(/blog/role- The role of education in the future of the European Union (/blog/role-education-future- european-union) November 23, 2017 EU’s ‘Bologna 2.0’ vision threatens to leave UK behind British universities face potential challenges if they are left outside the ‘Sorbonne process’, experts warn By Jack Grove (/content/jack-grove-0) Twitter: @jgro_the (http://www.twitter.com/jgro_the) Source: Alamy The European Union’s plan to take the next leap forward in higher education integration could leave UK universities looking dangerously isolated after Brexit, experts have warned. Inspired by a recent speech given by Emmanuel Macron (https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/how-could-macrons-european-universities-work) at Sorbonne University, in which the French president called for greater higher education links across the Continent, the European Commission now proposes to turbocharge academic mobility via the creation of a “European Education Area” by 2025. Among the policies unveiled at a meeting of EU leaders in Gothenburg were: the mutual recognition (https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta- political/files/leaders-working-lunch-mutual- SPONSORED Science The Department of Atomic and Molecular Phy (D.A.M.P.) is a point of convergence of multidisciplinary research and learning in the field of Atomic and Molecular Physics. Promoted by Manipal University ! 1 (https://adclick.g.doubleclick.net/pcs/click? xai=AKAOjstFt4EjpSDbj8pFEpfn1TZ- vg32AX6dCcUHZyAZaFW1RC2XgcwWlHL_VBaCRMjiS1UEXYd1Ioa88OJnjIUppVFG_W0F4sAaG6- MUqfU_OCy61GqwGdka- PFL9BQySJyUMzupRC7pb8caO642WA0qJMJ- BY4v65z2- kIBG562hUcTgB4kDDAVe- Y8locgUA3jZ3B- UIr5lHMF78OaGKphWUZ35Bta9bQFXLAQa3ipZNFl2MeE_9ZV0OVqluXPjO8Pz8k1PqCPwMj6Id7IUo&sig=Cg0ArKJSzLgSZ6VljlWHEAE& bn=20150117;adfibeg=0;cdata=VUvwcu9hXUK8OL6SVHcQa- X
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(/blog/role-
The role of education in thefuture of the European Union(/blog/role-education-future-european-union)
November 23, 2017
EU’s ‘Bologna 2.0’ vision threatens to leave UKbehindBritish universities face potential challenges if they are left outside the ‘Sorbonne process’,experts warn
The European Union’s plan to take the next leap forward in higher education integration could leaveUK universities looking dangerously isolated after Brexit, experts have warned.
Inspired by a recent speech given by Emmanuel Macron(https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/how-could-macrons-european-universities-work) atSorbonne University, in which the French president called for greater higher education links acrossthe Continent, the European Commission now proposes to turbocharge academic mobility via thecreation of a “European Education Area” by 2025.
Among the policies unveiled at a meeting of EUleaders in Gothenburg were: the mutualrecognition(https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/leaders-working-lunch-mutual-
SPONSORED
Science
The Department of Atomic and Molecular Physics(D.A.M.P.) is a point of convergence ofmultidisciplinary research and learning in thefield of Atomic and Molecular Physics.
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recognition-diplomas_en.pdf) of higher educationand school-leaver diplomas, under what would beknown as the “Sorbonne Process”; the Europe-wide roll-out of a new EU eCard(https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/leaders-working-lunch-mobility_en.pdf) containing student records andacademic achievements, thereby aiding cross-
border university applications; and the doubling of the number of young people participating in theErasmus+ exchange programme at a cost of €29.4 billion (£26.1 billion) between 2021 and 2027.
Plans for a Sorbonne Process, which would require legislation in different EU countries, are a majordeparture from the Bologna Process agreed in 1999, which depends on institutional andgovernmental cooperation rather than legal statutes for the standardisation of higher educationqualifications.
Anne Corbett, senior associate at the London School of Economics and an expert on the BolognaProcess, said that the “big idea” of an common education area would need “big political back-up” tomake it a reality, having been first proposed around 1992 when the Maastricht Treaty was signed.
Dr Corbett believed, however, that “it is possible that this time its luck is in” thanks to the “strongpolitical drive [of] Emmanuel Macron with all the heft of the French presidency, his own ideas for anetwork of European universities and France’s advance planning to be in charge ofthe Bologna Process for its 20th anniversary”.
“My money is on at least some tangible outcomes,” Dr Corbett said.
Securing the intergovernmental legal basis for a European Education Area would be difficult, but islikely to have consequences for UK universities if they find themselves outside it, said KurtDeketelaere, secretary general of the League of European Research Universities.
“The EU has very little power in the world of higher education and all the big results of Bologna, suchas harmonisation, have come without legislative back-up,” said Professor Deketelaere.
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“But if they pulled legislation off – and allow me some doubts – both the EU and the UK would needto think about recognition and equivalence of qualifications from both sides,” he said. Considerationwould need to be given about whether, for instance, EU states would recognise qualifications inmedicine or law issued in the UK under a new framework, he added.
However, he questioned the stated desire for several new European-funded institutions or thecreation of new networks of European universities – as espoused by Mr Macron in his Sorbonnespeech, and subsequently endorsed by the European Commission(https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/leaders-working-lunch-universities_en.pdf).
“I have a problem with someone saying it cannot be done without new institutions or networks –given all the staffing costs, is this really necessary?” asked Professor Deketelaere, who claimed thatany new institutions (https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/how-could-macrons-european-universities-work) relating to teaching or governance would largely replicate the work done byuniversities or his own network of universities.
Rajani Naidoo, director of the University of Bath (https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/university-bath)’s International Centre for Higher Education Management, saidthat it would be a “tragedy for the UK” to be excluded from the proposed scheme and that it shouldseek full, or at least associate, status as it exits the EU in April 2019.
“It is very clear that the UK has both contributed and benefited from an open European areafor education – the proposed Sorbonne Process would take this on to the next level,” said ProfessorNaidoo.
“Individual vice-chancellors as well as mission groups and Universities UK need to take a moreproactive role to ensure that we are able to participate.”
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Paul James Cardwell, professor of law at the University of Strathclyde(https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/university-strathclyde), whoresearches EU law (https://www.timeshighereducation.com/node/628005), said that the proposedSorbonne Process and wider reforms “speak to an agenda of improving life and the studyenvironment for Europe’s students” by easing mobility across Europe.
“Brexit has highlighted that increased skills will be needed for UK graduates, particularly inlanguages, and this programme would certainly suit that agenda,” said Professor Cardwell.
“Being outside this system will mean that the UK can, at best, hope for some kind of an associatedrole in line with the non-EU countries that currently participate in Erasmus,” he said, adding that “theopportunity for the UK to take the lead in forging a genuine European higher education area hasbeen lost”.
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If the Sorbonne process is to take HE any further downhill than the Bologna process, then the UK is better off out asgood students will still be seeking somewhere to get high quality Higher Ed.It is amusing that Macron of all people should squeak about HE when French universities are disastrously underfunded.In France, we have to increase student numbers per group so as to cope with an ever decreasing number of colleaguesas positions get frozen. A number of universities are bordering on bankruptcy through no fault of their own.Standards have nose dived here as we have minimum selection to enter master's and once in we are expected to carrythem through to a degree whether they can do it or not. As we have a large number of under achieving researcherswanting promotion, they will take on weak doctoral students so as to build a file for promotion.Is this the Sorbonne future that you want to join?
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