New Challenges for a wider perspective
on the future of the European Higher Education Area

Preamble

ESIB – the National Unions of Students in Europe has existed since 1982 to promote
educational, social, economic and cultural interests of students at a European level,
and towards all relevant organizations and institutions. ESIB currently has 47
member organizations from 35 countries. Through its member National Unions of
Students, ESIB represents more than 10 million students – the majority of students
in Europe.

Introduction

This policy paper focuses on the new challenges that HE is facing in the creation of a
wider common European Higher Education Area. It is primarily concerned with
promoting the student opinion of and within this process. It considers the present
situation and offers a common student vision on the continuation of the process of
creating this European Higher Education Area.

ESIB feels very strongly that any development in this process must genuinely involve
all areas of the continent and all stakeholders.

Stakeholders in the creation of a European Higher Education Area

Students were excluded from the initial evolution of the creation of a European
Higher Education Area and whilst this has been rectified to an extent they should be
seen as one of the key driving forces of the process. ESIB must represent student
interests at a European level while students’ interests at a national level must be
represented by the relevant NUS.

Other stakeholders on a European level should be involved as well and these should
include, but not be limited to; the Council of Europe (COE), European University
Association (EUA), European Network of Quality Assurance Agencies (ENQA) and the
European Commission (EC) through to mobility programs, teachers, trade unions and
employers. Stakeholders are responsible for ensuring that all levels of education are
properly considered within the creation of a European higher education area.

The first important step on answering to this new challenge consisted on the joint
declaration signed in Bologna by the Ministers. It must be recognized that higher
education institutions have an important role to play in the implementation of the
Bologna Process. As autonomous bodies the HEI’s have a responsibility to ensure
that their procedures and structures adhere to the spirit of the Bologna Declaration.

The Bologna Process should be co-ordinated at a national level by the appropriate
governmental structures.

Signatory countries are responsible for brining the process to a truly European level.
These countries must recognize that involvement of non-signatory countries is
necessary. The non-signatory countries should be able to participate in the
discussions and express their opinions and proposals must be taken into
consideration.

There are many challenges posed to students’ representative groups within the
framework of the Bologna process. They must address issues such as Life Long
Learning and increased mobility of students within a wider European Education Area,
and that will impose its’ own particular problems to the unions. It will be important
that ESIB actively involves all national student representatives whose countries are
going to be affected by this process. ESIB must be to the forefront of ensuring that
this transition for its member unions is accomplished with as much ease and thought
as possible.

Multi-dimensional mobility in the wide concept of Europe

ESIB hereby reaffirms its conviction in the benefits of proper systems of mobility for
students in higher education. These benefits apply to both horizontal and vertical
mobility.

The active participation of representatives from central and Eastern Europe in
mobility programs has made it possible to make Europe popular with a wide variety
of education players, but central European countries are under-represented in certain
actions. Among detailed analysis of student mobility flows shows an uneven
distribution by country. For example in 97/8, the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands in
particular received more Erasmus students than they sent. (From “Final Commission
report on the implementation of the Socrates Program 1995-1999)

The flow of student mobility at the moment is clearly directed towards Western
Europe. There is also a need to redirect the flow towards Eastern Europe. This can be
achieved both through developing courses given in commonly spoken foreign
languages and cultures of the Eastern Europe. It is also necessary to clarify what will
be the status of qualifications earned in such countries when the student returns to
his country. This will make the entire area more attractive to all students.

There is also a huge lack of information concerning possibilities for studying in
Eastern Europe available to students in HEI’s in Western Europe. Prejudices based on
ignorance and lack of knowledge of the quality of education also restricts students
from studying in this region.

Social benefits must be made available for all students in order to facilitate further
exchanges. ESIB reiterates that foreign degree students should be as much as
possible allowed to benefit from the welfare support of the hosting country and All
forms of domestic support must be fully transferable to abroad. (ESIB “Student
Rights – Human Rights” policy paper)

Western students studying in Eastern European HEI’s will play a major role in
attracting more students to enroll in these HEI’s, Eastern European students must
also themselves be aware of the value of their own higher education system as they
too will play a major role in promoting it.

National unions, with the support of ESIB, ought to commit themselves for an
information campaign to highlight the opportunities of education in Eastern Europe
for students from the west.

Freedom of movements vs. national needs

ESIB thinks that a wider perspective on the Future of the European Higher Education
Area should be imposed. There are problems and challenges with the approximation
between East and West in Europe and the migratory fluxes created by uneven social
conditions and lack of information about HE in different regions in Europe.

Demanding then for a wider European Higher Education Area, at a time when
considerable social differences still exist among countries in Europe, exist is an
objective that possesses great challenges towards the development of better quality
of life in Europe.

ESIB identifies “brain drain” as the process whereby a country loses its most talented
and educated people to other countries because there is a lack of opportunities in
their own. This process, if unbalanced, can have a significant negative impact on the
social, economic and structural development of the sending country and in this way
in Europe as a whole. But, in the other hand, brain gain could also be an effective
way of brining in different perspectives and stimulating the educated sectors of a
country’s population.

Nevertheless ESIB is strongly opposes countries aggressively recruiting the top
graduates in another country at any cost. This unbalanced and systematic removal of
the most talented graduates is highly reprehensible and compounds the effects of
“brain drain”.

Furthermore, there must be a real and concerted effort on the part of all
governments in Europe to ensure that there are no restrictions placed on any
student wishing to travel to another country for the purpose of study. This includes
but is not limited to finance, information, rights to travel, access and bureaucracy.
ESIB encourages that solidarity among countries and institutions be used as a tool to
a better resolution of the gaps existing within the European Higher Education Area as
we see it. Bilateral co-operation between institutions from east and west and also
among east could provide a fast but nevertheless appropriated solution for the low
mobility flows of students, while they wait to become full participant members of
wider mobility schemes.

Solidarity, responsibility, diversity and co-operation should be the main concerns in
the development of the European Higher Education Area, creating the necessary
balances and impulses towards the reunified concept of Europe.

Lifelong challenges for higher education

Lifelong learning is going to play an important role in the future European Higher
Education Area. Lifelong learning within the European context must be provided in a
way that it enhances equality throughout European society. In doing this, lifelong
learning will help to promote a wider understanding of what is meant by the
European higher education area. It must recognize that there has to be a civic and
social element to lifelong learning and as such ought to be based on ethical
principles. It ought to be “person-centered” and must not be solely concerned with
third party interests. In this way lifelong learning will develop into a commendable
and viable option of higher education.

Lifelong learning is going to play an important role in any future European Higher
Education Area. Thus it is very important that it must develop in a manner applicable
to the whole of Europe. The Bologna Process should therefore reinforce the
discussion on the role of HE in the developments in lifelong learning in a wider
European Higher Education Area. Students see this process has the way for a wider
and maybe even “borderless in every sense” European Higher Education Area.

The Future of Higher Education

In order to facilitate a step into the future of Higher Education it is necessary that
current restrictions and problems of HE be solved. Students’ needs towards a
transparent, fair and reachable HE must become a reality in the shortest time
possible.

A European system of higher education should be distinguished by its diversity. This
includes diversity of courses in different HEI’s and different countries. This implies for
more co-operation in between HEI’s and governments. As an ambitious approach this
should later include the rest of the rest of the world and not just Europe.

Conclusions

ESIB feels the need to look into the future in a visionary way. But unfortunately that
vision is still clouded by the fact that the present necessities for an open and fair HE
system have not yet been satisfied and in this way are still a demand for the future.
The appraisal of new educational concepts and tools and and reaching out to new
sections in society HE through lifelong leaning and the advancement towards a
reunified Europe is a new and enormous challenge for HEI and student organizations.
It is very important that lifelong learning must develop in a manner applicable to the
whole of Europe. In the light of the European tradition of humanistic and
international education, eastern and western HEI’s can inspire each other.

A redefined concept of HE must not forget the irreplaceable role of HEI’s in
promoting the cultural and civic values of each nation, contributing for the education
of better citizenship.

Widening the space for HE in Europe is not about enlarging an isolated island but
about building a continent with safe passages in all directions for everyone.