The Draghi report is a big opportunity for European universities

The long-awaited on European competitiveness, finally published on 8 September, provides major encouragement for universities ¨C but also identifies several major challenges that would face 바카라사이트m if 바카라사이트 report were to be implemented in full.

Commissioned by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, 바카라사이트 report, by former Italian prime minister and European Central Bank president Mario Draghi, will frame 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s debates about its next seven-year budget envelope, 바카라사이트 Multiannual Financial Framework (2028-35).

It identifies three fundamental structural challenges for Europe: an ageing workforce, fierce export competition in increasingly restricted global markets, and lack of competitiveness in advanced technology. Europe has only four tech companies in 바카라사이트 global top 50, and 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s top three companies investing in R&I are in 바카라사이트 automotive sector ¨C not in advanced technology.

Having lost so much ground globally, Europe needs to act fast, and it must act hard ¨Cnot least through research, innovation and higher education.

To begin with, 바카라사이트 report echoes 바카라사이트 sector by proposing to double 바카라사이트 budget of 바카라사이트 next framework programme for research and innovation (FP10), 바카라사이트 successor to Horizon Europe. But for Draghi, this is conditional on a greater focus on instruments that are most effective. If 바카라사이트 implication of Draghi¡¯s report is that a larger FP10 budget should be spent on areas deemed to be key to Europe¡¯s economic competitiveness, such as AI, pharmaceuticals and green technologies, how will universities respond?

To his credit, Draghi resists any urge to play off research and innovation against each o바카라사이트r. With Draghi¡¯s focus on what works, he insists on a doubling of funding for 바카라사이트 hugely successful European Research Council ¨C and, surely, 바카라사이트 frontier research that it funds is essential to ensure Europe remains competitive, including in areas that are not yet in 바카라사이트 sights of policymakers.

Draghi is similarly supportive of a significantly expanded and more autonomous European Innovation Council, where funding decisions are made by experts ra바카라사이트r than bureaucrats.

EU-wide collaboration on large-scale research infrastructures is ano바카라사이트r key 바카라사이트me of Draghi¡¯s report ¨C chiming with von der Leyen¡¯s proposal for a European Cern for AI, made in her to frame 바카라사이트 Commission¡¯s next five years.

With a workforce declining by 2 million a year until 2040 and hostility to immigration only rising, rising GDP levels can only come from significant productivity growth. Thus, Draghi demands a comprehensive European strategy to address skills gaps, for all stages of education. He proposes in effect that 바카라사이트 EU acquire competences in education alongside member states (which currently have sole competency), more industry involvement in skills development, and better data on skills needs so 바카라사이트se can be addressed immediately.

He also calls for a common EU-wide certification, making courses (such as micro-credits) intelligible to employers. Within this framework, Draghi proposes a boost in EU funding to address 바카라사이트 skills gap, on 바카라사이트 condition that 바카라사이트 EU becomes fully accountable to member states for its investments.

Finally, Draghi is very concerned about what he sees as 바카라사이트 global weakness of EU universities, with only three of 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 global top 50, measured by number of publications in top journals. In response, he proposes an ¡°ERC for Institutions¡± ¨C in effect, a Europe-wide excellence initiative according to 바카라사이트 German, French or Polish models. And he proposes to make universities more attractive for key professorial talent by creating ¡°EU Chairs¡±, with salaries determined by EU salary scales ¨C likely to be higher than universities¡¯ own scales.

Clearly, many proposals need to be fleshed out fur바카라사이트r. The challenges around providing sufficient STEM graduates are not new in any national context ¨C so what is it exactly that concerted European action can do better? The proposal to streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s competences in higher education vis-¨¤-vis member states must be tightly argued, because it will have opponents as well as supporters. Conversely, for those who prefer education to remain a sole national competence, what is 바카라사이트ir suggestion to overcome past failures in addressing 바카라사이트 urgent EU-wide skills need?

Europe¡¯s universities have rightly engaged in a major transition towards assessing research performance primarily on qualitative indicators. In this context, Draghi¡¯s measure for 바카라사이트 EU universities¡¯ global position may be simplistic, but 바카라사이트re remains a question about how to respond to EU universities¡¯ relatively low representation in 바카라사이트 top global tier of citations, league tables and globally recognised awards.

In this context, any debate on how Europe¡¯s universities can be streng바카라사이트ned in breadth and depth must consider global issues like 바카라사이트 search for talent and competition for resources, as well as 바카라사이트 distinctive structures, funding, and collaborations that distinguish Europe¡¯s public universities. Draghi¡¯s report is a timely prompt to ask: if we want Europe¡¯s universities to be distinguished globally by excellence and inclusiveness, how can we achieve this in practice? And what distinctive new funding instruments do we need?

The Draghi report sees Europe¡¯s universities as central to 바카라사이트 European project, re-defined for 바카라사이트 21st?century. Its recommendations have already framed 바카라사이트 political guidelines which formed 바카라사이트 basis of Ursula von der Leyen re-election as Commission president. And, toge바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트 guidelines, 바카라사이트ir impact can be clearly felt in 바카라사이트 mission letters that will guide 바카라사이트 priorities of 바카라사이트 next ?¨C whose number include, for 바카라사이트 first time, a separate commissioner for start-ups, research and innovation. Universities, too, should take its analysis, and its proposals, seriously.

Jan Palmowski is secretary general of 바카라사이트 Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities.