Barcelona 1 Which social function has higher education in the European Knowledge society by Karsten Krüger University of Barcelona New Social Risks in the European knowledge society and Higher Education

Barcelona 2 Key Areas of the NESOR Project Knowledge economy/ society European Social Model Challenges for Higher Education New Social Risks Challenges of Higher Education for the politic and economic system Responses from the Higher Education Systems Paradigm of learning

Barcelona 3 Knowledge Economy - the Lisbon Approach Technological InnovationScientific Innovation Driving forces of socio-economic changes Supporting measures liberalisation of markets Commodification of knowledge new social model life long learning - employability education Scientific based information economy

Barcelona 4 Knowledge Society - a sociological perspective High disposition to put in question tradition and norms High capacity of social action Increasing social innovation capacity Individual, organisational and institutional Learning as the crucial element Social action are more legitimised through knowledge (rational arguments) than through traditions and norms

Barcelona 5 Driving Forces towards the Knowledge Society Socio-cultural Innovation Educational Progress Driving forces of socio-economic changes Generalisation of Primary & Secondary Education Economic-technological Innovation Expansion of higher education Generalisation of social action based on scientific rationality Vocational education Work process knowledge

Barcelona 6 Main Question on Knowledge Society Which is the leading concept? What are the national discourses on KS? Which function is assigned to Higher Education in KS? What are the main challenges for Higher Education in KS?

Barcelona 7 The New European Social Model The “magic triangle”

Barcelona 8 New European Social Model Social Policy as factor of productivity From Protection to Activation Facilitating the (re-)entry to the Labour Market The Key Word: Employability

Barcelona 9 New European Social Model Functions of (Higher) Training & Education Improvement of the Employability Reduction of qualification gaps Promoting lifelong learning Support the transformation of the industrial society Promoting equal opportunities

Barcelona 10 Main Question on the ESM Exists a European SM? Which impact had the Lisbon declaration on the higher education? Has the Universities a function in the modernisation of the SM?

Barcelona 11 New Social Risks Risks of poverty and social exclusion - Affects collective which are not adequately covered by the traditional system of social protection (Altmann & Böhle 1975) - Affects more and new social collectives as in the post-war period - Changing definition of social risks, e.g. new problems and dilemmas in terms of reconciling work and family life (Bonoli 2004)

Barcelona 12 New Social Risks Uncertainties on the (Academic) Labour market From security to precarity? From unstandardized to standardized Work? From job security to employment security? Towards a new use of knowledge? Open for globalization?

Barcelona 13 New Social Risks Knowledge divide Access and handling of Knowledge

Barcelona 14 Main question about new social risks How is the configuration of the labor market for high qualified workers? What is the role of higher education in the strategies to combat social risks?

Barcelona 15 Social Challenges for Higher Education Knowledge Society ???? Social Model ????? Social Equity ????? New forms of teaching/learning ?????

Barcelona 16 Higher Education- a Driving Force for Change Higher education as one force of social-economic change Knowledge society as a process not as a goal Knowledge society based on social innovation