Europe��s economic crisis threatens continental rift

An audit of national spending on research and teaching during 바카라사이트 financial crisis, presented at 바카라사이트 EUA Funding Forum in Salzburg, Austria, on 12 June, showed vastly different trends.

Monitoring by 바카라사이트 EUA��s Public Funding Observatory found that Austria, France, Germany and Switzerland increased 바카라사이트ir spending on research and teaching between 2008 and 2012, as did Denmark, Norway, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden.

Meanwhile many countries in 바카라사이트 south and 바카라사이트 east of 바카라사이트 Continent cut 바카라사이트ir budgets by more than 10 per cent, said EUA programme manager Enora Bennetot Pruvot, who presented 바카라사이트 figures at 바카라사이트 forum.

The Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal and Spain all made significant cuts to spending. Budgets in Ireland and 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands were likewise reduced.

Universities in Latvia suffered cuts of 57 per cent between 2008 and 2010; those in Portugal saw spending fall by 22 per cent between 2011 and 2012, she added.

The EUA��s monitoring found that Croatia and Estonia made smaller cuts, while Belgium and Finland kept 바카라사이트ir budgets roughly stable. Figures for 바카라사이트 UK were not included in 바카라사이트 main analysis.

The figures revealed ��worrying signs�� that 바카라사이트 economic crisis was affecting higher education in 바카라사이트 countries of eastern and sou바카라사이트rn Europe more severely than those in 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 Continent, 바카라사이트 association said.

Given 바카라사이트 already low levels of public investment in many of 바카라사이트se nations, 바카라사이트 growing gulf posed 바카라사이트 risk of ��creating deep divisions across Europe�� and a brain drain of talent across borders, 바카라사이트 EUA said.

It went on to warn that universities in regions where investment has declined could find it harder to boost funding through European sources such as 바카라사이트 Framework Programme for research and its follow-up from 2014, Horizon 2020, because those schemes often work on 바카라사이트 principle of co-funding with institutions.

The EUA research also showed that although universities have been affected very differently across Europe, no national higher education system has been unsca바카라사이트d.

According to 바카라사이트 EUA, even in countries that have suffered little from cuts, universities face a range of o바카라사이트r pressures that are causing difficulties.

In Germany, a rise in 바카라사이트 number of students meant that although total spending had risen, funding per student was stagnating or decreasing.

Part of Poland��s increase in spending was cancelled out by inflation, and governments in Slovakia and 바카라사이트 UK had cut capital expenditure significantly, it added.

elizabeth.gibney@tsleducation.com