Spring 2010

Call for a mobilization against the Lisbon Strategy in Higher Education and Research Spring 2010

What is the Lisbon strategy?

Spring 2010 It is a European program Launched in 2000 in Lisbon Supposed to make Europe the most competitive economy in the world Supposed to bring more jobs and economic growth Not directed by European law But enacted through a European intergovernmental process

Spring 2010 Why does the Lisbon strategy concern Higher Education and Research?

Spring 2010 Because The Lisbon Strategy promotes a « knowledge- based economy » defined as: Research devoted principally to technological innovation immediately useful to business Higher Education mainly devoted to fit the labor market Competition between all institutions

Spring 2010 It is based on the so-called knowledge triangle

Spring 2010 Triangle of knowledge in action

Spring 2010 What is the relationship with the Bologna process?

Spring 2010 In the beginning they were different Bologna was about harmonizing the student curriculum according to the system Bachelor-Master-Doctorate and promoting european mobility Lisbon was about a competitive economy

Spring 2010 In the beginning they were different Bologna concerns 46 countries inside and outside the European Union Lisbon concerns only the 27 Member States of the European Union But…

… Bologna was entangled in the Lisbon strategy « The Bologna process is in line with the objectives of the Lisbon strategy. » m « Universities have the potential to play a vital role in the Lisbon objective to equip Europe with the skills and competences necessary to succeed in a globalised, knowledge-based economy » document downloaded at (quotations from the European Commission) Spring 2010

Billions of bilious blue blistering barnacles !! I am telling you that these certified diplodocus merged Lisbon and Bologna !!! Lisbologna?! Where is that?

Spring 2010 Excerpts from the communication by the European Commission to the Eur. Council and Parliament « Delivering on the modernisation agenda for universities: education, research and innovation » issued on document downloaded at :

Spring 2010 Research and higher education funding « For the future, it seems likely that the bulk of resources needed to close the funding gap will have to come from non- public sources. »  Tuition fees increase  Service selling to enterprises  Restriction of basic research on the benefit of bankable applications

Spring 2010 Governance (1) « This requires new internal governance systems based on strategic priorities and on professional management of human resources, investment and administrative procedures … »  Strong restriction on academic freedom  End of democratic governance

Spring 2010 Governance (2) « … Member States should build up and reward management and leadership capacity within universities. This could be done by setting up national bodies dedicated to university management and leadership training »  Subjection to authorities  Development of a bureaucratic management

Spring 2010 « Employability » « … university programmes should be structured to enhance directly the employability of graduates and to offer broad support to the workforce more generally. Universities should offer innovative curricula, teaching methods and training/retraining programmes which include broader employment- related skills along with the more discipline- specific skills. Credit-bearing internships in industry should be integrated into curricula. »  Student curricula deprived of scientific autonomy  Mind-shaping

Business (1) « To secure these benefits, most universities will need external support to make the necessary organisational changes and build up entrepreneurial attitudes and management skills. […]. This also implies that development of entrepreneurial, management and innovation skills should become an integral part of graduate education, research training and lifelong learning strategies for university staff. » Spring 2010

Business (2) « This implies recognising that their relationship with the business community is of strategic importance and forms part of their commitment to serving the public interest. … »

Spring 2010 Research themes « This requires focusing less on scientific disciplines and more on research domains (e.g. green energy, nanotechnology), associating them more closely with related or complementary fields (including humanities, social sciences, entrepreneurial and management skills)… »  Research themes heavily defined from top to bottom  Interdisciplinary resarch restricted to oriented research on the expense of true scientific innovation

Spring 2010 Different types of universities « Research should remain a key task of the systems as a whole, but not necessarily for all institutions. »  Division between « World renowned research institutions » and second rank teaching universities devoted to shaping the « work force »  Some teaching without research

Spring 2010 Competition « Increased competition, combined with more mobility and further concentration of resources, should enable universities and their partners in industry to offer a more open and challenging working environment to the most talented students and researchers. »  Cooperation between individuals and institutions is banned  Concentration of resources creates knowledge deserts.

I don’t fit the Lisbon strategy

Spring 2010 Did you recognize what is going on in your country?

Austria The new « University Collective Pact » Denmark The 2003 the University reform Italy The « Gelmini Law » Finland 2009 the New University Act France The « Pact for research » and the Law « LRU » U-Kingdom Rise in tuition fees and the new Resarch Excellence Framework Germany The « Excellenz Intiativ » and rise in tuition fees Italy The Gelmini Law Spain The reform « L.O.U » and the Excellence Campus And so many others… Spring 2010

Of course… The member States remain free to implement the Lisbon strategy or not since higher education and research is not directed by European Law: oThe European Parliament does not vote oThe Commission only “recommands” But… There is a pressure due to a permanent European comparison The national governments take opportunity and advantage of this European strategy in order to impose the transformations they want. Be they not welcomed…

Austria

Finland

Germany

France

Italy

Spain

Spring 2010 That is why Spring 2010 has launched its Call already signed by several European organizations and is organizing…

Spring 2010 …during The Spring European Council on the Lisbon Strategy ( ) and the « EU-2020 » program which will take place in Brussels on March 2010…

Spring 2010 …an Alternative Summit on 25 March 2010 in the European Parliament in Brussels room PHS 7C050

Spring 2010

Both events are part of a four steps mobilization

11 February Paris March Vienna 25 March Brussels April Madrid 2010 Europe of knowledge is burning !!

Spring 2010 Come and visit our web site See the organizations part of Spring 2010 Download the Call in 11 European languages See the European signatories And… sign in the Call (for organizations only)?

See you later