structured, governed and funded and how sustainability is mainstreamed 
across  their  missions.  The  structure  and  internal  systems  of  HEIs  present  specific  challenges 
related to operations and practices that may hinder their efforts to contribute to a more sustainable 
society and towards meeting the goals of the European Green Deal.329 These elements are related 
to six major dimensions, covering both administrative operations and universities' core practices: 
(1) teaching and learning; (2) research and innovation; (3) services and outreach; (4) governance 
and  leadership;  (5)  environmental  strategy;  (6)  external  environment.  Table  7.1  lists  these 
dimensions  of  HEIs  and  explains  the  corresponding  main  challenges  discussed  by  the  current 
literature. 

Table 7.1: EU challenges to the green transition in a higher education context 

Dimensions  Challenges 

Teaching and 
Learning 

Integration of sustainability across disciplines 

Implementation of interdisciplinary learning 

Higher integration of sustainability into the curricula 

Promotion of formal, non-formal and informal learning approaches 

Empower students with knowledge and key competencies to conduct the green transition 

Research and 
innovation 

Foster innovative research on green transitions 

Develop applied research on green technologies 

Services and 
Outreach 

Governance 
and 
Leadership 

Build partnerships within the industrial and local and regional innovation ecosystems 

Raise research subsidies and funding on environmental sustainability 

Foster trans-disciplinarity in research 

Foster the relationship between universities' staff, students, and their communities 

Promote green and environmental volunteering 

Encourage sustainability-related student organisations 

Ensure commitment from universities' higher management 

Promote a culture of sustainable societal changes 

Implement organisational change management for sustainability in HEIs 

Overcome triggers of resistance on the individual and institutional level 

Implement monitoring and reporting systems 

Set processes for evaluation of the outcomes 

Environmental 
Strategy, 
Policies, and 
Campus 
Operations 

Create sustainable value to HEIs’ internal and external stakeholders 

Establish a budget and identify resources required for implementation 

Introduce the continuous professional development of staff and training programmes 

329 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652621011343  

59 

 
 
 
                                                           
Dimensions  Challenges 

Identify policy instruments to bring about and influence HEIs’ environmental decisions 

Embed sustainability across all campus operations 

Develop new initiatives to respond to sustainability-related challenges  

HEI external 
environment 

Establish inter-university collaborations, and introduce benchmarking related to teaching, 
research, administration and campus operations 

Involve government and policymakers in on-going dialogues to broaden understanding of 
constraints experienced and support required by HEIs 

Develop public policies to foster HEIs' green transitions 

Introduce initiatives and programmes to foster green campus operations. 

Actively involve communities in HEIs’ activities 

Strengthen university-industry cooperation within the local ecosystem, promoting clean 
innovation, technology transfer and diffusion of clean technologies 

Addressing these challenges provide benefits to HEIs. Through overcoming the constraints to a 
green transition, the institutional reputation may be improved, for example. This may increase their 
potential to attract students, future employees and to provide the impetus for change. For students, 
the advantages of joining an institution active in this process include an increase in sustainability 
knowledge  through  teaching  and  learning  and  research,  the  opportunity  to  engage  with 
sustainability  issues  through  societal  partnerships,  and  greater  interdisciplinary  interactions 
between  students  and  educators.  This  combination  may  lead  to  a  culture  of  sustainability  and 
accelerate a green transition. 

7.3. What has been achieved so far 

Widening  societal  demands  for  sustainable  development  initiatives  have  turned  HEIs  into  key 
actors in the green transition and agents of social transformation.330 They are called upon to use 
science, knowledge and innovative teaching expertise to furnish feasible solutions to cope with the 
sustainable  development  challenges  related  to  issues  such  as  climate  change,  decline  of 
biodiversity, dissemination of plastic materials in remote and underwater regions, desertification 
of  wide  areas,  unexpected  droughts  and  floods.331HEIs  are  also  undergoing  a  long-term  and 
unprecedented process of internal changes to attain the green transition, assuming their leading 
role, and recognizing their potential to accelerate the social progress towards carbon neutrality, 
and towards more sustainable lifestyles patterns.  

Many European HEIs have embraced the values of sustainable development, such as ensuring that 
sustainability is  formally embedded in  academic  and lifelong-learning training. They have  also 
encouraged the critical thinking and new ideas necessary to support the delivery of technological 
advances in areas core to sustainable development, such as renewable energy, sustainable living, 
food production, organic agriculture, CO2 capture, water quality, sustainable design of products 
and buildings, and strategies for energy generation and biofuels.  

There is some evidence that the green transition is leading to significant changes in the ways HEIs 
operate.  For  instance,  many  are  shifting  from  fossil  fuel  usage  to  more  renewable  sources  of 

330 https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2219  
331 KR0321037ENN.en (9).pdf 

60 

 
 
                                                           
energy.  Alternatively,  those  unable  to  fully  use  renewable  energy,  are  committed  to  reducing 
current fossil fuel usage. The EUA has called sustainability the most significant global challenge 
and has committed itself to put their universities’ missions “… into the service of sustainability, 
evaluating and being accountable for the appropriate adjustment of principles and values, as well 
as policies and activities.”332 The EUA is a supporter of the transformational role of universities 
in  society,  including  the  implementation  of  the  SDGs,  universities’  responses  to  the  European 
Green Deal and the contribution they provide to local innovation ecosystems.333  

At  the  European  policy  level,  strategy  documents  in  education  and  training  have  frequently 
identified HEIs as institutions central to Europe’s successful green transition.  

The  Biodiversity  Strategy  2030  encourages  cooperation  in  education  for  environmental 
sustainability.334  This  would  provide  guidance  for  schools,  higher  education  institutions  and 
teachers  on  how  to  cooperate  and  exchange  good  practices  on  environmental  sustainability 
education including biodiversity learning and teaching across Member States.  
The Green Deal Communication335 refers to schools, training institutions and HEIs as being well 
placed to engage pupils, parents, and the wider community on the changes needed for a successful 
transition. It also announced the development of a European competence framework to help define 
the knowledge, skills and attitudes on climate change and sustainable development and to serve as 
a  reference  tool  for  the  development  and  assessment  of  these  competences.  The  recovery  plan 
NextGenerationEU336 focuses on the need for a greener, more digital and resilient Europe. 

The  European  Bauhaus  Communication  stresses  the  EU’s  ambition  of  creating  beautiful, 
sustainable,  and  inclusive  spaces,  including  for  education  and  knowledge  (e.g.  public  libraries, 
schools and universities) as well as products and ways of living.337 It brings a cultural and creative 
dimension  to  the  European  Green  Deal  to  enhance  sustainable  innovation,  technology  and 
economy and aims to provide all citizens with access to goods that are circular and less carbon-
intensive and support the regeneration of nature and protect biodiversity.    

The  EU  has  emphasized  the  critical  role  and  responsibilities  of  higher  education  in  the  green 
transition  across  both  the  European  Education  Area  and  the  European  Research  Area.  The 
following issues are highlighted: 1) the green transition is one of the main challenges universities 
are  facing  today,  2)  HEIs  have  a  key  role  and  responsibility  in  producing  new  knowledge  and 
providing learners with new green skills, 3) HEIs are important in articulating the expanse of green 
transition  issues  through  digitalization,  lifelong  learning  and  transnational  cooperation.  The 
Communication on a new European Research Area notes the need to boost Europe’s recovery 
by making full use of its research and innovation results to support the green and digital transition 
of the EU economy.  

The Communication on achieving the European Education Area by 2025 identifies support 
for the green and digital transitions as a major challenge for EU policy cooperation. Supporting 
the green and digital transitions through education and training is a strategic priority of the Council 

332https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/universities%20without%20walls%20%20a%20vision%20for%202030.pdf  
333 https://eua.eu/downloads/content/eua strategic plan final.pdf  
334 https://ec.europa.eu/environment/strategy/biodiversity-strategy-2030_en  
335 COM(2019) 640 final https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52019DC0640  
336 https://europa.eu/next-generation-eu/index_en  
337 https://europa.eu/new-european-bauhaus/system/files/2021-09/COM%282021%29_573_EN_ACT.pdf  

61 

 
 
                                                           
Resolution on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training 
towards the European Education Area and beyond (2021-2030).338 

The Communication on a new European Research Area for Research and Innovation outlines 
the  key  challenges  ahead  for  research  and  innovation  policy  relating  to  the  deep  societal, 
ecological,  and economic challenges Europe is facing.339 The European Research Area and the 
European  Education  Area  will  collaborate  closely,  so  that  the  combined  forces  of  Europe’s 
education, research and innovation sectors can help achieve a more equitable and sustainable world 
while  remaining  globally  competitive  and  innovative.  The  ERA  Policy  Agenda  in  the  Council 
Conclusions on the future governance of the ERA includes actions realising an ERA for green 
transformation.340 

The EIT Community offers a wide range of EIT-labelled Master’s and doctoral programmes, as 
well as other educational initiatives, to help European citizens develop the skills needed to create 
a  greener  Europe.  The  EIT  programmes  emphasise  the  role  of  disruptive  technologies  (e.g. 
Artificial  Intelligence),  which  are  crucial  for  green  growth.  EIT  Digital  offers  graduate  and 
professional  programmes  through  its  EIT  Digital  Academy.  Additionally,  through  programmes 
like  The  Journey  and  Pioneers,  EIT  Climate-KIC  is  educating  climate  change  leaders  all  over 
Europe. 

The European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience 
announces a set of actions to support the acquisition of skills for the green transition, including by 
defining a taxonomy of skills for the green transition, supporting  the development of a core green 
skills  set  for  the  labour  market  to  guide  training  across  the  economy    and  integrating 
environmental, energy  and climate considerations into school,  higher education, and vocational 
education and training.341 The Council Recommendation on the key competences for lifelong 
learning  calls  on  Member  States  to  “mainstream  the  ambitions  of  the  UN  Sustainable 
Development  Goals  (SDG),  in  particular  within  the  SDG  4.7,  into  education,  training  and 
learning”.342   The  Council  Resolution  on  a  new  European  agenda  for  adult  learning  2021-
2030343 recommends using the twin transitions as a driver for innovations in learning pathways 
and new educational  and training approaches, developing approaches to  integrating sustainable 
development  into  adult  learning  and  promoting  inclusive,  digital  and  sustainable  societies  and 
learning workplaces. 

The  Digital  Education  Action  Plan  (2021-2027)  outlines  the  Commission’s  vision  for  high-
quality,  inclusive,  and  accessible  digital  education  in  Europe.344  The  plan  highlights  digital 
technologies  and  skills  as  enablers  for  the  green  transition,  including  for  moving  to  a  circular 
economy  and  decarbonising  energy,  transport,  construction,  agriculture,  and  other  sectors. 
In addition,  the proposal  for a Council recommendation on a European approach to micro-

338 2021/C 66/01 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:32021G0226(01) 
339 COM(2020) 628 final https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0628&from=GA 
340 Pending 13389/21 Council Conclusions on the future governance of the European Research Area, including an ERA Policy Agenda (adoption 
anticipated end of November 2021). 
341 COM/2020/274 final https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52020DC0274  
342 2018/C 189/01 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32018H0604%2801%29 
343 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/53179/st14485-en21.pdf  
344 COM/2020/624 final https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52020DC0624  

62 

 
 
                                                           
credentials  for  lifelong  learning  and  employability calls  on  member  States  to  use  micro-
credentials to support the development of learning provision in environmental sustainability.345  

The Council Conclusions on the European Universities initiative stress the role of European 
HEIs in contributing to a more united, innovative, digital, connected, and greener Europe, open to 
the wider world by increasing the resilience, excellence, geographical and social inclusiveness, 
gender equality, attractiveness, and international competitiveness of European HEIs.346 

The upcoming European  Strategy  for  Universities and  the  upcoming proposal  for  a Council 
Recommendation  on  Building  bridges 
for  effective  European  higher  education 
cooperation will  promote more  effective  and  deeper  transnational  cooperation  as  a  crucial 
element to tackle, inter alia, the challenges related to the twin digital and green transitions and to 
building a sustainable future.  

7.4. What is needed to support HEIs to be actors of change in the green transition?  

As part of the green transition, HEIs are expected not only to engage in traditional teaching and 
research activities, but also to understand societal challenges. They also need to adapt their internal 
systems  and  resources  and  capabilities  to  contribute  towards  a  green  transition.  Figure  7.1 
illustrates  this  process  in  a  systemic  perspective,  identifying  the  main  dimensions  the  present 
potential challenges and actions needed in support of the overall vision, and future efforts of higher 
education institutions as part of a green transition. 

Figure 7.1. The role of HEIs in contributing to the green transition 

Figure  7.1  shows  the  internal  and  external  environments  where  HEIs  operate.  It  contains  the 
environmental  and  contextual  aspects  in  which  universities  are  embedded,  the  demands  and 
expectations  of  external  stakeholders,  and  the  initiatives  and  pressures  that  affect  their  internal 
environment  such  as  the  SDGs,  the  European  Green  Deal,  their  degree  of  engagement  in  the 
implementation  of  the  Paris  Agreement,  and  initiatives  towards  a  Green  Campus.  These 

345 https://ec.europa.eu/education/education-in-the-eu/european-education-area/a-european-approach-to-micro-credentials_en  
346 2021/C 221/03 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ%3AC%3A2021%3A221%3AFULL 

63 

 
 
 
                                                           
dimensions illustrate several challenges related to the extent to which internal or external factors 
could foster or inhibit HEIs in contributing to green transitions. For example: 

 

Is there a capacity for facilitating inter-university collaboration?  

  How active is the involvement of governments in understanding the constraints faced by 

HEIs, and supporting them with resources? 

  Are there explicit policies to promote sustainability within the institution? 

  How  connected  is  the  university  with  its  wider  community,  and  with  all  stakeholders, 

especially SMEs, in its local innovation ecosystem?  

  What is the quality of university-industry cooperation, especially in clean innovation and 

technology transfer?347  

There is an urgent need for higher education to undergo a transformational green transition. This 
requires  a  change  of  mind-set.  The  themes  identified  below  are  areas  where  the  EU  can  help 
encourage, engage and enable radical changes and stronger commitments by key actors across the 
higher education sector. Box 7.1 presents some gaps for action in supporting the EU vision to assist 
universities in pursuing the green transition. 

Box 7.1 Further support needed to help HEIs to realise a green transition. 

HEIs should be at the forefront of efforts to catalyse Europe towards a green transition.  

As  far  as  the  operational  aspects  are  concerned,  there  are  five  thematic,  operational,  and 
educational issues that may serve as initial points of discussion for EU action aimed at helping 
Universities achieve a green transition. 

1.  Prioritising Sustainability Engagement 

Within the framework of sustainability issues, the main aim of universities is to help improve 
the quality of life of their local community, and to empower citizens with the tools necessary to 
achieve sustainability. This requires engagement to be achieved through widening participation 
with individuals and groups from both voluntary and state agencies. The EU can develop the 
required mechanisms and necessary fora to give a voice to all stakeholders. The objective is to 
support  HEIs’  active  and  intentional  engagement  with  actors  and  citizens  in  their  local 
ecosystems and in their transformation into ‘green villages’.348 

2.  Greening the Courses and the Campus 

Some HEIs have already renewed their courses and campus with the intention of ‘greening’ the 
campus.349 However, efforts are sporadic and rather than stimulating a bottom-up approach to 
achieve  sustainability,  many  efforts  are  pursued  in  a  top-down  fashion.  There  needs  to  be 
increased engagement to raise the environmental awareness within campus communities.350 A 
more  holistic  approach  needs  to  be  taken  by  fostering  increased  multilevel,  multinational 

347 https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/918801  
348  Green  villages  are  communities  using  local  participatory  processes  to  integrate  ecological,  economic,  social,  and  cultural  dimensions  of 
sustainability holistically, in order to regenerate social and natural environments; local participation and engagement is crucial. 
349 See example from Romania, https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IJSHE-01-2019-0036/full/html  
350 
Oriented_Competencies_Development_Insights_from_an_Empirical_Study_on_Polish_Universities   

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335368457_The_Role_of_Universities_in_Sustainability-

64 

 
 
 
                                                           
discussions that engage all stakeholders in a balanced way. Solutions are needed to incentivise 
universities to develop holistic sustainable approaches that can then be shared with others HEIs. 
Identifying  climate  and  energy  “frontrunners”  and  supporting  their  actions  would  stimulate 
virtuous emulation of greening efforts. 

3.  Supporting Collaboration Among Universities and their networks 

HEIs need to form a united front to achieve sustainability, and to overcome any misconception 
that achieving a green transition is simply a process to be carried out by individual institutions. 
National and transnational joint actions (e.g. co-teaching and research projects) can help build 
capacity and widen HEI presence. Enhanced collaboration within European Universities can be 
achieved through tangible efforts to create pan-European networks of active and engaged HEIs 
aiming  towards  collective  sustainability.  An  essential  part  of  this  vision  is  the  need  for  an 
enhanced portfolio of qualifications, through collaborative pan-European degrees. 

4.  Enabling enhanced targeted funding  

European HEIs are strategically placed to engage local communities in actions required to adapt 
to a more sustainable way of life. However, various barriers stand in the way, as described in 
Table 3.1. A key barrier is the lack of adequate funding. Increased, targeted funding can enable 
and  incentivise  university  operations  to  more  effectively  engage  the  local  community  with 
research and policy implementation.  

5.  A pedagogy about and for sustainability 

Many  of  Europe’s  HEIs  need  to  reorient  their  overall  pedagogy  to  foster  the  formation  of 
knowledge and skills that enable students to think more critically and act more sustainably. A 
pedagogical framework should focus on actions and encouraging pro-environmental behaviour. 
Additionally, this framework should include the skills and competences required to cope and 
deal with the consequences of increased number of disasters, due to climate change. Teaching 
about sustainability is important but teaching for sustainability is crucial.  

In the context of the green transition, international mobility, as currently practised by European 
Universities  and  other  transnational  cooperation  initiatives,  may  be  counterproductive  to  their 
attempts  to  operate  in  a  sustainable  way,  especially  with  respect  to  reducing  significant  CO2 
emissions associated with travel. Most HEIs are aware of this problem, and they can encourage 
their staff and students to use low carbon forms of transport for mobility and meetings, such as the 
wider use of public transport and car-pooling or car sharing.  

The  Erasmus+  Programme  supports  green  travel  and  encourages  individual  responsibility  by 
giving back to nature and the local community of the target destination. This can involve avoiding 
domestic flights, using trains, electric cars, bikes, scooters, or going on foot, if possible.351 These 
examples show the potential emissions savings of doing things differently, to be decided on a case-
by-case basis. Apart from travel, the choice of environmentally friendly accommodation during an 
Erasmus+ mobility should be considered as well.  

351 https://esn.org/green-travel-perspective  

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A further way to reduce the carbon footprint is by replacing trips to attend short meetings with 
virtual formats. "Virtual mobility" of students and staff is suggested by the "Greening in European 
higher education institutions" study which includes 372 HEIs.352 64% of the surveyed institutions 
have greening activities in place across the institution and greening mobility and commuting are 
addressed at almost all institutions through digital tools and virtual forms of learning, working, 
and mobility, replacing physical exchange. 

To  realise  the  green  transition,  HEIs  need  to  be  have  a  sense  of  community,  sharing,  co-
responsibility, and awareness about the importance of giving the whole HEI community a voice. 
People and particularly students, should be encourage to take the initiative and share solutions for 
adapting to ongoing and often demanding changes. By doing so, higher education institutions can 
not only implement a green transition but they can also play a leadership role – promoting a holistic 
development and emphasizing sustainability and cohesion. 

Conclusions 
Braßler and Sprenger353 present three steps which can contribute towards a greater development 
of sustainable development knowledge in higher education and, inter alia, to a green transition:  

1.  On  the  organisational  level,  the  HEI  should  set  the  policies  and  agenda  for  pursuing 

sustainability.  

2.  Educators should engage in interdisciplinary and team-teaching, going beyond discipline-
based knowledge. Together with researchers, they should foster interdisciplinary research 
and new innovations tackling a variety of environmental, social, and economic themes in 
a meaningful way. 

3.  It  is  important  to  foster  interdisciplinary  learning  among  students  and  increase  their 
knowledge on matters related to sustainable development, acquainting them with the theory 
and practice of sustainability. 

To  ensure  success,  there  are  key  elements  which  need  to  be  in  place  to  achieve  the  full 
implementation of a green transition across higher education. Implementing the green transition 
involves the engagement of all the stakeholders – within and outside the institution and working 
together. In the past, sustainability efforts have had a predominant focus at the macro and meso-
scales, neglecting the micro scale. Future efforts should therefore strive to promote actions at all 
levels, and by doing so, may mobilise all institutional stakeholders. 

To fully capitalize on the advantages provided by the green transition, HEIs should be fully aware 
that this is a process the implementation of which may support interdisciplinarity, diversity and 
social cohesion, and foster equity and inclusion, while strengthen transnational cooperation and 
supporting their roles as centres of knowledge, discovery and innovation. 

352 https://eua.eu/resources/publications/982:greening-in-european-higher-education-institutions.html  
353 https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063494  

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Success  stories  of  transnational  projects  developing  skills  and  competences  for  the  green 
transition 

The  European  Universities  Alliance  Challenge-driven,  Accessible,  Research-based,  Mobile 
(CHARM-EU)354  is funded through Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020 and  has developed a joint Master’s 
degree  in  Global  Challenges  for  Sustainability.355  Students  will  acquire  advanced  knowledge  of 
sustainability by addressing real world and global societal challenges such as the Sustainable Development 
Goals  and  the  European  Green  Deal  in  transdisciplinary  and  intercultural  teams.  The  programme  will 
employ  innovative  pedagogical  approaches  to  engage  staff  and  students  of  diverse  backgrounds  and 
disciplines to facilitate the links between education, research and innovation.  
ECOSTAR356 is an Erasmus+ Knowledge Alliance Project comprising a global network of innovators, 
linking biodiversity science to the business world. It is based on an innovation hub focussed on nature and 
ecology-related  topics  and  assisting  entrepreneurs  in  establishing  innovative  nature-based  start-ups.  In 
conjunction with a platform to connect HEIs with the needs of the labour market and applicability, this 
project provides its participants with knowledge, experience and an entrepreneurial mind-set. It supports 
them to respond to new societal challenges and trends, such as the green and digital transition. 

EIT  Raw  Materials  Master’s  Programme  in  Advanced  Materials  for  Innovation  and 
Sustainability (AMIS)357 is offered by five universities in four EU countries. It provides students with 
an understanding of the full raw materials value chain and a mind-set for innovation and entrepreneurship 
focusing on sustainability. AMIS tackles this challenge by focusing on three themes: substitution of critical 
or  toxic  materials  in  products  for  optimised  performance,  material  chain  optimisation  for  end-of-life 
products, and product and service design for the circular economy.  

Renewable materials and healthy environments research and innovation centre of excellence 
(InnoRenew)358 is funded by Horizon 2020. This Centre of Excellence in Slovenia fosters research on 
the innovative and efficient use of renewable resources in building materials. With support and guidance 
from the advanced partner, Fraunhofer WKI, scientific research and development activities are transferred 
rapidly and effectively to the industry and through them to society in the form of innovative new products 
and processes. 

8. Skills and competences for the digital transition  

8.1. The needs on digitalisation of higher education 

The COVID pandemic has shown the capacity of HEIs to innovate and switch rapidly to digital 
practices. In doing so, this crisis highlighted structural issues concerning the digital transformation 
in HEIs, which have been discussed since much before the pandemic. It has exposed the need for 
structural  digital  transformation  beyond  ad-hoc  decision  making,  and  revealed  important 
inequalities in digital skills as well as access to digital infrastructure and equipment. 

The digital transformation is reshaping society, the labour market, and the future of work, and it 
affects HEIs in many ways. HEIs have a critical role to play in helping Europeans develop digital 
skills and competences to further innovation, to support their professional life, and to maintain a 
democratic  and  open  European  society.  HEIs  can  support  utilizing  digital  technologies  more 

354 https://www.charm-eu.eu/alliance  
355 https://www.charm-eu.eu/masters/globalchallenges  
356 https://www.ecostarhub.com/  
357 https://masters.eitrawmaterials.eu/  
358 https://innorenew.eu/  

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efficiently and flexible in social sector institutions as well as in industry. In turn, HEIs also need 
digital technologies for more efficiency and flexibility in their own operations.  

Digital technologies can help empower transnational cooperation between HEIs. This will ensure 
that  they  are  at  the  forefront  of  knowledge-generation  and  innovation  in  strategic  social  and 
economic priorities. For graduates, digital competence is seen as a basic skill. Especially with new 
technologies, digital competence both acts as a catalyst for innovation and creativity as well as 
helps  individuals  to  access  and  use  knowledge  and  information.  In  addition,  digitalisation  is 
perceived as better way to link research and education, providing cross-disciplinary opportunities 
and access to infrastructure.  

Sustainable investment in higher education is needed 1) to empower HEIs in digitalisation and 2) 
for  them  to  actively  engage  in  Europe’s  digital  transformation.  This  includes  investment  in 
teaching and learning, research, innovation, and vocational education and training, as well as the 
supportive  systems  and  people  that  enable  digitalisation.  Furthermore,  EU-level  guidance  is 
required in terms of coordination and expertise to support concerted efforts among the Member 
States, HEIs, and all other relevant stakeholders towards strengthening Europe’s digital capacities. 

Support from the EU needs to address existing gaps: (1) Insufficient digital knowledge and skills 
among many Europeans, especially women, for future societal and employment opportunities; (2) 
Untapped  potential  for  creating  and  improving  access  to  high-quality  trusted  European  online 
digital  content;  (3)  Innovative  digital  solutions  to  enhance  collaboration  and  transnational 
cooperation in higher education, including through greater interoperability; (4) Accelerate research 
and  innovation  in  strategic  and  enabling  technologies  to  strengthen  Europe’s  digital  capacities 
towards achieving tech sovereignty. 

Digital skills among Europeans are still not sufficient to support the digital transformation 
of  the  European  Union  and  to  fully  utilize  the  power  of  digital  technologies  in  an  open  and 
interconnected  world.359  The  COVID-19  pandemic  has  highlighted  the  essential  role  of  digital 
technologies in our societies and economies. Although the digital transformation was underway 
well ahead of the pandemic, existing gaps were highlighted during its course. Studying, working, 
shopping, keeping in touch with family and friends as well as using public services and enjoying 
cultural activities, was often only possible due to digital technologies. Consequently, those without 
basic  digital  skills,  digital  devices,  or  a  stable  internet  connection,  experienced  significant 
economic and social exclusion.  

The COVID-19 pandemic has also exposed the necessity for digital skills in many professions that 
were not normally considered to be strongly technology-focused, such as primary health workers, 
carers, teaching staff, and many business owners. In that context, too many had to play ‘catch-up’, 
as they did not have relevant digital tools and competences. 

Consequently, the European Commission has adopted ambitious targets as part of the 2030 Digital 
Compass, aiming for 80% of the adults in the EU to have at least basic digital skills by 2030. Most 
recently available data shows that only slightly above half of adults (56%) across the European 
Union aged between 16-74 currently have basic or above basic overall digital skills.360 Since 2015 
(the first year with available data), this share has increased by only 2 percentage points.  

359 COM/2021/118 final https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52021DC0118  
360 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ISOC_SK_DSKL_I/default/table?lang=en   Digital skills are measured as a composite indicator 
based on selected activities performed on the internet in the four specific areas: information, communication, problem solving, content creation and 
based on the Eurostat Community survey on ICT usage in households and by individuals. 

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If this growth rate is an indication of future development, progress would only reach 62% with at 
least  basic  digital  skills  by  2030.  Furthermore,  there  remain  notable  differences  between  EU 
Member States. Eurostat statistics for 2019 report that countries such as Bulgaria and Romania are 
lagging, with less than a third of individuals who demonstrate basic or above basic digital skills. 
By contrast, Netherlands and Finland have more than 74% of individuals with such level of digital 
skills.361 There is  a  clear gap in  digital  skills  among Europeans  that can only be filled through 
education and training. Here higher education plays a crucial role. 

Insufficient levels of digital literacy are often cited as the main obstacle to student success in digital 
enhanced  learning  and  teaching  in  higher  education.362  Broadly  speaking,  HEIs  have  provided 
students both with general digital skills training as well as training specific to the discipline of 
study. However, Figure 8.1 shows that other types of training like ethics and behaviour in digital 
environments or data literacy and safety have been far less prevalent. 

Figure 8.1 Digital skills training in HEIs’ educational offer 

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

General digital literacy

54%

26%

11%

Specific to the discipline/study field

41%

49%

4%

Ethics and behaviour in digital environments

25%

Data literacy and safety

20%

41%

47%

15%

16%

In all or most study programmes

Only in specific study programmes

There is a voluntary offer

No/do not know/not applicable

Source: Gaebel, M., Zhang, T., Stoeber, H., & Morrisroe, A. (2021). Digitally enhanced learning and teaching in European Higher Education 
Institutions. European University Association. 

Digital  competence  is  not  solely  necessary  for  a  successful  professional  life  and  to  trigger 
innovation, but also for tackling misinformation. Digital literacy is a condition for navigating 
and evaluating sources of information found on the internet. The so-called “post-truth” era is 
characterised by loss of trust in science and the rise of misinformation and “fake news”. As the 
major producer of knowledge, higher education needs to reassure citizens of the credibility and 
value of science, in addition to producing innovative science. The internet, especially social media, 
have created possibilities for much faster and wider outreach of misinformation. Responsible use 
of new media as part of teaching digital skills can thus also address the challenge of misinformation 
associated with populism and radicalisation.  

Furthermore, Europe lacks a critical mass of ICT specialists in addition of a gender imbalance 
across the ICT profession. Data from Eurostat (2020) shows that across the whole of the EU, 
ICT specialists accounted for 4.3% of the total workforce in 2020.363 This is a small share of the 
workforce given that ICT specialists are key drivers of digital and digital-enabled innovations for 

361 http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=tepsr_sp410&lang=en  
362 https://eua.eu/resources/publications/954:digitally-enhanced-learning-and-teaching-in-european-higher-education-institutions.html  
363 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/ddn-20210716-1    

69 

 
 
 
                                                           
the  benefits  of  all  citizens  and  all  sectors  in  the  Digital  Decade.  Moreover,  there  is  low 
representation of females in ICT professions (Figure 8.2). 

Figure 8.2 Distribution of ICT specialists by gender, 2020 (%) 

Source: Eurostat (isoc_sks_itsps) 

Statistics from 2011 to 2018 show a huge demand for ICT specialists in the EU as the specialists 
that were employed in this field grew with 47.9%, eight times as much as the increase for total 
employment  (5.9%).364  Furthermore,  over  half  of  the  employers  in  the  EU  (58%)  reported 
difficulties in recruiting ICT specialists, indicating a large gap for advanced digital skills.365 The 
lack of ICT specialists can be traced back to the low percentage of graduates in ICT studies.  

Specialised education offer in digital areas, such as AI, cybersecurity or cloud often lacks in the 
EU compared to the US or UK366. The main role in the offer of advanced technological skills is 
held by the US, which leads in terms of number of programs provided in several technological 
domains. The UK also provide a significant offer that for some disciplines, such as cybersecurity 
is close to the total EU27 offer. In addition, the teaching of digital skills in non-ICT faculties is 
very  low,  for  example  AI  is  taught  only  in  2%  of  businesses  faculties  and  1%  of  arts  and 
humanities, whereas its potential impact in these areas is significant.  

Eurostat reports that in 2018 only 3.8% of all graduates (3,984,700) were from ICT programmes 
(151,400).367 Across upper secondary and tertiary education more than 1.3 million people were 
studying Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the EU in 2018,368 females were 
still significantly under-represented in this field, accounting for only 17% of all ICT students in 

364  Eurostat  database  for  the  following  sources:  employed  ICT  specialists  -  total,  employed  ICT  specialists  by  sex,  employed  specialists  by 
educational attainment level and employment by sex, age and citizenship. 
365 Eurostat (2019). ICT specialists - statistics on hard-to-fill vacancies 
366 doi:10.2760/225355, JRC121680  
367 
explained/index.php?title=File:Number_of_tertiary_education_graduates_in_each_field_of_education,_2018_(thousands)_ET2020.png  
368 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/edn-20200423-1    

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-

70 

 
 
 
                                                           
the EU.369 Higher education has a role to  play to  expand access  to  ICT studies in  general,  and 
widen participation in ICT studies especially for female students.  

Apart from the increased need of ICT specialists, it is also necessary that all students, for example 
those  studying  medicine,  business  administration  and  agriculture  learn  to  use  advanced  digital 
technologies  such  as  artificial  intelligence,  big  data,  internet-of-things  etc.  to  use  these 
technologies  in  their  professions  The  lack  of  qualified  teaching  staff needs  to  be  tackled  as 
advanced digital technologies penetrate all sectors of the economy. 

The COVID-19 crisis has clearly shown that access to high quality digital education content is 
a key requirement for an effective provision of digital education. Entering the lockdowns in 
spring 2020, almost half of European HEIs offered some form of open learning (48%), including 
MOOCs  (36%,  up  from  12%  in  2014).  As  in  the  broader  digital  context,  a  similar  pattern  of 
“cautious experimentation” emerged, with the majority of HEIs having only created a few “pilot” 
MOOCs and only a handful of HEIs (17%) offering more than ten MOOCs.370 Nevertheless, open 
online education is an area where the EU excels compared to other global markets and “the uptake 
of MOOCs in Europe is maturing at a much higher level compared to the US”.371  

Although the uptake of MOOCs has increased, the majority of European HEIs has offered their 
MOOCs on external  digital  platforms, either one of the biggest  global platforms  (such as edX, 
Coursera, FutureLearn) or regional/national platforms (e.g., France Université Numérique – FUN). 
Others  implement  open-source  MOOC  platforms  at  their  institution  (e.g.,  Moodle,  OpenedX, 
OpenMOOC) or offer MOOCs on their dedicated platform. Data on the main global platforms, 
provided by Class Central Inc. indicates that MOOCs production is twice as prevalent in the US 
in comparison to the EU. Three out of the five main MOOC platforms are US-based, attracting 
73% of all MOOC learners. None of the EU-based platforms are amongst the five leading ones.    
A  consultation372  with  HEIs  made  clear  that  the  use  of  external  platforms  might  become 
problematic in the future. Although relatively advanced European MOOC initiatives have been 
launched,  they  are  isolated  and  fragmented.  This  lack  of  a  Europe-based  platform  will  likely 
increase the costs for European HEIs to access learning resources, while the information on HEI 
learning  opportunities  and  courses  may  be  accessed  on  the  Europass  platform.  Furthermore,  a 
collective platform initiated by the EU has the potential to offer multilingual options to increase 
the ease of access. MOOCs could also add global visibility and attractiveness to European HE as 
well as contribute to developing “International partnerships for the Digital Decade”.373 

Digital infrastructure is a key framework condition  for digital transformation and European 
policies that strengthens Europe’s capacity are a priority. The EU plan for economic recovery calls 
for  Member  States  to  allocate  at  least  20%  of  the  recovery  and  resilience  facility  to  digital 
transition; there is also substantial funding supporting digital and data infrastructure under Horizon 
Europe. For harmonisation of approaches across Europe, allowing for sharing of resources and 
exchange of information, it is necessary to develop new norms and interoperable standards, which 
should include both digital infrastructures and for content and accreditation.374  

369 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/edn-20200423-1  Data source: educ_uoe_enra03 
370 https://eua.eu/resources/publications/954:digitally-enhanced-learning-and-teaching-in-european-higher-education-institutions.html   
371 https://eadtu.eu/documents/Publications/OEenM/MOOC_Strategies_of_European_Institutions.pdf . 
372 Consultation within the context of the feasibility study conducted by PPMI based on desk research and comprehensive stakeholder consultations. 
373  https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/strategy/strategy-2020-2024/our-digital-future/open-science/european-open-science-cloud-
eosc_en   
374 “Knowledge ecosystems in the new ERA”, Policy Brief for the Higher Education Transformation Agenda – publication pending (Commission 
study RTD/2020/SC/11). 

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HEIs in Europe need better digital solutions for cooperation. Apart from achieving secure and 
resilient  digital  infrastructure,  there  is  also  a  critical  need  to  achieve  interoperability  among 
digital systems of HEIs and of education and training ecosystem such as Europass. This would 
enable seamless sharing of knowledge and information between these institutions, support pooling 
of resources and increase cooperation in education, research, innovation, and service, also on a 
transnational scale.  

Interoperability  is  also  relevant  between  digital  systems  of  HEIs  and  external  stakeholders,  to 
which  HEIs  regularly  deliver  data  for  reporting  purposes.  In  particular,    the  Member  States 
Governments,  National  Statistics Agencies, Quality Assurance Agencies  and other  government 
agencies. Integrated IT architecture with cloud-based integration platforms and solid data security 
can help achieve efficient data sharing and improve decision-making processes in higher education 
systems.  

Currently,  there  are  barriers  to  cooperation  that  are  related  to  not  having  adequate  exchange 
standards. Many HEIs, even within the same country, work with different learning management 
systems  (LMS)  and  student  information  systems  (SIS).  Often,  it  is  difficult  to  exchange 
standardised  information  about  courses,  about  exams,  transfer  grades  between  HEIs.  This  is 
particularly a problem  for HEIs that have deep cooperation projects with other institutions (for 
example  in  the  European  University  Alliances),  where  different  systems  can  restrict  the 
possibilities to collaborate. Relying on the European Learning Model could provide a solution to 
exchange student data, information on their qualifications and courses as it has been piloted under 
the early adopter’s programme of the European Digital Credentials. 

Actions to support the digitisation of higher education require strong partnership approaches across 
HEIs. Consultation with European University Alliances reported obstacles in interoperability. The 
Alliances  preferred  not  to  introduce  new  overarching  digital  tools,  but  instead  focus  on 
interoperability between the different existing tools to ensure smooth operation between partner 
universities  and  beyond.  Key  features  should  be  scalability,  replicability,  and  the  impact  of 
solutions. It is also important to learn from previous experience   specific projects such as Erasmus 
without paper, European Student Card, and Virtual Campus pilots.   

Interoperability  is  also  an  issue  within  the  European  University  Alliances  because  individual 
universities take different approaches to the development and organisation of their IT ecosystems. 
The importance of keeping coherence in the own institutional environment and focusing primarily 
on the functionality of their own IT environment leads to less cooperation due to risk avoidance. 

The most common issue mentioned in stakeholder consultations pertained to the registration and 
authentication of students.  In most systems there is no way to limit access between systems of 
different  HEIs,  meaning  that  once  a  student  is  authenticated,  they  gain  access  to  all  available 
systems in that institution. This leaves institutions reluctant to provide authentication to visiting 
students.  Possible  solutions  could  be  a  system  that  adds  ‘tags’  to  the  authentication  to  create 
different or personalized levels of access, a common Identity Management System, or application 
programming  interfaces  (APIs)  which  are  accepted  and  universally  used  on  European  (and 
international) level. To achieve interoperability, it is also necessary to reach common agreement, 
so  universities  can  uphold  the  same  level  of  verification.  Common  procedures,  techniques  and 
solutions would offer HEIs improved interoperability and reduce unnecessary workload.  

72 

 
 
Many  HEIs  need  APIs  that  are  accepted  and  universally  used  on  European  (and  international) 
level. Some HEIs already use Open Education API standards.375 However, not all do which limits 
potential cooperation. A specific issue is the need for a clear guidance and direction on the different 
platforms used for EU cooperation in higher education. Current work on it is scattered and highly 
fragmented, with administrative procedures, ICT structures, legal attributes, etc.  

Achieving interoperability remains also a challenge  because in some countries, HEIs are permitted 
or even obliged to work with the government-approved student authentication methods (such as 
CZ, DE), while in others, higher education cannot access these same authentication methods (such 
as NL). Common and interoperable systems in higher education will increase coherence, reduce 
friction, and offer additional flexibility for European students and staff.  

European  HEIs  need  to  accelerate  research  and  innovation  in  strategic  technologies  to 
develop Europe’s digital capacities towards tech sovereignty. While Europe is home to many 
innovative  HEIs,376  too  many  European  countries  still  experience  dependency  on  other  world 
regions for several strategically important digital capacities and products, including web platforms, 
microchips,  and  semiconductors.  Digital  societies  require  research  and  innovation  into 
digitalisation of public sector, of social services and into the citizenship and civic engagement in 
democracies in digital era. To realise the digital transformation of Europe in social, political, and 
economic spheres, European HEIs, need to be empowered to play a key part, in partnership with 
industry, civil society, non-governmental and public sectors.  

Partnerships are needed among HEIs to pool resources and between HEIs and industry to exchange 
knowledge and to ensure that Europe’s innovations materialise within Europe’s industry. They are 
also  necessary  between  higher  education  and  societal  stakeholders  to  ensure  that  digitalisation 
provides equality of opportunities, conforms to ethical conduct, and upholds democratic principles.  

8.2. Progress to date 

In 2020, the European Commission published the Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027) 
which  offers  a  long-term  strategic  vision  for  high-quality,  inclusive,  and  accessible  European 
digital education. The Plan addresses the challenges and opportunities of the COVID-19 pandemic, 
seeks stronger cooperation at the EU level on digital education, and underscores the importance of 
working together across sectors to bring education into the digital age. It presents opportunities, 
including improved quality and quantity of teaching concerning digital technologies, support for 
the digitalisation of teaching methods and pedagogies and the provision of infrastructure required 
for inclusive and resilient remote learning.377  

The  Digital  Education  Action  Plan  focuses  on  fostering  the  development  of  a  high-performing 
digital  education  ecosystem  and  enhancing  digital  skills  and  competences  for  the  digital 
transformation as its two key priorities. The Plan is fully aligned with the Commission’s political 
priority ‘A Europe fit for the Digital Age’378 and is a key building block in realising the European 
Education Area by 2025.379 It contributes to achieving the goals of the European Skills Agenda, 
the European Social Pillar Action Plan and the ‘2030 Digital Compass’.  

375  https://openonderwijsapi.nl/en/  
376 https://www.reuters.com/innovative-universities-2019   
377 https://ec.europa.eu/education/education-in-the-eu/digital-education-action-plan_en  
378 https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age_en  
379 https://ec.europa.eu/education/education-in-the-eu/european-education-area_en  

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The first priority of the Digital Education Action Plan is fostering the development of a high-
performing  digital  education  ecosystem.  As  part  of  the  implementation  of  this  priority,  the 
Commission has launched a feasibility study on a possible EU Exchange Platform. Amongst the 
goals of the possible Platform would be to share certified online resources and, in a later stage, 
link existing education platforms. The study takes into account the needs of providers, learners, 
educators, and all relevant education and training stakeholders.  

The analysis of the data collected thus far has suggested that the need for a European Exchange 
platform is highest in the higher education sector. More specifically, higher education stakeholders 
pointed out that there is a need for a platform that allows for increased cooperation and information 
sharing across EU HEIs. Currently, even HEIs participating in the European University Alliances 
do not have simplified means to always stay connected and share their expertise with the higher 
education  community.  Through  community  building,  HEIs  could  establish  and  unify  common 
digital content standards, and share information, best practices, and teaching materials.  

Under  the  second  priority  of  the  Digital  Education  Action  Plan,  enhancing  digital  skills  and 
competences for the digital transformation, ongoing initiatives address the challenge of meeting 
the labour force demand in STEM and ICT through education, by boosting the basic and advanced 
digital skills development of citizens. For example, the Commission is in the process of preparing 
a  Proposal  for  a  Council  Recommendation  on  improving  the  provision  of  digital  skills  and 
competences.  It  will  reflect  the  understanding  that  computational  thinking  is  not  only  for  tech 
enthusiasts or for those who want to become engineers.  

Another  action  of  the  Digital  Education  Action  Plan  includes  the  scaling  up  of  the  Digital 
Opportunity Traineeships (DOTs), which aim at giving students of all disciplines the opportunity 
to get hands-on digital experience in industry in fields demanded by the market. The scheme is 
being gradually expanded. Another issue high on the agenda is gender equality in STEM and ICT.  
The Commission is promoting better inclusion of women in ICT studies and careers.  

Work  is  also  ongoing  on  updating  the  Digital  Competence  Framework  (DigComp)  which  will 
articulate what competences citizens should be equipped with, so they can actively participate in 
the  digital  world.  The  update  of  the  Framework  ensures  that  emerging  trends  such  as  artificial 
intelligence, data use and management, and robotics are reflected in the framework. Finally, work 
is underway in developing guidelines on promoting digital literacy in education. 
The European Skills Agenda380 is a five-year plan that supports the green and digital transitions 
with  initiatives  such  as  the  Pact  for  Skills.381  It  helps  mobilise  the  private  sector  and  other 
stakeholders to upskill and reskill  Europe’s  workforce. The  European  Pillar of Social Rights 
Action Plan382 supports the development of basic digital skills for the workforce. Moreover, the 
European Industrial and SME strategy,383 the European Strategy for Data384 and the Coordinated 
Action  Plan  on  Artificial  Intelligence385  also  include  actions  targeted  to  improve  digital  skills 
among the population and workers. Finally, ‘2030 Digital Compass: the European way for the 

380  COM/2020/274 final - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52020DC0274 
381 https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1517&langId=en  
382 COM/2021/102 final - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52021DC0102   
383 COM/2021/350 final - https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/communication-industrial-strategy-update-2020_en.pdf     
384  COM/2020/66 final - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1593073685620&uri=CELEX%3A52020DC0066   
385 COM/2021/205 final - https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/dae/redirection/document/75787   

74 

 
 
                                                           
Digital Decade’386 presents the European Commission’s vision and avenues for Europe’s digital 
transformation by 2030 based on skills, infrastructure, business and government. 
The  European  Institute  of  Technology  of  Innovation  (EIT)  has  established  EIT  Digital387  as  a 
leading European digital innovation and entrepreneurial education organisation driving Europe’s 
digital  transformation.  This  pan-European  ecosystem  includes  over  200  top  European 
corporations, SMEs, start-ups, HEIs, and research institutes, and provides a space where students, 
researchers, engineers, business developers and entrepreneurs collaborate in an open innovation 
setting. EIT Digital aims to realise the European Digital Decade which includes turning ground-
breaking digital tech innovations into market success, supporting European deep tech scale-ups to 
become global digital champions and growing digital talents into Europe’s tech entrepreneurs of 
the future. As regards the skills and education programmes, the EIT Digital focuses on the digital 
high-end degree education for master and doctoral graduates and high level professionals. Students 
learn the digital skills from an entrepreneurial perspective and integrate technical competencies in 
key digital areas with business model thinking. 

8.3. What is needed to support HEIS to be actors of change in the Digital transition 

Higher education must play a critical role in helping Europe achieve its ambitions on the Green 
Deal,  Digital  Decade,  strengthening  of  European  democracy  and  Europe’s  role  in  the  world. 
Digital higher education is an essential part and a building block of realisation of the European 
Education Area, the European Research Area, and the European Higher Education Area.  

European HEIs need to comprehensively digitalise to boost their own efficiency, and implement 
student-centred,  technology  enabled  learning  and  teaching.  They  also  need  to  strengthen  their 
capabilities to research and innovate. The imperative for HEIs to support Europe's Digital Decade, 
by  equipping  Europeans  with  digital  skills,  driving  research  and  innovation  in  strategic  digital 
technologies,  green  technology  solutions,  and  establishing  Europe’s  tech  sovereignty.  Strong 
digital capacities, ranging from digitally skilled citizens to innovative digital technology research 
within its universities, contribute to Europe’s technological advancement and to its resilience.  

Digitalisation of HEIs is a necessary condition for successful transnational cooperation in higher 
education  and  research.  Transnational  cooperation  in  higher  education  and  research  is  one  of 
Europe's comparative advantages compared to the rest of the world.  It creates opportunities for 
synergies, cross-fertilization and peer learning, and enables realisation of a genuinely European 
dimension in higher education and research.  

The  European  Union  can  offer  financial  support,  helpful  guidance,  and  efficient 
coordination of joint efforts among Member States, HEIs, and stakeholders, towards Europe’s 
digital transformation. To address the gaps in digitalisation of higher education, the EU can: 

1.  Support  the  aim  to  equip  Europeans  with  basic  or  advanced  digital  skills.  A  European 
approach to micro-credential is an especially promising opportunity for advancement of digital 
skills  (see  Council  Recommendation  on  micro-credentials)  as  is  the  Erasmus+  traineeship 
program for students and staff388, e.g., through Erasmus+, Digital Europe Programme, EIT-KICs 
and the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) partnerships. Pact for Research and Innovation in 

386 COM/2021/118 final - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52021DC0118  
387 https://eit.europa.eu/our-communities/eit-digital  
388 https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/opportunities/traineeships-students_en  

75 

 
 
                                                           
Europe (see Council Recommendation on a Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe)389 also 
should include digital skills development to upskill and re-skill lifelong learners. 

2. Digital technologies have enabled democratisation of access to knowledge also through Massive 
Open Online Courses (MOOCs). While Europe has been lagging in MOOCs compared to other 
world  regions,  especially  the  United  States,  the  European  Union  could  explore  a  launch  of  a 
trusted  European  platform  offering  access  to  high  quality,  user-friendly,  European-branded 
education courses, and content. This would further support digital skills development by learners 
and academic staff and raise the global visibility and attractiveness of European higher education.  
As  regards  support  to  interoperability  solutions,  this  platform  should  be  compatible  with  the 
European Open Science Cloud (EOSC).390 

3.  Action  is  needed  to  develop  digital  solutions  for  transnational  cooperation  in  higher 
education  and  research.  Support  can  be  offered  to  Member  States  and  HEIs  in  co-creating 
guidelines and mutually agreed principles for allowing mutual access to services (such as identity 
management  or  education  provision)  and  content,  and  enabling  seamless  knowledge  and  data 
exchange.  This  could  build  on  EOSC  and  should  consider  the  need  to  respect  institutional 
autonomy of Europe’s universities. 

Success  stories of transnational  projects developing skills  and competences for  the digital 
transition 

NeurotechEU - The European University for Brain & Technology391 is a European Universities Alliance 
funded through Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020 and involves eight universities and more than 250 affiliates. 
Its  Graduate  School  trains  students  in  a  multidisciplinary,  international  and  inter-sectoral  setting,  and 
graduates will have an inter-sectoral experience with a strong multidisciplinary research background. The 
Lifelong  Learning  Centre  will  organise  certificate  programs,  micro-degrees,  boot  camps,  and  offer 
internships, research opportunities and transferable skill training. NeurotechEU Spaces will be the online 
meeting spot for all students, learners, staff and researchers at NeurotechEU. 

EIT  Digital392  provides  online  and  blended  education  opportunities  at  Masters  and  Lifelong  Learning 
levels. EIT Digital on Coursera provides online and blended innovation and entrepreneurship education to 
raise quality, increase diversity and availability of the top-level content provided by their partner network. 
The Professional School393 offers courses in a blended model that combines face-to-face courses with online 
introductory modules on leading-edge digital developments. EIT Digital School394 focuses on the digital 
high-end degree education for master and doctoral graduates and high-level professionals.  

Expanding the Research and Innovation Capacity in Cultural Heritage Virtual Reality Applications 
(eHeritage)395  is  funded  by  Horizon  2020.  It  uses  advances  in  information  technology  and  progress  in 
virtual  reality  applications  to  bring  new  life  to  history,  making  it  easier  to  preserve  Europe’s  cultural 
heritage.  By  creating  applications  for  cultural  heritage  sites,  eHeritage  contributes  to  the  spread  of 

407 

final 

COM(2021) 

389 
https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/research_and_innovation/strategy_on_research_and_innovation/documents/ec_rtd_pact-for-research-
and-innovation.pdf  
390  https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/strategy/strategy-2020-2024/our-digital-future/open-science/european-open-science-cloud-
eosc_en 
391 https://theneurotech.eu/  
392 https://www.eitdigital.eu/online-education/  
393 https://professionalschool.eitdigital.eu/  
394 https://masterschool.eitdigital.eu/  
395 http://www.eheritage.org/  

2021/0230 

(NLE) 

- 

76 

 
 
 
                                                           
knowledge  in  the  fields  of  history  and  arts.  The  department  specialized  in  these  techniques  is  based  in 
Romania, and provides the first step in consolidating this research field in Eastern Europe. 

BlockChain  Network  Online  Education  for  interdisciplinary  European  Competence 
Transfer (BlockNet)396 is funded by Erasmus+. The Blocknet project develops an interdisciplinary small 
network online course (SNOC) covering disciplines that are most relevant to both the practice of developing 
of information systems and technologies and their application in business. Its implementation gives the 
participants an opportunity to deepen their knowledge on blockchain and broaden the relevant knowledge 
by learning from project’s immediate and associate partners as well fostering international collaboration 
within the project. 

9. Universities as drivers for Europe’s global role and leadership  

9.1. Need to ramp up Europe’s HEIs’ global ambition 

Universities and other types of HEIs have long  been internationalised institutions, materialised 
through their international connections and the welcoming of foreign students and scholars.397 The 
intensification  of  the  internationalisation  of  HEIs398,  both  in  quantitative  (more  mobility  of 
students and researchers, more activities with an international dimension), and qualitative terms 
(internationalisation is closer to the core of institutional strategies) is aligned, inter alia, with an 
increased awareness of competition from outside the EU and echoes stakeholder feedback to the 
consultation.   

Europe  has  a  distinctive  feature  of  combining  internationalisation  and  regionalisation,  while 
European mobility and European cooperation are anchored in higher education life for more than 
three decades399. Far from interrupting those trends, the COVID-19 crisis has shown the need and 
demands  for  internationalisation  as  well  as  HEI  capacities  to  innovate  in  their  international 
activities.400  

Europe’s HEIs being open to the world is important not only to foster their own development and 
success but also to build a strong global Europe. The changing global political order and the needs 
of the global market economy are calling for Europe to redefine its role. To harness complex global 
challenges,  to  consolidate  a  strong  and  responsible  position  on  the  global  scene,  and  to  ensure 
strategic autonomy, HEIs are instrumental for Europe’s global role.  

In  order  to  maintain  a  leading  position  on  an  ever  more  competitive  global  higher  education 
market, and in order to contribute to Europe’s global influence in troubled times, Europe’s HEIs 
need to ramp up their global ambition, and to get support from national and European levels.  

9.2. State of play: HEIs and global dimension  

Internationalisation as a strategic priority for HEIs 

396 https://www.knf.vu.lt/en/blocknet#home   
397  “Being  part  of  an  international  knowledge  community  is  an  idea  that  is  deeply  embedded  in  the  identity  of  modern  universities” 
https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/pathways%20to%20the%20future%20report.pdf  p.8  
398 https://doi.org/10.1080/23322969.2020.1820898  
399  Transnational cooperation amongst European HEIs, while being part of a comprehensive definition of internationalisation is addressed in the 
transnational cooperation chapter of the present document. 
400 For instance:  https://nesetweb.eu/en/resources/library/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-higher-education-a-review-of-emerging-evidence/ chapter 4,  

77 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
A 2015 study for the European Parliament on “the state of internationalization in higher education” 
clearly showed internationalisation is a priority for Europe’s HEIs. It promoted a new agenda for 
the  future,  with  the  following  definition  for  internationalization:  “The  intentional  process  of 
integrating  an  international,  intercultural  or  global  dimension  into  the  purpose,  functions  and 
delivery of post-secondary education, in order to enhance the quality of education and research for 
all students and staff and to make a meaningful contribution to society”.401 

What  “internationalization”  of  HEIs  means  has  indeed  evolved  in  the  last  decades.  The  key 
message  conveyed  by  both  literature  and  stakeholders’  surveys  is  that  internationalization  has 
become  more  and  more  of  a  strategic  issue.  When  it  used  to  be  considered  one  among  many 
external driven processes HEIs are experiencing, it is now considered a major strategic priority. 
Internationalization and international cooperation are considered a pre requisite for high quality 
research and teaching and learning. More and more stakeholders and Member States acknowledge 
that promoting international mobility and international partnerships are not only objectives per se, 
and that fostering a holistic international dimension throughout all the missions and activities of 
Europe’s HEIs is crucial to better prepare the learners for the future. It also makes HEIs stronger 
and  more  innovative.  To  summarize,  internationalisation  has  evolved  from  “being  a  marginal 
activity to becoming a key aspect of the reform agenda”, and a “key agent of change”402 and there 
has  been  a  “shift  from  relatively  haphazard  international  partnerships  and  random  capacity-
building  activities  to  more  strategic  approaches  to  internationalisation  in  a  growing  number  of 
universities”403.  

HEIs’ key role for Global Europe 
Thinking about  higher education and Global  Europe also  relates to  HEIs being instrumental  in 
building a stronger Europe in the world. 

By producing and diffusing high quality knowledge, by collaborating with partners worldwide, 
HEIs are part of Europe’s strategy to address global challenges. Global challenges call for 
global solutions. Developing and implementing global solutions will require the joint efforts of the 
best creative and entrepreneurial minds from around the world. To tackle the challenges related to 
green and digital transitions and to strengthen technology-driven competitiveness, Europe needs 
more  than  ever  to  reach  out  to  the  rest  of  the  world,  to  increase  cooperation  with  like-minded 
partners while boosting the capacity of new and emerging centres of excellence in partner countries  

Taking  place  in  multiple  arenas  at  the  national  and  international  level,  discussions  and 
contributions on the role of universities to address global challenges are many.404 A major issue 
for  universities  to  fulfil  this  role  is  international  cooperation.  European  institutions  alone,  or 
cooperating among themselves without global partners will not give their full potential. This point 
was  emphasised  in  the  consultation  with  European  HEIs,  including  European  universities,  all 
stating their need for support to international cooperation.   

Europe  is  a  pace-setter  in  HE  cooperation.  For  many  countries  and  HEIs  worldwide,  the 
European  experience  can  inform  their  own  moves  towards  internationalisation  or  regional 

401 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2015/540370/IPOL_STU(2015)540370_EN.pdf  
402 https://doi.org/10.1080/23322969.2020.1820898  
403 DOI: 10.1057/978-1-137-59472-3_4 
404 See for instance the activities and publication of the GUNI network,  an international think tank with strong expertise in the implementation of 
the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs in higher education,  https://www.guninetwork.org/topics   

78 

 
 
                                                           
cooperation. This in turn boosts Europe’s attractiveness not only as a study destination, but also as 
an attractive cooperation partner for education, research and innovation. 

Universities play vital role in generating the scientific evidence that underpins Europe's foreign 
and security policies, international agreements, and multilateral action. As key players in science 
diplomacy, they connect Europe to the world. More generally, by exchanging talents from all over 
the  world,  building  strong  bridges  with  partner  countries  across  the  globe,  and  by  promoting 
academic and European values, universities are part of Europe’s soft power. Using the notion405 
of  ‘soft  power  of  higher  education’406,  scholars  have  analysed  the  role  of  HEIs  and  higher 
education  in  EU  foreign  policy.  They  for  instance  show  how  due  to  people-to-people  contact, 
Erasmus+ participants are most likely to become EU informal ambassadors, and carriers of EU 
soft power in neighbourhood countries leading to changes in cultural and social perception407, and 
how communities of alumni built around the Erasmus+ Programme are pivotal in the growing 
role of higher education in sustaining the EU’s relations with its strategic partners.408 

International cooperation in the field of higher education is an effective tool for supporting the 
EU’s public diplomacy efforts around the world. It acts to encourage support for EU policies 
beyond the Union’s borders, notably those in the fields of enlargement and the neighbourhood, 
international  development,  migration  and  intercultural  dialogue.  In  partner  countries, 
cooperation in higher education is key to strengthening skills acquisition and development in line 
with the United Nation's (UN) Sustainable Development Goals.  

As  for  the  R&I  mission  of  universities,  the  vision  for  research  excellence  is  also  aiming  at 
Europe’s  global  leadership,  calling  Europe’s  universities  to  be  world  leading  in  delivering 
excellent research and providing cutting-edge research-led education. The concentration of the top 
200 HEIs in the older EU Member States, along with the higher share of excellence-based funding 
should be addressed and the future should be a more balanced and equitable demonstration of top 
HEIs across all of the EU Member States.  

Fast changing and competing global landscape for higher education  

At  the  moment  when  the  contribution  of  HEIs  has  maybe  never  been  so  important,  there  is 
nevertheless  the  risk  that  this  role  could  be  challenged  in  different  ways  because  of  a  lack  of 
awareness of the changing global landscape. With the rapid rising of fierce competitors (both old 
ones and new ones) on the global higher education and research market, the old powerful European 
position and the traditionally strong assets of Europe’s HEIs are more and more challenged, as 
knowledge  production  centres  in  the  global  competition,  and  as  welcoming  institutions  for 
international students.  

In terms of attractiveness, Europe has indeed to consolidate its ambition and strategy. The total 
number of students in the world is rising (estimated to triple in the next two decades and reach an 
estimated 594 million in 2040)409, and so is the number of mobile international students now close 
to five millions students studying abroad410, twice the number 10 years ago. Predictions are for a 

405 initially coined to discuss the US universities case, by the scholar who invented the soft power concept  
406 http://forum.mit.edu/articles/soft-power-and-higher-education/  
407 https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/ijelp12&div=10&g_sent=1&casa_token=&collection=journals  
408 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66061-1_4  
409 https://ec.europa.eu/education/education-in-the-eu/european-education-area/european-universities-initiative_en 
410 https://doi.org/10.1787/974729f4-en. 

79 

 
 
                                                           
further increase to at least 8 million in the next decade.411 Europe is threatened, losing ground in 
terms  of  being  a  study  destination  and  attracting  talent.  Currently  Europe  attracts  45%  of  all 
international students worldwide.412 The EU higher education offer attracted 1.3 million foreign 
students undertaking tertiary education in EU-27 institutions already in 2018 (25 % from Asia and 
15 % from Africa). Similarly the EU is an important destination for the countries neighbouring the 
EU (i.e. Ukraine is the third largest country of origin for students studying in the EU, after China 
and Germany). But as the options for study increase, Europe’s HEIs will need to become more 
competitive  to  attract  the  best  talent  from  around  the  world.  Indeed  “the  needs  of  increasingly 
knowledge-based and innovation-driven economies  have spurred demand for tertiary education 
worldwide”, and at the same time, economic, technological and cultural factors “have contributed 
to making international study substantially more affordable and easier to access than in the past”.413 
In the meantime, some competitors are developing very ambitious and offensive strategy to attract 
those international students and gain influence.  

An emblematic case is the China’s belt road initiative (BRI) which provides an example of “long-
term  strategic  and  well-resourced  policy  to  promote  China’s  higher  education  system  and  its 
broader  economic  and  diplomatic  interests”.414  “The  country  attracts  a  growing  number  of 
international students (from 52,000 in 2000 to almost 500,000 in 2018)”, and China’s strategic” 
ambition to become a global powerhouse in higher education is supported by the global spread of 
Confucius  Institutes,  which  offer  Chinese  language  and  cultural  teaching  in  almost  550  HEIs 
across the globe”.415 

9.3. What has been achieved so far  

Key EU policy contributions  

HEIs are involved in the international mobility of students and researchers, in annual cooperation 
projects, as well as in joint international publications and international research projects. As such, 
they  are  instrumental  in  building  strong  bridges  with  partner  countries  across  the  globe  and 
promoting academic and European values. Their input into Europe’s soft power is significant, but 
can be further boosted, in particular through a Team Europe approach, as highlighted in recent 
European  Commission  Communications,  and  equally  mentioned  in  the  single  multiannual 
indicative programme (MIP). 
The Communication on Achieving the European Education Area by 2025416 states that education 
has a geopolitical dimension, and highlights that “Action at EU level should be geared towards 
creating a Team Europe approach, fostering greater cooperation with EU Member States on the 
external  activities  of  education  and  training  institutions  in  different  parts  of  the  world  thereby 
strengthening the positioning the EU as a partner in education at global level.” 
The Communication on the Global Approach to Research and Innovation417 highlights that “The 
new global approach to research and innovation (…) will strengthen the global capacity to deliver 

411 https://doi.org/10.1080/23322969.2020.1820898 
412 
https://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/international-cooperation/making-eu-more-attractive-foreign-
students_en#:~:text=Europe%20currently%20attracts%2045%25%20of%20all%20international%20students,world.%20How%20the%20Commis
sion%20promotes%20European%20higher%20education  
413 https://doi.org/10.1787/974729f4-en 
414  https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/mrcbg/publications/awp/awp161 , p. 72 
415  ibid p. 63.  
416 COM(2020) 625 final https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52020DC0625   
417 COM(2021) 252 final https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2021:252:FIN  

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solutions to the shared challenges facing humanity and strengthen the EU’s positive influence in 
the world”. It stipulates that a global approach will be implemented, inter alia through “initiatives 
modelled on a Team Europe approach, which combine actions by the EU, financial institutions 
and Member States to maximise the effectiveness and impact of the actions”. 

Furthermore, the Communication on the strengthened European Research Area “A new era for 
Research and Innovation”418 underlines that “To foster global leadership, the ERA also needs to 
better incentivize its high-quality researchers and innovators to work together and become a pole 
of attraction for the world’s best talents”.  

International dimension of higher education – actions and their impact 

Erasmus+  international  cooperation  actions  cover  the  world.  In  the  field  of  higher  education 
Erasmus+ international cooperation has meant promoting the mobility of students, young people 
and  staff,  funding  capacity  building  actions,  encouraging  joint  degrees,  supporting  the 
modernisation and internationalisation of higher education systems in partner countries. It has also 
meant  establishing  mutually  beneficial  partnerships  with  European  partners,  in  line  with  the 
ambition of a stronger Europe in the world.  

The mid-term and ex-post evaluations of Erasmus+ show that the international dimension of the 
programme has clearly contributed to human development in third countries not associated to the 
programme with high effectiveness and value for stakeholders.  

Erasmus+  international  activities  are  currently  backed  up  by  €  2.2  billion  from  NDICI  and 
IPAIII, by policy dialogues with key countries and regions, and by efforts to raise visibility and 
extend the reach of EU projects and initiatives with all parts of the world.  

There  has  been  a  strong  and  measurable  impact  in  other  parts  of  the  world,  through  actions 
promoting  mobility  of  students,  and  academic  staff.  Short-term  “credit”  mobility:  the 
International  Credit Mobility  (ICM) action has supported over 266,000 participants since 2015 
including students and staff. 

For  longer  term  Master  degree  mobility,  the  Erasmus  Mundus  action  offers  full  Master 
scholarships,  typically  for  two  years.  This  type  of  degree  seeking  mobility  is  essential  in 
development  of  skills  and  know-how.  In  more  than  fifteen  years  of  activity,  Erasmus  Mundus 
consortia have offered more than 28,000 scholarships to students from 183 countries around the 
world.  From  2021  on  non-European  partners  are  invited  to  play  a  full  part  in  consortia,  host 
students for up to half the length of the Master degree and issue joint or multiple degrees alongside 
their European counterparts. This is a significant change and reflects the global ambitions of HEIs 
in Europe. 

Capacity building actions (around 150 projects every year) are mutually beneficial partnerships 
with European partners, which help modernise and internationalise HEIs and systems in partner 
countries, and strengthen the role that higher education plays in the economy society in general.  

Every year Erasmus+ funds cooperation projects between Europe and the rest of the world worth 
around € 400 million. Between 2014-2020 the programme funded 900 capacity building projects 
for higher education, and 906 capacity building projects for youth in Neighbourhood regions, Asia, 
Africa and Latin America. 

418 COM(2020) 628 final https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2020%3A628%3AFIN   

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In addition to the programme opportunities afforded by Erasmus+, the EU maintains active policy 
dialogues, which support system-wide processes of education analysis and reform, in particular in 
Africa, the Western Balkans and the Neighbourhood countries in order to strengthen prosperity, 
stability and security. These policy dialogues bear a significant weight in raising the visibility and 
extending the reach of EU projects and initiatives with all parts of the world. They also support 
the  process  of  widening  the  association  of  non-EU  countries  to  the  European  Education  Area 
(especially those of the Western Balkans), which is an integral part of the 2025 vision. 

Closely-linked  to  the  EU’s  programmes  supporting  education  mobility  are  the  Marie 
Skłodowska-Curie Actions, which support the training and mobility of researchers in all scientific 
domains, at  all stages  of their careers and from  all over the  world.    For  the period 2014-2020, 
MSCA supported: 

  65,000  mobility  opportunities,  including  25,000  doctoral  candidates  and  1,000+ 

international doctorates. 

  1,000+ Innovative Training Networks bringing together HEIs, research institutes and other 

sectors from across the world. 

9.4. What  is  needed:  boosting  European  HEIs  influence  and  impact  through  a  Team 

Europe approach 

Internationalisation makes universities stronger and prepares the learners for a global future. HEIs 
across Europe are adapting to a rapidly changing world. HEIs also bring a major contribution to 
strengthening  Europe’s  global  role.  But  at  a  moment  of  uncertainties  of  the  changing  global 
political  order  and  of  the  global  economy,  Europe  needs  to  redefine  its  global  role.  This  also 
corresponds  to  a moment  of intensifying  competition  on the  higher education  global market  to 
attract talents and have influence, and more strategic priority needs to be given to strengthening 
the global status and ambition of Europe’s HEIs.  

It  is  particularly  needed  to  better  articulate  the  new  approach  to  European  transnational 
cooperation  and  the  global  ambition  of  European  HEIs.  Deepening  cooperation  among 
European institutions therefore goes hand in hand with consolidating their global dimension. As 
emphasised by stakeholders very clearly during the consultation, there is a large consensus that 
through innovative formats like the European Universities and other alliances, backed by adequate 
funding mechanisms, HEIs will be stronger together and be more visible and competitive on the 
global scene. This will boost high-quality international cooperation in the whole HE sector.  

This also allows to build upon and foster Europe’s reputation of excellence in regional cooperation, 
and feed in regional policy dialogues on how to better support regionalisation in other parts of the 
world.  This  also  requires  to  join  national  and  European  forces  to  consolidate  HEIs’  global 
attractiveness,  competitiveness,  and  engagement.  This  is  key  to  attract  and  retain  talented 
students, academics and researchers to be able to maximise Europe’s research influence, societal 
and industry impact. HEIs and transnational alliances indeed need more resources and coordinated 
support from the EU and the Members States for developing themselves as attractive, innovative 
and engaged global players, following on from what has been done with ‘Study in Europe’. 

The objective of strengthening the global ambition of Europe’s universities is also at the heart of 
different stakeholders’ initiatives aiming at consolidating the role of universities in European 
science diplomacy agenda. They highlight that Europe’s universities are among key stakeholders 

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in science diplomacy global networks419, and that there is a need to “bring in universities”420 in 
science  diplomacy-related  developments  in  the  implementation  of  EU  Global  Approach  in 
Research and Innovation421.  

The  ambition  to  ramp  Europe’s  universities  with  the  coordinated  support  of  the  European  and 
national level is articulated to the new European global strategy, “the Global Gateway”422. 
This was set out by the Commission in December 2021 to reach the European objective to build a 
strong Europe in the world. 

With  this  strategy,  the  EU  is  stepping  up  its  offer  to  its  partners  with  major  investments  in 
infrastructure  development  around  the  world.  Global  Gateway  is  very  important  for  the  higher 
education sector since education and research are among Global Gateway investment priorities. 
The Global Gateway communication indeed states that “Erasmus+ strengthens societal links and 
promotes  the  EU's  soft  power  and  the  attractiveness  of  its  model  of  society”423,  and  that  “As 
reflected  in  the  EU's  strategy  on  international  cooperation  on research  and  innovation  ‘the 
‘Global  Approach',  the  EU  is  a  major  catalyst  to  increase  scientific  excellence  and  addressing 
global challenges while enhancing economic growth and job creation”424. 

In terms of resources, this strategy aims at scaling up the international arm of Erasmus+ 2021-
2027  with  a  total  funding  of  €  2.2  billion  coming  from  EU's  external  instruments  in  order  to 
reinforce the European offer of mobility and cooperation in education, training, youth and sport 
around the world. In terms of approach, The Global Gateway will be delivered through a Team 
Europe approach, which brings together the EU and EU Member States with their financial and 
development institutions, also seeking to mobilise the private sector.  
Following  the  ‘Study  in  Europe’  initiative425,  and  inspired  by  the  approach  developed  in  the 
international  cooperation  and  aid  domain,  European  higher  education  global  influence  would 
benefit from the setting of a Team Europe approach aligning better priorities and instruments.  

Europe is the biggest provider of cooperation on higher education (mainly through scholarships), 
with  major  programmes  at  EU  level  (Erasmus+,  MSCA)  and  via  Member  State  agencies  for 
scholarships and staff mobility, as well as funding for collaborative projects involving partnerships 
of  higher  education  stakeholders  from  Europe  and  other  regions.  But  Europe’s  visibility  and 
impact should however be scaled up to actively contribute to the achievement of the sustainable 
goals both in Europe and in support to our partner countries.  

A  Team  Europe  approach  can  help  give  a  strategic  push,  funnel  the  available  finances  in  an 
effective way and channel EU and Member States actions towards existing and emerging global 
challenges by strengthening the links with the rest of the world, reflecting the objectives of the EU 
Global Strategy, as well as the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  

419 Nurturing-the-EU-Science-Diplomacy-Community_EU-SD-Alliance.pdf (s4d4c.eu) 
420 Viewpoint: Science diplomacy needs a refresh to meet contemporary European needs | Science|Business (sciencebusiness.net) 
421 COM(2021) 252 final https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2021:252:FIN  
422 https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/joint_communication_global_gateway.pdf 
423 Id. 
424 Id. 
425 Many European countries actively promote their own higher education offer. The Commission’s ‘Study in Europe’ initiative provides a platform 
to promote and provide information on European countries’ higher education systems and activities. The platform helps for instance to inform about 
European study destinations. In addition, Study in Europe enables the EU and individual European countries to take part in study fairs worldwide 
to promote higher education in Europe. The Commission also networks with national agencies throughout Europe to share ideas on how to make 
European higher education more visible:  https://ec.europa.eu/education/study-in-europe_en  ;  https://www.studyineuropefairs.eu/   

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Team Europe is about creating meaningful partnerships, leveraging the EU’s collective weight 
and strategic interests in the (joint) policy dialogue with partner countries. It enhances coordination 
and optimal use of our respective resources for sustainable impact and will foster joint decision-
making and priority-setting to push ahead on learning outcomes, equality in education, skills for 
jobs, and the overarching need for more domestic funding for education in partner countries.  

These  needed  development  goes  with  awareness  and  responsibilities  in  relation  to  what  are 
driving  incentives  for  internationalization,  in  relation  to  values.  Traditional  values  of 
international  higher  education  such  as  “cooperation,  peace  and  mutual  understanding,  human 
capital development, and solidarity”, have sometimes been “moved to the side-lines as universities 
strive for competition, revenue, and reputation/branding”.426 In the same way, there is a risk that 
fundamental academic and European values might be considered secondary in the fierce global 
competition  for  knowledge  and  talent.  In  alignment  with  the  core  objectives  of  the  EU  global 
strategy,  to  reconcile  European  values  and  European  interest,  and  following  the  key  idea  that 
universities are key  actors of the European way  of life, a strong European approach is  needed, 
stating that the ‘inclusive excellence approach’427 is, in many ways, a comparative advantage for 
Europe’s global influence. 

Success stories of transnational projects driving Europe’s global role and leadership 
EUTOPIA428 is an Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020 European Universities Alliance seeking to create a 2050 
vision  of  a  federated  inter-university  campus  that  is  geared  to  future  challenges,  student-centred  and 
empowering, attentive to the plurality and potential of Europe’s regions, and committed to the principles of 
openness  and  inclusion.  It  will  create  a  learning  community,  knowledge  communities,  powerful  place-
making  partnerships,  decisive  inclusivity  actions,  and  ambitious  international  networking.  EUTOPIA  is 
active in pursuing Europe’s goals of global outreach by showcasing European values and by seeking to be 
more diverse and attractive to top researchers and students from around the world.  
The EU, Mediterranean and Africa in the Global Age (AMENET)429 is an Erasmus+ Jean Monnet 
Action, which involves the study of the integration process of the EU as a Common Market, as a Single 
Market  and  as  an  Economic  and  Monetary  Union.  Thirteen  European  and  African  universities  in  the 
network promote European studies and its importance for building African integration processes, and for 
developing Africa, Mediterranean and Europe regional integration. 
Modernisation of higher education in Central Asia through new technologies (HiEdTec)430 is 
funded by Erasmus+ capacity building in higher education. It brings together European higher education 
partners to work alongside universities and education ministries from five Central Asian countries. It is 
preparing  for  the  impact  of  the  digital  transformation  both  on  teaching  and  on  education.  HiEdTec  is 
creating Centres for Innovative Education Technologies (IET Centres), a Digital Competence Framework 
for Citizens and a Digital Education Action Plan to support university lecturers to adopt effective digital 
teaching methods, open pedagogies and tools. 

Promoting  Energy  Efficient  Lighting  Education  in  Nepal  and  Bhutan  (ELNAB)431  is  an 
Erasmus+  Capacity  Building  for  Higher  Education  project.  The  project  involves  four  universities  from 
Nepal  and  Bhutan,  and  Finnish,  French  and  Greek  partners.  The  project  designs  curricula,  and  teaches 

426 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2015/540370/IPOL_STU(2015)540370_EN.pdf   
427 See chapter on Inclusiveness, diversity and gender equality in this document.  
428 https://eutopia-university.eu/  
429 https://www.amenet.eu/  
430 https://hiedtec.ecs.uni-ruse.bg/?cmd=gsIndex  
431 https://www.jnec.edu.bt/en/elnab/ 

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university  staff  in  this  high-growth  area  to  train  new  technicians,  producers,  regulators  and  energy 
providers.  Final  beneficiaries  of  the  project  are  professionals  in  the  building  industry  chain,  lighting 
industry equipment producers and lighting efficiency service providers, and government officials, energy 
regulators, and NGOs. 

10.  Data and monitoring 
Education and training are above all engines for personal development, but their value and benefits 
go well beyond individuals, benefiting all in society.432 Higher education institutions (HEIs) serve 
many  purposes,  unlocking  opportunities  and  contributing  to  a  range  of  social,  cultural,  and 
economic objectives. They play a significant role in tackling challenges presented by, for example, 
globalisation, technology and digitalization, demographic change, migration and urbanisation.  

10.1. 

The need to pool European higher education data expertise 

The EU has been to the forefront of new thinking and tools that support and promote European 
higher  education  across  the  EU  and  around  the  world.  European  statistics  provide  detailed 
information on participation in tertiary education, learning mobility, expenditure, teaching staff 
and R&D. The European statistics are collected in the European Statistical System and published 
by  the  Statistical  Authority  of  the  European  Union,  Eurostat.  In  recent  years,  higher  education 
flagship projects have been established and matured, each innovative, each making an important 
contribution to our knowledge and understanding of higher education, and each with a receptive 
audience.  There  is  now  an  opportunity  to  capitalise  on  their  successes,  individually  and 
collectively, and it is timely to now pool their experiences and expertise.  

A source of reliable and verifiable information on and for European higher education would aid 
benchmarking and peer-learning and support strategic decision making at all levels of government 
and by all higher education institutions. Importantly, it would provide a comprehensive source of 
information  for  learners  and  other  stakeholders  across  the  EU,  showcase  European  higher 
education internationally, and facilitate transnational cooperation and mobility 

10.2. 

What  has  been  achieved  so  far:  Existing  databases  on  higher  education  in 

Europe 

Currently there are several databases covering different aspects of higher education systems and 
institutions.  Some  of  them  mainly  provide  quantitative  data,  while  others  include  qualitative 
information. It is vital to improve synergies and interoperability among them. The possibility of 
having access to a wide, complete, and integrated database (a one-stop access point) would be a 
major value added for the higher education sector. The main features and purposes of the main 
higher education databases follow. 
The European Tertiary Education Register (ETER)433 it is a generic resource for the analysis 
of higher education systems and institutions. Launched in 2011, ETER now includes 2,964 HEIs 
in 37 European countries (EU, EEA/EFTA, UK, Accession Countries). It provides information on 
geographical position, educational activities, staff distribution, research activities and finances. It 
covers the period from the academic year 2011/2012 to academic year 2016/2017. Data for the 
years 2017-2019 is expected to be published in spring 2022434. A 2019 JRC report showed that for 

432 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/31409/investment-in-human-capital _eurogroup_31102017_ares.pdf   
433 https://www.eter-project.com  
434 European Tertiary Education Register (ETER) Handbook for Data Collection. 

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some countries, no data (BE-FR, ME, RO) or very limited data (AL, DK, IS, MK, TR) is available. 
For most countries, the coverage of HE at the ISCED 6 (bachelor), ISCED 7 (master) and ISCED 
8 level (doctorate) is above 90% of the enrolled students, while coverage at the ISCED 5 level 
(short diplomas) is lower435. Usage by scholars has also been increasing in recent years, with over 
170 scholarly publications mentioning ETER in the last ten years. 
U-Multirank436 provides a multidimensional approach to the international ranking of HEIs. It allows 
comparing over 1,900 HEIs from 97 countries worldwide across different performance dimensions: 
teaching  and  learning,  research,  knowledge  transfer,  international  orientation,  and  regional 
engagement. It provides a user-driven tool to create customised rankings of HEIs.  

DEQAR437  it  is  a  qualitative  database  covering  external  quality  assurance  results  of  HEIs  and 
programmes. Launched in 2018, it provides direct access to the reports and decisions of quality 
assurance  agencies  included  in  the  European  Quality  Assurance  Register  for  higher  education 
(EQAR).  
Eurostudent438.  Since  the  1990s,  the  Eurostudent  project  has  been  collecting  and  analysing 
comparable data on the social dimension of European higher education, including the Social and 
Economic Conditions of Student Life in Europe. The target group includes all students who, at the 
time of observation (semester), are enrolled in any higher education study programme in a country. 
Usually that corresponds to programmes at ISCED levels 5, 6, and 7. Eurostudent data has high 
policy potential but also some methodological limitations. 
Eurograduate439.  The  2018  pilot  survey  provided  data  on  higher  education  graduates  in  eight 
European  countries  to  monitor  labour  market  relevance,  skills  acquisition  and  effectiveness  of 
learning, transnational mobility and democratic values. In 2022 a second round of graduate surveys 
will be conducted in 16-18 European Economic Area countries. The European Commission Expert 
group  on  Graduate  Tracking  (2018-2020)  recommended  that,  in  the  short  term,  a  European 
Graduate Survey would be “the most appropriate solution to gather comparable graduate tracking 
information  as  quickly  as  possible,  since  administrative  data  and  indicators  –  due  to  lack  of 
homogeneity  among  the  Member  States  –  cannot  guarantee  comparability,  completeness  and 
quality”440. 

Need for coordination of the existing databases  

Better coordination between these existing databases is needed to support the transformation of 
the higher education sector. Better coordination would indeed help to: 

  Monitor the implementation of European policy priorities, such as inclusion, relevance of 
learning outcomes, careers and employability, synergies with the innovation ecosystems, 
progress on digital and green skills, and international cooperation. 

  Support  data  needs  of  Member  States  and  HEIs.  During  the  consultation  phase  for  the 
Strategy, stakeholders strongly emphasised the need for  comparable  data available  at EU 
level for benchmarking purposes, as well as for better evidence-based policy making in the 
higher education sector. Streamlining and upgrading existing internal and some external 

435 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/ea149784-4bc5-11ea-8aa5-01aa75ed71a1/language-en  
436  https://www.umultirank.org  
437  https://www.eqar.eu  
438  https://www.eurostudent.eu  
439 https://www.eurograduate.eu/   
440  https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/c5669b4b-6adb-11eb-aeb5-01aa75ed71a1  

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data sources should enable institutions and governments to strengthen their ‘intelligence’ 
on key topics for institutional transformation and adaptation of national policies. 

  Promote  competitiveness  and  attractiveness  of  HEIs  and  attracting  talent.  Better 
coordinated  or  integrated  databases  would  enable  researchers  to  compare,  analyse,  and 
showcase the higher education sector performance within Europe, as well as to the outside 
world, in a more comprehensive and accurate way than with existing rankings. It will help 
to  attract  talents  worldwide  and  to  strengthen  the  sector’s  performance.  Added  value  is 
highlighted in a JRC technical report (“Synergies between the Knowledge Tools”441), also 
providing  evidence  of  the  feasibility  of  realising  synergies  and streamlining the existing 
data tools and presents possible ways forward to maximise the effectiveness of some of the 
current knowledge tools managed by various parties. 

There would be two main potential uses of the integrated databases mentioned above.  The first 
requires the integration of indicators/measures defined at the university level in ETER, U-Multirank, 
DEQAR, Eurostudent and Eurograduate data. In essence, using each dataset independently, relevant 
indicators/measures could be computed at the level of HEI and then they would be all integrated in 
a  single  dataset.  This  would  be  possible  provided  that  in  each  of  the  5  datasets  a  unique  a  non-
ambiguous higher education institution identifier is available (for HEIs that have multiple campuses 
it would be preferable to have data that are campus-specific).  

Such data integration would generate a coherent and complete dataset in which, for every HEI, all 
the  dimensions  of  higher  education  for  which  data  are  available  can  be  considered  together, 
allowing exploring the relationships between the different indicators/measures available in the 5 
datasets. For instance, analysing whether higher education institutions that are characterised by 
higher quality (according to DEQAR), or higher research excellence (according to ETER), also 
have a higher employment rate among graduates (available from Eurograduate).  

In principle, they would provide data that could be used to monitor (almost) all the Bologna process 
dimensions. It would make it possible to aggregate the data at the level of region or country (i.e. 
create regional or country-level indicators, from the 5 datasets), which could be used to analyse 
the relationship between HEI characteristics and regional/national growth and employment. 

The second use could be exploiting micro-data when they are available. For instance, Eurograduate 
is conceived as a European graduate survey, representative of the underlying graduate population 
in the country in which it runs. Survey data are very rich in individual-specific information, such 
as  the  socio-economic  characteristics  of  the  graduate,  grades  when  entering  higher  education, 
possibly the mark when graduating, the field of study and the HEI attended, job aspirations, the 
experience during job search before and after graduation, and the employment status at various 
moments after graduation (for instance after 1 and 5 years).  

When such a rich dataset is combined with ETER or U-Multirank (which is possible only through 
a unique non-ambiguous HEI identifier), one can increase significantly the range of questions that 
can be answered. For example, it would make it possible to analyse the impact of socio-economic 
background on the likelihood of graduating in time (both available in Eurograduate), taking into 
account the resources devoted to teaching (from ETER), research excellence (from ETER and U-
Multirank)  and  policies  directed  at  supporting  students  from  disadvantaged  background  (from 
Eurostudent) 

441 Ojala, T., Pannekoecke, A., Synergies between the Knowledge Tools, JRC technical report, 2019. 

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Need for filling in data gaps and developing new indicators 

A  deeper  analysis  of  needs  and  of  the  data  available  across  the  Commission  and  through 
stakeholders  is  needed.  Beyond  the  coordination  modalities  between  the  existing  databases,  it 
would  also  be  necessary  to  identify  the  data  gaps  across  the  dimensions  of  higher  education 
transformation.  

 For instance, on inclusion and diversity, indicators are well covered by Commission data sources 
(ETER,  Eurostudent,  Eurograduate,  Eurydice,  She-figures).  On  innovation  ecosystem,  research 
data, bibliometric data, data on regional engagement and university-business cooperation is also 
well covered by Commission data sources (European Tertiary Education Registry, U-Multirank, 
the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), RTD studies) as well as other sources (Scopus, Web 
of Science, Espacenet442). 

With regard to Universities and PROs (Public Research Organisations), DG JRC, in collaboration 
with ASTP, the pan-European association for professionals involved in knowledge transfer, has 
been working on the development of an EU-wide set of harmonized definitions and indicators for 
Knowledge  Transfer.443  On  this  basis,  a  digital  platform  (KT  metrics  platform)  will  allow 
universities and PROs to track their progress in Knowledge Transfer as well as benchmark with 
similar  institutions  working  in  similar  environments.  On  Green  and  digital  transitions,  data 
availability  is  more  limited.  Indicators  for  the  green  dimension  are  currently  developed  by  the 
European  Tertiary  Education  Registry.  U-Multirank  collects  subject-level  data  on  digital 
preparedness from students, with limited comparability. On Transnational cooperation, the picture 
is mixed and many data needs are covered by Eurostat and survey data, the Mobility scoreboard, 
and Bologna implementation reports, but more is needed to monitor more closely some aspects, 
like automatic recognition at the level of institutions.  

The situation is similar for quality and investment data needs, where basic data needs are covered 
by  Commission  data  sources,  but  evidence  on  innovative  pedagogies,  quality  and  excellence  in 
teaching, challenge-based and transdisciplinary approaches, work-based learning would need to be 
further developed. Streamlining with the European Quality Assurance Registry, founded under the 
Bologna Process, will provide valuable input on assessment of institutions and programmes. 

Another issue for improvement of data collection relates institutional transformation and need for 
different  types  of  indicators. Several dimensions of the areas of higher  education transformation 
areas are process oriented. To measure transformational progress of institutions, such aspects cannot 
be fully covered by existing output-based indicators, and new indicators and methodologies have to 
be  developed.  For  instance,  new  qualitative  and  quantitative  indicators  could  be  inspired  by  the 
experience the European, as testbeds for higher education transformation.  
Also the on-going study444 measuring progress in institutional transformation for the research and 
innovation dimension could contribute to the HE data coordination.445  

442 EPO patent database 
443 JRC KT Metrics: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC120716 . 
444 “Knowledge ecosystems in the new ERA” (RTD/2020/SC/11), including a work package on “Developing a monitoring methodology on the 
transformation modules”. 
445 Institutional transformation areas in R&I: Developing R&I strategies, roadmaps & action plans; Sharing capacity, infrastructure and resources; 
Strengthening human capital; Reinforcing cooperation with other sectors; Mainstreaming open science practices; Engaging citizens, civil society 
and public authorities. 

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Need to integrate data related to expenditure on tertiary education 

This  new  data  approach  interacts  with  ongoing  developments  concerning  the  monitoring  of  the 
European  Education  Area  and  the  effectiveness  and  efficiency  of  investment  in  Europe. 
Expenditure data exists either (1) at country level or (2) at the level of each HEI.  

At  country  level  two  Eurostat  databases  cover  expenditure  on  tertiary  education.  The  available 
indicators are the same as for other educational  levels. The  UNESCO-OECD-Eurostat (UOE) 
data  collection  includes  a  wide  range  of  indicators  covering  public  and  private  expenditure  on 
tertiary education, both at total level and in terms of expenditure per student. However, being an 
education-specific database, UOE cannot be used to compare educational expenditure with public 
expenditure in other policy areas (e.g. health, social protection, etc…). Data has a yearly frequency, 
but is published with a three-year delay (i.e. data is currently available until 2018).  

The Eurostat general government expenditure by function (COFOG) data collection includes 
information on public expenditure on tertiary education446. Although a lower number of indicators 
are available compared to UOE447, COFOG is the dataset used in the European systems of accounts. 
Consequently, educational expenditure data is fully comparable with public expenditure in other 
policy areas.448 Data has a yearly frequency and is  published with a two-year delay (i.e. data is 
currently available until 2019). 

At HEI level ETER provides information on HEI expenditures, divided between personnel, non-
personnel and capital, and revenue, divided between core budget, third-party funding, and student 
fees funding. For this financial data, the specific definitions tailored to tertiary education have been 
developed in close cooperation with Eurostat and National Statistical Authorities. ETER data can 
be used for cross-country analyses. For instance, a report based on ETER data provided evidence 
on  the  level  and  composition  of  revenues  in  2015  for  more  than  1,300  HEIs  in  20  European 
countries and on changes over 2011-2016.449 So far, ETER data only cover the 2011-2016 period 
and financial indicators are only available for a subset of the HEIs.  

The  Horizon  Europe  Framework  Programme  for  R&I  could  also  be  relevant,  in  particular  its 
monitoring framework with the Key Impact Pathways450, with a legal obligation to monitor i.e. ‘the 
evolution of researchers salaries’. 
For the R&I dimension to monitor progress in institutional changes, a recent study451 developed a 
methodology  to  combine  existing  output  indicators  (from  sources:  ETER,  Leiden  ranking, 
LENS.ORG,  QS  world  university  rankings,  Reuters  most  innovative  universities,  RISIS-ETER, 
RISIS-EUPRO,  RISIS-JOREP,  Shanghai  Ranking,  Times  Higher  Education,  U-Multirank)  with 
new process indicators that include a survey based approach. Individual indicators were assessed 
in terms of fit to the following delineated areas of institutional change in R&I: developing research 
& innovation strategies, roadmaps, and action plans; sharing capacity, infrastructure, and resources; 
strengthening human capital; reinforcing cooperation in R&I with other sectors; mainstreaming of 

446  Data  differ  between  UOE  and  COFOG  because  they  use  a  few  different  concepts  and  definitions.  For  more  details,  see 
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3859598/10142242/KS-GQ-19-010-EN-N.pdf , pp. 90-92. 
447 For instance, indicators on expenditure per student are not available. 
448 For instance, public expenditure on tertiary education is available not only as a share of GDP (as in the UOE database), but also as a share of 
total public expenditure. 
449 https://www.eter-project.com/uploads/analytical-reports/ETER_AnalyticalReport_02_final.pdf  
450 
impact-assessment-and-monitoring/horizon-europe_en  
451  European Commission  study  “Knowledge  ecosystems  in  the  new  ERA  -  Developing  a  monitoring  methodology  and dashboard  concept  on 
(institutional) transformation in the area of R&I at European universities” (December 2021, unpublished results) 

https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/strategy/support-policy-making/shaping-eu-research-and-innovation-policy/evaluation-

89 

 
 
                                                           
Open Science practices;  involving and engaging citizens, civil society, and public authorities in 
R&I 

10.3. 

Potential of an integrated European higher education data platform for the 

monitoring of the transformation of higher education and HEIs 

At the institutional level. HEIs are uneven in their capacity to monitor and assess performance 
as well as the resources and expertise for doing so. Creating better instruments, for data collection 
and  management  would  be  important  to  help  with  assessment  and  evaluation  of  institutional 
activity, education and research actvity, outcomes and impact. In addition, developing responsible, 
next-generation metrics to evaluate and valorise institutional and disciplinary differences, diverse 
approaches to teaching and learning and the learning experience, and the needs of learners from 
diverse  backgrounds  and  circumstances  would  make  an  important  contribution  to  ensuring 
efficient and effective use of resources.  

At the EU level, setting up a primary source of reliable and verifiable information could help to 
support  strategic  decision  making  as  well  as  benchmarking  and  peer-learning  among  member 
states and stakeholders in the field of higher education. In particular, such a coordinated source of 
data  would  be  instrumental  in  monitoring  the  implementation  of  the  European  Strategy  for 
Universities  and  to  provide  evidence  on  the  progress  made  across  the  EU  along  its  different 
transformation  dimensions.  This  monitoring  would  be  a  very  valuable  grounding  for  the 
development of a dialogue between the Commission, the Members states and the stakeholders on 
the future of the strategy and transformation of HEIs, in the context of the governance of the EEA 
and ERA.  

At  the  member  state  level,  supporting  HEIs  develop  their  own  information  systems  and 
institutional research capability would help improve strategic leadership and management, help 
monitor and enhance performance and quality, and build transparency and trust between HEIs and 
the public. It is important to provide appropriate tools and understanding to counter the current 
practice by member states and HEIs from using commercial rankings which are not a meaningful 
measure or comparator of quality or performance.452  

Success stories of transnational projects innovating in data and monitoring 
Aurora453 is a European Universities Alliance funded through Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020 and involves 
nine universities and twelve associated partners. Its mission is to tackle global societal challenges in areas 
like the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. It has created a Sustainable Development 
Goals dashboard454, which demonstrates the societal relevance and societal impact of research of Aurora 
universities. This dashboard shows the research contributions in these societal challenges and assesses how 
policy makers have used the research available.  
The European University Association (EUA) University Autonomy Tool455 is funded through 
the Lifelong Learning Programme. It is a comparison tool to describe the state of university autonomy in 

https://www.vsnu.nl/en_GB/news-items/nieuwsbericht/653-last-chance-to-invest-in-european-higher-education-and-

For 

example. 

452 
research.html 
453 https://aurora-network.global 
454 https://aurora-network.global/project/sdg-analysis-bibliometrics-relevance/ 
455 https://www.university-autonomy.eu/  

90 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
29 European higher education systems along organisational, financial, staffing and academic dimensions. 
It  is  combined  with  the  EUA  Autonomy  Scorecard  that  reports  and  weighs  from  higher  education 
institutions across the continent, benchmarking national policies with regard to university autonomy. 
The Alliance for Inclusive Investment in Social Care and Support (a4I/EFSI)456 is funded by 
the EU Employment and Social Innovation Action "EaSI" (2014-2020). The Alliance reports on current 
social  investment  needs  in  Europe  and  brought  together  social  service  providers,  private  investors  and 
higher education institutions to create a new cross-sectoral teaching concept, based on integrated academic 
and adult training learning methods together with models and case examples of good practices.  

The  European  Research  Infrastructure  for  Science,  technology  and  Innovation  policy 
Studies (RISIS)457, funded under the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, aims at building 
a  data  and  services  infrastructure  supporting  the  development  of  a  new  generation  of  analyses  and 
indicators.  The  project  goes  beyond  established  quantitative  indicators,  but  develops  new  positioning 
indicators,  which  take  into  account  critical  features  of  knowledge  dynamics  such  as  the  importance  of 
asymmetries in producers, in places and in themes. Its platform gives access to 14 RISIS datasets.  

456 http://www.socialinvestment.eu/en/knowledge-center  
457 https://www.risis2.eu/  

91 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
Annex 1: Synopsis of Stakeholder Consultation 

1. Introduction 

The European Commission initiated consultations at the end of 2020 to gather stakeholder views 
on two initiatives: a Commission Communication on a European Strategy for Universities and 
a  Proposal  for  a  Council  Recommendation  on  building  bridges  for  effective  European 
transnational cooperation in higher education. The consultations aimed to understand how the 
Commission  can  further  support  European  universities  to  invest  in  people,  tackle  societal 
challenges, and to work closer together, in view of their critical role in managing the unfolding 
transitions the EU faces. 

This section presents a synopsis of key findings from feedback provided by stakeholders and 
Member States across targeted stakeholder events and through their provision of position papers. 
The stakeholder feedback has been important in shaping the Strategy and the Commission Proposal 
for a Council Recommendation. 

2. Consultation and activities  

The  consultation  aimed  at  gathering  stakeholder  and  Member  State  views  to  ensure  the  co-
creation of a European Strategy for Universities that will provide incentives to empower higher 
education  institutions  (HEIs)  across  Europe  to  be  future-proof  and  resilient  institutions.  An 
important  aim  is  to  build  bridges  for  effective  transnational  cooperation  across  Europe,  by 
exploring how to strengthen the enabling framework both at the level of HEIs, as well as at the 
regional, national, and European level.  

The consultation had three main activities: the collection of feedback on the Call for Evidence; a 
broad range of public and targeted stakeholder consultations involving key stakeholder groups; 
and an analysis of position papers. Some stakeholders issued related policy papers as a response 
to the targeted consultations event. The three activities took place in addition to the consultations 
carried out over the past 3 years on the European Universities Initiative and other higher education 
policies. 

Calls for Evidence 
From 20 October to 17 November 2021, the European Commission collected feedback on Calls 
for  Evidence  linked  to  the  European  Strategy  and  the  Commission  Proposal  for  a  Council 
Recommendation.458 The Calls aimed to inform citizens and stakeholders about the Commission's 
ongoing work in relation to the two initiatives, and to solicit their feedback. The Calls described 
the  issues  and  objectives  to  be  met,  why  EU  action  is  needed,  and  the  main  features  of  the 
Consultation.  Citizens  and  stakeholders  were  invited  to  provide  views  on  the  Commission's 
understanding  of  the  problems,  propose  possible  solutions,  and  contribute  any  relevant 
information. Feedback was collected via the European Commission’s dedicated website.  

458 More information on the Call for Evidence can be found https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/13199-Higher-
education-a-European-strategy-for-universities_en    for  the  European  Strategy  for  Universities  and    https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-
regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/13198-Building-bridges-for-effective-European-higher-education-cooperation_en 
the  Commission 
Proposal for the Council Recommendation. 

for 

92 

 
 
 
                                                           
Public and targeted stakeholder events 
Public and targeted consultations events were conducted from the second half of 2020 up to end 
2021  to  maximise  the  participation  of  all  interested  stakeholders.  The  events  aimed  to  gather 
perspectives on the scope and content of the proposed European Strategy for Universities and the 
Commission Proposal for a Council Recommendation from Member States. Stakeholders ranged 
across  HEIs  and  related  higher  education  networks,  the  European  Universities,  students  and 
student organisations, rectors and rector’s conferences, social partners in higher education, as well 
other institutional stakeholders such as Members of the European Parliament, the Committee of 
the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee. Tables A1-A3 detail the public 
and targeted stakeholder consultation events: 

Table A1: Public Events 

Date 

Name of consultation event 

10 December 2020 

14 April 2021 

23-24 June 2021 
9 December 2021 

Third  European  Education  Summit,  with  a  special  focus  on  higher  education 
transformation 
Conference  on  “European  Universities  on  pioneering  transformation  in 
education,  research  and  innovation”,  co-organised  with  the  Portuguese 
Presidency of the Council. 
R&I days, with a special session on the European Strategy for Universities 
Fourth European Education Summit, with a dedicated session on the Strategy on 
the European Strategy for Universities 

Table A2:High-level targeted consultation meetings 

Date 

Name of consultation event 

4 November 2020 

8 April 2021 

27 April 2021 

10 June 2021 

5 July 2021 

3 September 2021 

29-30 September 
2021 

High-level  meeting  of  Directors  General  for  Higher  Education  and  rectors  of 
European Universities and webinar with students of European Universities on 
higher  education  transformation  and  unlocking  the  potential  of  transnational 
cooperation 
High-level  meeting  of  Directors-General  of  Higher  Education  on  a 
transformative agenda for Higher Education and European Universities 
High-level 
targeted  consultation  meeting  with  Vice-President  Schinas, 
Commissioner Gabriel and Rectors of the European Universities on a European 
Strategy for Universities and transnational cooperation 
High-level  targeted  consultation  meeting  with  Commissioner  Gabriel  and 
Members of the European Parliament on a European Strategy for Universities 
and transnational cooperation  
High-level  targeted  consultation  meeting  with  Commissioner  Gabriel  and 
Members of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the European Economic 
and  Social  Committee  (EESC)  on  a  European  Strategy  for  Universities  and 
transnational cooperation  
High-level  targeted  consultation  meeting  with  Commissioner  Gabriel  and 
Universities and Student Networks on a European Strategy for Universities and 
transnational cooperation 
Joint  high-level  meeting  of  Directors-General  of  Higher  Education  and  the 
European  Research  and  Innovation  Committee  (ERAC)  on  the  European 
Strategy for Universities 

93 

 
 
 
 
Table A3: Targeted Consultation meetings with the stakeholder group, coordinators of 
European Universities and Member States representatives 

Date 

Name of consultation event 

19 March 2021 

25 March 2021 

30-31 March 2021 

21 April 2021 

23-26 April 2021 

29-30 April 2021 

20 May 2021 

3 June 2021 

15 June 2021 

16 June 2021 

22 June 2021 

2 July 2021 

14 September 2021 

First meeting of the Stakeholder Group on higher education transformation and 
the European Universities initiative (linked to transnational cooperation) 
European Universities coordinators consultation meeting on higher education 
transformation and the European Universities initiative (linked to transnational 
cooperation) 
Consultation meeting with the Ad Hoc Expert Group of Member States 
representatives on higher education transformation and the European 
Universities initiative (linked to transnational cooperation) 
European Universities coordinators consultation meeting on higher education 
transformation and the European Universities initiative (linked to transnational 
cooperation) 
Second meeting of the Stakeholder Group on higher education transformation 
and the European Universities initiative (linked to transnational cooperation) 
Consultation meeting with Ad Hoc group of Member States representatives on 
higher education transformation and an enabling environment to unlock the full 
potential of European Universities and other types of transnational cooperation 
arrangements 
European Universities coordinators consultation meeting on the European 
Universities initiative (linked to transnational cooperation) 
Erasmus+ Knowledge alliances consultation meeting on a European Strategy 
for Universities 
ERA Forum for Transition, HEI subgroup, meeting on R&I priorities for 
institutional change 
Joint meeting of the Stakeholder group & Coordinators of European 
Universities on the European Strategy for Universities and the European 
Universities Initiative (linked to transnational cooperation) 
Consultation meeting with Ad Hoc Expert Group, jointly with the ERA Forum 
HEI subgroup, on the European Strategy for Universities and the European 
Universities Initiative 
Joint Consultation meeting with Ad Hoc Expert, ERA Forum HEI subgroup 
and Stakeholder group and Coordinators of European Universities on an 
enabling environment to unlock the full potential of European Universities and 
other types of universities alliances   
Joint meeting of the stakeholder group and coordinators of European 
Universities on a European Strategy for Universities and an enabling policy 
framework to unlock the full potential of European Universities  

Many of the events included a research and innovation focus. However, a consultation process of 
umbrella stakeholder organisations and higher education experts with meetings, workshops, and 
interviews specifically for the research  and innovation dimension of the  European Strategy for 
Universities, took place between January and May 2020, and led to a study report “Towards a 2030 
vision on the future of universities in Europe” in October 2020.459 ). In addition, a recent study 
“Knowledge  ecosystems  in  the  new  ERA”  provided  the  priority  areas  for  institutional  change, 

459 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/a3cde934-12a0-11eb-9a54-01aa75ed71a1/language-en  

94 

 
 
                                                           
based on the needs of universities, collected through a thorough literature analysis, survey of and 
workshop with universities and umbrella organisations (September 2021, unpublished results).  

Stakeholder position papers 

During the period of consultation, stakeholders submitted or published position papers, studies, 
and  reports,  to  present  and  support  their  views  on  the  European  Strategy  for  Universities  and 
transnational cooperation, as well as on the wider range of topics related more generally to the 
future of European Universities.  

Reach of the Stakeholder Consultation Strategy 
Overall, a wide range of stakeholders was reached and consulted through the three consultation 
activities described above. Table A4 below provides an illustration of the stakeholder landscape, 
indicating  the  groups  reached  by  each  consultation  channel.  Overall,  all  intended  stakeholder 
categories were reached through at least one of the consultation channels. 

Table A4: Stakeholder landscape 

Intended audiences for Stakeholder Consultation Strategy 

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3. Findings 

This section provides a synopsis of stakeholder and Member State feedback provided through the 
public and targeted stakeholder events and the submission of position papers.  

3.1 Feedback collected at the open and targeted stakeholder events 
There  were  five  types  of  consultation  events:  open  public  events,  high-level  targeted, 
consultations, Ad Hoc Expert Group with Member States representatives, HEI subgroup of the 

95 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ERA Forum, stakeholder groups and consultations with the coordinators of European Universities. 
The main findings follow.   

Overall views on the European Strategy for Universities and transnational cooperation 
Consultation participants generally strongly welcomed the Commission’s initiative to co-create a 
long-term  strategy  for  universities  with  a  common  vision  and  objective  for  higher  education, 
research, and innovation that also protects fundamental values and the autonomy of universities. 
The need for a holistic approach, covering all missions of universities was emphasised by both 
member states and stakeholder organisations. Member States acknowledged that universities are a 
main actor not only to realise the European Education Area, but also the European Research Area. 
Improving the enabling framework for transnational cooperation was welcomed as a priority, in 
view of its potential to foster synergies across different universities. The need to appreciate and 
support the diversity of Europe’s higher education sector was emphasised by many stakeholders 
and Member States, and was contested by none 

Terminology and scope 

Though there was general support for a title of the Strategy reflecting the enabling role of the EU 
to  support  higher  education,  some  stakeholders  called  for  moving  away  from  the  idea  of 
‘transformation’, while others expressed concerns that the word  ‘Strategy’ could be considered 
‘top-down’. Some stakeholders and Member States suggested to reflect the diversity of the higher 
education  landscape  beyond  universities,  for  example  also  addressing  universities  of  applied 
sciences, arts education, and other HEIs. It was suggested to opt for a bottom-up approach, and 
not to apply a one-size-fits-all approach.  

On transnational cooperation in education and R&I 

The need for closer cooperation between HEIs and the different actors from their local ecosystems 
in all higher education missions was flagged consistently across all consultation events. For many 
participants  this  would  help  prevent  dependence  on  external  players,  and  would  improve 
knowledge building and the exchange of existing best practices. There was unanimity that the EU 
should take a leading role to facilitate deeper cooperation in the higher education sector. The EU 
was asked to help HEIs in testing and developing new and innovative forms of cooperation, for 
example through the European Universities initiative, and further support for the creation of virtual 
spaces where universities can share ideas and learn from each other. 

Stakeholders and Member States agreed that transnational cooperation across HEIs in Europe is 
not as easy as it could be. There remain issues to overcome when cooperating across borders. As 
a result, there was a strong demand from the sector to the European level to foster dialogue with 
the  Member  States  to  remove  barriers  to  transnational  cooperation.  Both  Member  States  and 
stakeholders highlighted the need for a smooth and supportive approach across often diverging 
national  education  frameworks.  Stakeholders  requested  a  mirroring  of  the  principles  of  the 
upcoming  European  Strategy  for  Universities  in  national  policy  agendas  to  facilitate  deeper 
cooperation  between  HEIs  to  fully  unlock  the  potential  of  the  sector.  The  need  for  flexible 
approaches at national level was stressed by stakeholders, while at the same time recognising the 
competences of Member States in the field of education.  

Table A5 presents the outcomes of the different consultation meetings and provides an overview 
on  the  challenges  encountered  by  higher  education  institutions  across  Europe  when  working 
together across borders, be it at the institutional, regional, national, or European level. 

96 

 
 
Table  A5:  Overview  of  Challenges  and  Barriers  to  Higher  Education  Transnational 
Cooperation 

CHALLENGE 

HIGHER 
EDUCATION 
INSTITUTION 
LEVEL 

REGIONAL/ 
NATIONAL 
LEVEL 

EU 
LEVEL 

BARRIERS RELATED TO GENERAL HIGHER EDUCATION REGULATIONS 

Restrictive national legislation regarding tuition fees 
Restrictive national legislation regarding the selection and enrolment of students and the 
obligation of double or single enrolment of students and doctoral candidates in chosen 
universities and doctoral schools upon arrival at the university 
Prescriptive national legislation regarding the necessary components of the graduation 
diploma and the joint diploma and graduation rules 
ACCREDITATION OF NEW JOINT PROGRAMMES (AT ALL LEVELS) 

Restrictive national legislation regarding the use of foreign languages in a degree 
programme 

Prescriptive national legislation regarding the percentage of foreign teachers in a degree 
programme 

Restrictive national legislation regarding curricula (minimum or maximum ECTS credits per 
course / minimum ECTS credits for compulsory courses) 

Differences in grading scales and workload per ECTS 

Restrictive national legislation regarding the possibility to create an interdisciplinary degree 

Restrictive national legislation forcing programmes to go through a new accreditation 
procedure every time the consortium partners for the joint degree change 

QUALITY ASSURANCE OF NEW JOINT PROGRAMMES 

Difficulties in developing an internal Quality Assurance framework for the European 
University that addresses all requirements in the different national systems 

Unequal or non-application of the European Approach for the Quality Assurance of Joint 
Programmes 
ISSUES WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW FLEXIBLE LEARNING PATHS 

Stringent national regulations with regards to the establishment of full degrees 

Lack of a framework for micro-credentials 

Difficulties in recognition of prior learning 

X 

X 

X 

X 

ISSUES WITH AUTOMATIC RECOGNITION OF QUALIFICATIONS AND STUDY PERIODS ABROAD 

Strong diversity of appropriation application of the Bologna Process tools among partners 
and within Member States 

Issues with recognition of blended and online learning 

ISSUES WITH ENSURING SEAMLESS AND EMBEDDED MOBILITIES 

Differences in academic calendar 

Financing framework of mobility does not cater sufficiently for innovative mobility formats 

Restrictive requirements for health insurance and administrative fees even for short term 
mobilities for students and staff 

Difficulties with offering attractive and flexible academic and researchers’ careers 

DIFFICULTIES IN SETTING UP OF VIRTUAL CAMPUSES 

Lack of interoperability of IT systems 

Lack of adequate platforms for digital or hybrid activities 

Difficulties to enrol appropriate staff to build the virtual inter-university campuses 
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION SPECIFIC CHALLENGES 

Constraints to the full implementation of Open Science 

Difficulties in establishing sustainable connections to the external environment (open 
ecosystem approach) 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

97 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CHALLENGE 

HIGHER 
EDUCATION 
INSTITUTION 
LEVEL 

REGIONAL/ 
NATIONAL 
LEVEL 

EU 
LEVEL 

Insufficient support or incentives for knowledge and technology transfer 

LACK OR INSUFFICIENT FLEXIBLE LEGAL STATUTE POSSIBLY ALLOWING FOR: 

Joint and shared Human Resources management 

Joint infrastructure management (both physical and virtual) 

Joint student recruitment and joint offering of education and awarding of degrees 

Joint data provision, management, and exchange (GDPR compliant) 

Joint support services for students, staff, academics, and researchers 

Joint administration services 

Joint internationalisation services 

Joint applications to funding calls 

Joint and effective cooperation between universities and with ecosystem actors 
FUNDING 

Level of funding not matching the ambition level, and too short-term 

Unequal national funding to partner universities of the alliance 

Lack of funding diversification (e.g. private funding, micro-credentials) 

Patchwork of regulations linked to the different funding opportunities from the private, 
regional, national, and European level; absence of a one-stop-shop for funding 

OTHER 

Differences in the autonomy of universities in each national context 

Difficulties in collaboration with other universities at global level 

Delays and difficulties caused to the COVID-19 pandemic 

Source: DG EAC elaboration, based on the targeted consultation process 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

On knowledge, skills and competences and the link to Innovation Ecosystems  
Europe  needs  to  recapture  its  competitive  edge,  and  bridge  the  skills  gap,  both  for  the  young 
Europeans, and for those who need to up-skill and re-skill to join the new challenges on the labour 
market. For this, Europe needs well-trained talent with skills and competences to address the twin 
digital  and  climate  transitions.  Responsiveness  to  societal  needs,  engagement  with  society  and 
innovation  must  become  an  integral  part  of  the  university  environment.  Innovative  pedagogies 
could be more widely applied, including by research-informed teaching and learning.  

On inclusion and diversity, including gender equality 

There  was  large  consensus  amongst  different  groups  of  stakeholders  and  Member  States  that 
diversity and inclusion are key components of European higher education, and need to be further 
reinforced. This concerns both inclusion and diversity (including gender equality) of the student, 
academic and research population,  as well as the need for closing the divide between  different 
geographical  areas  in  the  EU.  The  role  of  higher  education  in  driving  forwards  upward  social 
mobility was underlined by many in the consultation meetings. 

On values and democracy 

Stakeholders strongly emphasised that universities and other HEIs are proponents of fundamental 
(academic) values, freedom of science and democracy. They see it as a key prerequisite for a well-
functioning  higher  education  sector.  They  noted  that  HEIs  should  be  stewards  of  freedom  of 
speech, and must be places of academic freedom. It means that the academic community should 
be able to  engage in research, teaching, learning and communication in society without fear of 

98 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
reprisal.  The  importance  of  protecting  these  values  and  the  diversity  of  higher  education 
institutions was emphasised by stakeholders and a large majority of Member States. They asked 
for supportive action at the European level.  

On sustainability and digitalisation 

Stakeholders and Members States highlighted the role of the higher education sector in addressing 
the green and digital transitions.  

HEIs play an essential role not only in creating and disseminating knowledge and technology, but 
also in adapting attitudes, perceptions, and values to live and act in a more sustainable manner. 
The  increasingly  important  role  of  universities  contributing  to  the  United  Nations  Sustainable 
Development Goals (SDGs) was put forward, with a special focus on the green transition. In this 
context,  the  need  to  facilitate  transdisciplinary  approaches  to  both  education  and  research  was 
emphasised,  as  well  as  a  whole-institutional  approach  that  integrates  sustainability  into  all 
programmes, disciplines and levels of higher education and research.  

With regards to the digital transition, stakeholders observed that although during the pandemic it 
showed  that  HEIs  had  a  high  level  of  preparedness  due  to  their  prior  involvement  in  digital 
education, digital divides remain. Students and researchers did not always have the appropriate 
digital skills, or did not have equal access to digital infrastructure or the support they needed to 
switch to online learning. Academics have called for more professional development opportunities.  

Stakeholders emphasised that the digital capacity and infrastructure of HEIs varies widely, both 
within  and  between  countries.  They  called  for  more  interoperability  between  IT  systems  of 
universities to facilitate their cooperation. Lastly, stakeholders raised concerns that HEIs in Europe 
are often reliant on large multinational companies offering digital educational solutions that do not 
always take into consideration data use and protection, ethics and privacy.  

Opportunities and benefits for improved digitalisation in Europe such as global competitiveness 
and greater connectedness were identified. Some stakeholders and Member States called for the 
EU to be a leader in creating virtual campuses, as well as in artificial intelligence (AI) and big 
data.  

Global Europe 

Universities have stressed the importance of the  global dimension of higher education, both  in 
view of international cooperation and competitiveness. They asked for support to develop strong 
bridges with partner countries globally to further international cooperation and development. They 
called for attracting and retaining talented students, academics, and researchers as a key element 
for knowledge creation and skills development across the EU. They want to reach out to the rest 
of  the  world  to  promote  fundamental  academic  values  and  freedom  of  science,  increase 
cooperation with like-minded partners and help boost the capacity of new and emerging centres of 
excellence in partner countries. 

Increased synergies 

A need for more synergies between education, research, and innovation in Europe’s universities, 
and  in  related  policies  at  the  institutional,  national,  and  European  level,  was  underlined  by 
stakeholders and Member States. Proposals for action focused on the training of future researchers, 
involvement of students in research, academic careers, ensuring parity of esteem of education and 
research activities, mobility between research and academia, and collaboration with industry.  

99 

 
 
It was also suggested to bring the higher education dimension of the European Education Area 
(EEA) and the European Research Area, in close synergy with the European Higher Education 
Area (Bologna Process) closer together at the European level.  In this context, stakeholders and 
Member  States  asked  for  increased  synergy  between  the  Erasmus+  and  the  Horizon  Europe 
programmes  and  other  EU  funding  opportunities,  while  respecting  the  different  nature  and 
objectives of those programmes. The effective implementation at national  level of the Bologna 
Process tools was also emphasised by a large majority of stakeholder in this context, for example 
in view of the recognition of learning periods abroad and quality assurance.   

Funding 

The  need  for  increased  and  more  efficient  and  effective  investment  in  the  European  higher 
education sector was expressed by almost all stakeholders involved. They underlined the need for 
more  sustainable  funding,  while  respecting  institutional  autonomy.  They  asked  for  simplified 
funding instruments and for a better alignment between the various funding opportunities at the 
different levels (be it regional, national, or European).  

3.2 Feedback from position papers on the Strategy building blocks 
As noted above, position papers were put forward by stakeholders presenting their views on the 
future of universities and the higher education sector at large in Europe. The following subsections 
present a summary of the views expressed, structured around the consultation building blocks.  

Transnational cooperation in education and R&I 

Transnational  cooperation  between  higher  education  institutions  in  Europe  was  generally 
welcomed by stakeholders, and the creation of a comprehensive and innovative policy framework 
was  seen  as  vital  by  many  stakeholders.  Several  of  them  suggested  building  upon  existing 
frameworks  such  as  the  Bologna  Process460,  the  European  Education  Area  and  the  European 
Research  Area.  The  additional  value  of  fully  exploiting  these  frameworks  was  highlighted  in 
relation to recognition and quality assurance.  

Some stakeholders considered it vital that broad and diverse bodies of relevant stakeholders were 
systematically  involved  in  the  governing  frameworks  as  partners,  to  ensure  representation  and 
structured  dialogue  with  political  decision  makers.  This  was  seen  as  particularly  important  to 
protect the institutional autonomy of universities.461 Several stakeholders called upon governments 
to work together to remove legal and administrative barriers to transnational cooperation. Some 
stakeholders even requested that the Commission take legal action against the Member States that 
do not cooperate in this area.462 

Industrial and innovation ecosystems  

Important  cooperation partners  for higher education  institutions include governments,  industry, 
NGOs and entrepreneurs. Both academic and non-academic cooperation was deemed essential.463 
Stakeholders saw the European Strategy for Universities as a means to close the innovation gap 
between  different  European  regions.  In  addition  to  increased  synergies  and  cohesion  between 
existing and emerging instruments and the European Innovation Council,464 the use of consistent 

https://www.eua.eu/downloads/publications/eua%20council%20position%20on%20future%20of%20eui.pdf 

460 
https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/eea.pdf  
461 https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/eea.pdf  
462 https://www.leru.org/news/european-universities-no-more-lip-service-time-for-action   
463 https://www.cesaer.org/content/5-operations/2020/20201008-position-towards-a-truly-reinforced-european-research-area.pdf   
464 https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/eua%20policy%20input_perspectives%20on%20era%20from%20the%20university%20sector.pdf  

; 

100 

 
 
                                                           
inter-sectoral mobility was also seen as useful in supporting the local innovation ecosystems, and 
facilitating dialogue across them.465  
In addition to strategic investment and the use of innovative pedagogies466,467 stakeholders also 
encouraged the improvement of STEM skills of teachers and secondary school students, to enable 
leaners to attain high-level skills and expertise.468 Moreover, critical skills and interdisciplinary, 
transdisciplinary,  and  transversal  skills469  were  emphasised  as  being  essential.470  Among  other 
suggestions made by stakeholders, the use of experience as opposed to an uncritical adoption of 
new methodologies was deemed most beneficial471.  

Inclusion, diversity, and equal opportunities 

As diversity and equal opportunities were generally high on the agenda of the stakeholders, there 
was support for the Skills Agenda focus on equal access to up-skilling and re-skilling. Nonetheless, 
recommendations  were  made  for  improvement  to  ensure  that  universities  become  more 
representative of their diverse communities. For example, in relation to gender, some stakeholders 
showed support for research and training into gender sensitive research472, while others highlighted 
the  need  to  adopt  a  wider  perspective  on  equal  opportunities  that  goes  beyond  gender 
(in)equality.473 Overall, stakeholders expressed support for research and dissemination that would 
enable vulnerable, disadvantaged, and underrepresented groups to be identified and supported. In 
this regard, recommendations were made for European cooperation to foster mutual learning and 
exchange,  and  for  inclusion  to  be  further  embedded  in  institutional  strategies474  and  Erasmus+ 
mobility action, both for intra-European and international exchanges. 

Values and democracy 

Academic freedom is an overarching enabling condition for the higher education sector.475 A large 
majority  of  stakeholders  placed  the  onus  of  its  protection  on  governments  that  should  provide 
regulatory frameworks while refraining from interference with the internal affairs of colleges and 
universities.476 Others called on universities themselves and encourage the use of civic engagement 
to protect core values.477  

https://www.yerun.eu/publications/the-new-era-communication-through-the-eyes-of-young-universities/ 
https://eua.eu/resources/publications/918:building-synergies-between-education,-research-and-innovation-by-aligning-the-eu-funding-
programmes.html  
https://www.cesaer.org/content/5-operations/2020/20200420-position-european-education-area.pdf  
https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/eua%20policy%20input_perspectives%20on%20era%20from%20the%20university%20sector.pdf  
https://eua.eu/resources/publications/930:eua-response-to-the-new-eu-industrial-and-digital-strategies.html  
https://www.yerun.eu/publications/young-european-research-universities-welcome-the-eea-communication/   
465 
https://eua.eu/resources/publications/930:eua-response-to-the-new-eu-industrial-and-digital-strategies.html 
secretariat.be/post_other_pub/acas-contribution-to-the-ecs-public-consultation-on-the-european-education-area/?yearPub=2020  
466 https://www.the-guild.eu/publications/looking-to-the-future.pdf   
467 https://www.cesaer.org/news/seize-opportunities-for-digitalisation-in-education-and-training-728/   
468 https://www.cesaer.org/content/5-operations/2020/20201008-position-towards-a-dynamic-european-education-area-driven-by-excellence.pdf  ; 
https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/universities%20without%20walls%20%20a%20vision%20for%202030.pdf  
469 https://www.the-guild.eu/publications/looking-to-the-future.pdf  
470  https://www.cesaer.org/content/5-operations/2020/20201008-position-towards-a-dynamic-european-education-area-driven-by-excellence.pdf  ; 
https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/universities%20without%20walls%20%20a%20vision%20for%202030.pdf  
471 https://www.the-guild.eu/publications/looking-to-the-future.pdf  
472 https://www.yerun.eu/publications/young-european-research-universities-welcome-the-eea-communication/   
473 
equality-final.pdf     
474 https://www.leru.org/publications/equality-diversity-and-inclusion-at-universities   
475  https://www.the-guild.eu/news/2021/the-guild-calls-for-strengthening-academic-freedom 
476 https://allea.org/allea-eua-and-science-europe-publish-joint-statement-on-academic-freedom-and-institutional-autonomy/   
477 https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/universities%20without%20walls%20%20a%20vision%20for%202030.pdf  

https://www.cesaer.org/content/5-operations/2019/20190906-white-paper-

https://eua.eu/resources/publications/946:eea-position.html 

https://aca-

; 

; 

101 

 
 
                                                           
Stakeholders identified methods for the meaningful implementation of academic freedom through: 
data  collection  on  attacks  on  academic  freedom;  the  explicit  mention  of  academic  freedom  in 
records, reports and EU and regional action plans; the inclusion of a module on academic freedom 
in human rights training, staff induction training, and partnership agreements478; the provision of 
support  for  advocates  on  the  frontline;  the  creation  of  consequences  where  human  rights  and 
democracy standards are not adhered to.479  

The  importance  was  also  raised  about  institutional  autonomy,  integrity,  student  and  staff 
participation in higher education governance, financial autonomy,480 tolerance, critical spirit, and 
democratic citizenship.481  The development  of a common framework for teaching and learning 
about the EU was also proposed.482 

Green transition 

Stakeholder position papers showed large alignment on the key contribution of HEIs to the green 
transition and the sustainability challenge.483 The importance of whole-institutional approaches, as 
well  as  interdisciplinarity,  was  emphasised  in  order  to  make  education  for  environmental 
sustainability a success.484 The need for ‘green’ education infrastructures as a support mechanism 
for HEIs to develop greening strategies was raised by some stakeholders485, alongside the need to 
promote a green mind-set as an area of citizenship competence.486 Potential solutions included: the 
greening of mobilities funded under Erasmus+487, for example through the adoption of Erasmus+ 
Green Charter488; reductions in carbon emissions by imposing limits on short distance air travel; a 
review of daily operations to identify areas of improvement. 

Digital decade 

Generally,  stakeholders  supported  the  digital  transformation,  commending  its  environmental 
impact by reducing carbon footprint while improving access to internationalisation.489 Despite the 
benefits  however,  some  stakeholders  felt  the  shift  to  online  teaching  had  been  presented  as  an 
inferior alternative rather than a fully operative and interactive methodology.490  Some argued that 
more consideration should be given to  the question how to  ensure the highest  pedagogical  and 
educational quality and desired learning outcomes, when learning and teaching online.491  

There  was  agreement  among  stakeholders  that  digital  learning  could  not  replace  the  physical 
element  but  should  work  well  to  complement  it.492  However,  the  insufficient  level  of  digital 
literacy  among  students  and  teachers  was  cited  as  an  obstacle  to  successful  digitalisation.493 

478 https://eua.eu/resources/expert-voices/203:all-hands-on-deck-delivering-academic-freedom-for-europe.html   
479 ibid 
480 https://www.the-guild.eu/publications/looking-to-the-future.pdf   
481 https://www.etuc.org/en/document/etuc-position-european-skills-agenda-and-future-skills-strategies   
482 https://www.eppgroup.eu/newsroom/publications/epp-group-position-paper-on-education-in-the-era-of-digitalisation   
483 For example, https://eua.eu/resources/publications/946:eea-position.html  
484 https://eua.eu/resources/publications/964:environmental-sustainability-of-learning-and-teaching.html   
485 https://www.yerun.eu/publications/young-european-research-universities-welcome-the-eea-communication/   
486 https://lllplatform.eu/lll/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/LL4SS-4.pdf    
487 https://www.cesaer.org/content/5-operations/2020/20200420-position-european-education-area.pdf ; https://www.yerun.eu/publications/young-
european-research-universities-welcome-the-eea-communication/     
488 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/2bfbb0d9-9b3c-11eb-b85c-01aa75ed71a1/language-en  
489 https://aca-secretariat.be/post_other_pub/acas-contribution-to-the-ecs-public-consultation-on-the-european-education-area/?yearPub=2020   
490 https://eprints.ucm.es/id/eprint/63526/1/Covid19-Impact-Report-2020-The-Europaeum-2.pdf    
491 https://www.cesaer.org/news/seize-opportunities-for-digitalisation-in-education-and-training-728/   
492 
https://www.eppgroup.eu/newsroom/publications/epp-group-position-paper-on-education-in-the-era-of-digitalisation   
493 
https://www.eppgroup.eu/newsroom/publications/epp-group-position-paper-on-education-in-the-era-of-digitalisation   

https://eua.eu/resources/publications/954:digitally-enhanced-learning-and-teaching-in-european-higher-education-institutions.html 

https://www.cesaer.org/news/seize-opportunities-for-digitalisation-in-education-and-training-728/ 

; 

; 

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Therefore, recommendations were made by many stakeholders for the facilitation of training and 
up-skilling  among  students  and  teachers.494  Wider  investment  in  people’s  access  to  lifelong 
learning opportunities was also seen as a necessity in view of digitalisation.495  

Calls  were  made  for  cooperation  and  exchange  of  best  practices  among  HEIs  and  with  other 
stakeholders (including local authorities and civil society) to accelerate digitalisation.496 The utility 
of  peer  to  peer  learning  was  highlighted,497  and  of  initiatives  such  as  Open  Science  and  the 
European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) to facilitate cooperation and synergies.498  

The  provision  of  shared  infrastructures  for  virtual  campuses  was  proposed  to  ensure  the 
compatibility  and  accessibility  of  different  digital  infrastructures,  platforms  and  tools.  Some 
stakeholders  called  on  Member  States  and  EU  institutions  to  address  this  to  improve 
interoperability  and  facilitate  common  European  data  formats,  standards,  and  seamless  data 
exchanges.499  Thus,  work  towards  a  digital  hub  was  welcomed500,  and  a  “European  hub”  was 
proposed  to  enable  competition  with  top  universities  and  companies  outside  the  EU  while 
safeguarding European values.  

Lastly, concerns were raised around the protection of ethical, human, and social dimensions under 
the  new  digital  setting.  Risks  in  relation  to  data  protection501  and  the  use  of  data  for  student 
profiling and control were underscored, as well as new risks such as digital poverty, unequal access 
to  learning  content  and  isolation.502  In  this  regard,  the  importance  of  strengthening  support 
mechanisms for students and their parents was flagged.503  

Global Europe 

International cooperation and open collaboration were viewed by many stakeholders as key to the 
Global  Europe  vision,  and  to  the  EU’s  global  approach  to  research  and  innovation,  and  in 
addressing  global  challenges.504  Partnerships  and  collaboration  beyond  Europe  and  with  third 
countries  were  seen  as  key.505  According  to  some  stakeholders  a  ‘borderless’  learning  area  of 
cooperation,  quality  and  diversity  required  coordination  between  the  EEA  and  ERA.  They 
supported the development and expansion of existing flagship programmes such as the Erasmus+ 

https://www.leru.org/publications/implementing-open-science 

https://eua.eu/resources/publications/930:eua-response-to-the-new-eu-industrial-and-digital-strategies.html 

494 https://www.eppgroup.eu/newsroom/publications/epp-group-position-paper-on-education-in-the-era-of-digitalisation   
495 http://lllplatform.eu/lll/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DigitalPaper_final.pdf   
496 
https://www.cesaer.org/news/seize-opportunities-for-digitalisation-in-education-and-training-728/  
497 ibid 
498 
https://heinnovate.eu/sites/default/files/ES4U_KA_MeetingReport_v3%20Final.pdf   
499 
https://www.daad-brussels.eu/files/2020/09/PositionPaper_DEAP_DAAD.pdf 
digitalisation-in-education-and-training-728/  
500 https://www.cesaer.org/news/seize-opportunities-for-digitalisation-in-education-and-training-728/   
501 https://www.eppgroup.eu/newsroom/publications/epp-group-position-paper-on-education-in-the-era-of-digitalisation   
502 
https://www.eppgroup.eu/newsroom/publications/epp-group-position-paper-on-education-in-the-era-of-digitalisation 
https://www.yerun.eu/publications/young-european-research-universities-welcome-the-eea-communication/ 
https://www.eppgroup.eu/newsroom/publications/epp-group-position-paper-on-education-in-the-era-of-digitalisation   
503 
https://www.eppgroup.eu/newsroom/publications/epp-group-position-paper-on-education-in-the-era-of-digitalisation  
504 
global-approach-to-research,-education,-innovation-and-youth.html 
public-consultation-on-the-european-education-area/?yearPub=2020 ; https://eua.eu/resources/publications/946:eea-position.html   
505 https://eua.eu/resources/publications/946:eea-position.html ; https://www.the-guild.eu/publications/looking-to-the-future.pdf   

https://www.yerun.eu/publications/young-european-research-universities-welcome-the-eea-communication/ 

https://www.coimbra-group.eu/wp-content/uploads/Coimbra-Group-Position-Paper-on-Digital-Education-Plan.pdf 

; 

https://eua.eu/resources/publications/961:eua-policy-input-to-the-preparation-of-the-upcoming-european-commission-communication-on-a-
https://aca-secretariat.be/post_other_pub/acas-contribution-to-the-ecs-

; 

https://www.cesaer.org/news/seize-opportunities-for-

; 

; 

; 
; 
; 

; 

103 

 
 
                                                           
programme within the EEA and the European Higher Education Area rather than creating new 
activities or programmes.506   

Other university stakeholders felt that, in  order to  solve complex societal challenges, the focus 
should be on ensuring the excellence of European Universities to global standards507 through the 
strength of European researchers, and their ability to work with the best scientists across Europe 
and beyond. 

New investment package 

All stakeholders agreed that there was a need for increased investment in higher education at the 
institutional, regional, national and European levels.508 Highlighted areas for investment included 
tools,  accessibility,  content  development  and  training  for  teaching  and  administrative  staff  and 
research.509 Funding should be sustainable in order for universities to achieve their missions.510 
This funding was also considered necessary to enable universities to defend their core values and 
position as innovation leaders to prevent future dependencies on external tech players.511   
Criticism was given to the EU’s proposed budget cuts in the field of research512, observing that 
every  euro  invested  in  European  research  generated  an  economic  surplus  growth  of  €13.513 
Member States were called to act and use funding available through the Recovery and Resilience 
Facility to support research, innovation, and education. However, some stakeholders argued that 
reductions in the European budget could not be offset by national investment.514 

Some stakeholders argued that the EU must benchmark against the investments made by the best 
performers in the world. In their view, the first step is establishing a broad and solid evidence base 
on funding levels and allocation models across Europe.515 Stakeholders asked for: the removal of 
barriers to obtaining funding for inter- and transdisciplinary research516; the establishment of more 
national-level  investments  in  higher education (for example an enforceable percentage of GDP 
targets for higher education to monitor and effectuate progress517); the organisation of regular joint 
exchanges between EU finance and education ministers, to develop a common understanding and 
exchange on investment needs and approaches to investment; and the improvement, simplification 
and alignment of funding rules between the current and next generation of EU programmes.518  

4. Conclusions 

Overall,  stakeholders  welcomed  the  spirit  of  the  European  Strategy  for  Universities  and  were 
forthcoming  with  feedback  and  recommendations  across  all  areas.  Areas  of  general  consensus 
were: the need to protect and promote fundamental academic values and freedom of research; the 

; 

For 

example: 

https://www.cesaer.org/news/sustainable-funding-for-universities-of-the-future-477/ 

506  https://aca-secretariat.be/post_other_pub/acas-contribution-to-the-ecs-public-consultation-on-the-european-education-area/?yearPub=2020 
https://www.the-guild.eu/publications/looking-to-the-future.pdf   
507 https://www.the-guild.eu/publications/looking-to-the-future.pdf   
508 
https://www.hrk.de/fileadmin/redaktion/hrk/01-Bilder/01-03-Personen/01-03-01-
HRK/20_10_19_Gastbeitrag_FAZ_Langfassung_engl_dt.pdf  ;  https://www.cesaer.org/content/5-operations/2020/20201008-position-towards-a-
dynamic-european-education-area-driven-by-excellence.pdf   
509 https://www.yerun.eu/publications/young-european-research-universities-welcome-the-eea-communication/    
510 
position.html ; https://www.the-guild.eu/publications/looking-to-the-future.pdf   
511 https://www.hrk.de/fileadmin/redaktion/hrk/01-Bilder/01-03-Personen/01-03-01-HRK/20_10_19_Gastbeitrag_FAZ_Langfassung_engl_dt.pdf  
512 https://www.cesaer.org/content/5-operations/2020/20201008-position-towards-a-dynamic-european-education-area-driven-by-excellence.pdf   
513 https://www.hrk.de/fileadmin/redaktion/hrk/01-Bilder/01-03-Personen/01-03-01-HRK/20_10_19_Gastbeitrag_FAZ_Langfassung_engl_dt.pdf  
514 ibid 
515 https://www.cesaer.org/news/sustainable-funding-for-universities-of-the-future-477/   
516 https://www.cesaer.org/news/open-letter-with-recommendations-on-effective-funding-for-inter-and-transdisciplinary-research-732/    
517  https://www.cesaer.org/news/sustainable-funding-for-universities-of-the-future-477/    ;  https://www.the-guild.eu/publications/looking-to-the-
future.pdf   
518 https://eua.eu/resources/publications/946:eea-position.html  

https://eua.eu/resources/publications/946:eea-

; 

104 

 
 
                                                           
support  for  both  quality  and  inclusiveness  of  higher  education;  the  need  for  more  cooperation 
between  higher  education  institutions  and  between  higher  education  institutions  and  their 
ecosystems and for lifting barriers to such cooperation; the need for the re-skilling and up-skilling 
of  Europe’s  population  and  the  role  of  higher  education  therein  in  a  perspective  of  lifelong 
learning; the key role of universities in tackling societal challenges such as the digital and green 
transitions; and the need to further promote internationalisation and diverse global partnerships.  

105