Competitiveness and its Limits: General Lessons from the European Experience of Higher Education Reform in the Last Decade Anne Corbett Visiting Fellow, European Institute London School of Economics and Political Science Conference Drivers of Change and Choice Warsaw June 18-19, 2010

Competitiveness and Higher Education – an influential political economy view Competitiveness implies moving from imitation economy to innovation economy Innovation is a key to Europe’s growth Universities are part of the Innovation Triangle So: Europe should invest more in higher education targeted at excellence and at (labour market) human capital European universities need to be better governed Philippe Aghion, Brueghel Report, Report to French Minister

Why this is an inadequate model for European university systems It ignores much of what makes a university function – the incommensurable values (Bronk 2009) of the university as an intellectual and cultural beacon, its social and democratic role in relation to individuals, its historic place in nation- building. European public policy does not assume consider these to be ‘externalities’. See Bologna Communiques 2001, 2003, 2009 on universities as a public good and public responsibility.

A call from philosophers The EU and its Member States are urging universities to innovate and change in order to be able to meeth the demands of the knowledge economy and play a leading role in its further development..Discussions..focus on productive innovation, institutional differentiation and the effective mobilisation of human and financial resources, There is much attention for the ‘how’ but little for the ‘why’ and ‘what for’. We believe that it is time for a change.. and to focus on [these] questions. – ‘Curating the European University’ University of Leuven February 2011 –

Further weakness of political economy reading It ignore the politics Political change as driven by the interlocking of the way a problem is framed, the process by which polices have been formulated with the consideration and revision of alternatives, the mechanisms of political choice (Kingdon 1995)

What Europe has added to HE Three initiatives of this decade Goal setting and programme incentives to develop the Knowledge Agenda (Lisbon, Education and Training 2020) Transnational cooperation to create a ‘compatible and comparable European Higher Education Area – the Bologna Process A quality EU international and transnational programmme for study abroad and university networking - Erasmus Mundus

The Knowledge Agenda: success and limitations The EU Lisbon Agenda (2000) reshaped the issue. European leaders engaged. Knowledge at the core of economic and social strategies EU Education and Training interpretation: targets and benchmarking – but little HE Development of EU’s HE modernisation agenda: (Universities in the Europe of Knowledge (2004), Mobilising the Brainpower of Europe 2005) Core strands: content renewal, institutional autonomy, more funding from non-state sources. Linkage to Research and Innovation. Goals, Some incentive fundings but no developmental mechanisms

Bologna - Expanding Tasks

Bologna - Expanding Commitments

Bologna - Method of Work

Bologna - Expanding Appeal

Bologna success and limitations Introduced transnational cooperation of national governments, not legal convergence. Not a strategic body. Enabled university-driven initiatives – doctoral studies,links with European Research Area, institutional element of QA Providing a Europe-wide base for the higher education sector (‘stakeholders’) for cooperation and development. Mechanisms, system knowledge, and a baseline for national reform to make its system ‘compatible and comparable’ with a general framework Making acceptable an assurance of independent and impartial academic quality drawing on internal self-evaluation, and external review

Scale of Europeanisation of HE Eurydice Focus on HE in Europe 2010– activity but not convergence – EUA Trends 2010 – widespread take up according to HEI respondents -

A relevant quote on interlocking political arenas “Competitiveness abroad and quality at home are inter-dependent. The Government – and the sector – need to cultivate both, for all universities. In particular, together we need to develop our global competitiveness with more aggression and urgency. “We have been resourceful and entrepreneurial…but more could be achieved if the international competitiveness of our universities moved to centre- stage of Government long-term strategy”. – President of Universities UUK 2004 (Ivor Crewe)

Next steps ? Bologna may have already achieved what it has to achieve politically and should now focus on development. National policy arenas the key – and how national actors choose to engage in transnational cooperation/internationalisation More networking initiatives of Erasmus Mundus model – criteria of quality and institutional cooperation? More EU incentives

Preliminary conclusions A nascent EHEA exists Circulation of ideas established Possibility of framing national problems in a new way Possibility of alternative possible solutions Possibility of influencing national governments by using European platforms A political economy reading not enough

Outcomes A shift of political thinking in the decade from intergovernmental to many forms of HE transnational cooperation, A greater understanding of diversity not only of HE institutions but of the institutions which structure political life – eg distribution of wealth, tax systems – and which shape attitudes A possibly greater understanding in the sector of more targeted distribution of national resources – for excellence. But also for good undergraduate education? An acceptance of the trend to institutional autonomy

A response to the Leuven question So what is it for? Competitiveness by way of cooperation But not an exclusively economic process. Spin offs likely to be humanistic.

Dr Anne Corbett Visiting Fellow, European Institute London School of Economics and Political Science Houghton St London WC2A 2AE Universities and the Europe of Knowledge: Ideas, Institutions and Policy Entrepreneurship in European Union Higher Education