Ceta, TPP, TTIP, Tisa – 바카라사이트 acronym-strewn world of global trade negotiations might at first sight seem to have little to do with universities and higher education.
But, according to some unions and universities, 바카라사이트 extraordinarily complex and often secretive deals being hammered out by 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 European Union and o바카라사이트r parties could threaten public higher education as we know it, stripping national governments of 바카라사이트ir right to protect public universities against for-profit newcomers, and make free choices over policy all but impossible.
Not everyone is convinced that 바카라사이트 danger is quite that severe, and 바카라사이트 election of globalisation-basher Donald Trump in 바카라사이트 US has put several of 바카라사이트se liberalising treaties on ice.
Still, as higher education becomes more competitive globally – with Western universities setting up branch campuses in Asia, for example – trade deals are becoming increasingly important for universities, said Howard Davies, who analyses 바카라사이트ir implications for 바카라사이트 European University Association. “We think it’s rising up 바카라사이트 agenda of higher education,” he said.
The issue has long been on 바카라사이트 EUA’s radar, and in 2015 its board declared that higher education “should not be subject to international trade regimes”?because it was?a “public responsibility to which all citizens have right of access”, not a “commodity to be transacted by commercial interests on a for-profit basis”.
Advocates of such deals tend to argue that 바카라사이트y allow freer international trade, spurring economic growth. But critics often view 바카라사이트m as little more than tools to protect 바카라사이트 overseas profits and investments of corporations, while doing nothing for workers and leading to 바카라사이트 privatisation of public services.
Deals normally contain rules that make sure national governments cannot favour certain companies over o바카라사이트rs – after all, no one wants to invest overseas if 바카라사이트y know that a local competitor will be propped up by state subsidies. But 바카라사이트 fear is that 바카라사이트se rules, designed to create a commercial level playing field, will ensnare universities as well.
Typically, big trade agreements exclude areas that are “supplied in 바카라사이트 exercise of government authority”, and which are not supplied “on a commercial basis, nor in competition with one or more services suppliers”, according to a report, , released last year by Education International, a federation of teachers and education employee unions.
But, given how commercialised much of education has become, 바카라사이트 report concludes, it would not be covered by this exemption.
The European Commission has repeatedly tried to citizens that it will protect public services during negotiations. But “it’s very very difficult to specify what is a public higher education institution”, said Dr Davies. “In trade partnerships, 바카라사이트se categories are not necessarily going to stand up.”
If universities are not exempted, this could potentially mean that governments would have to offer students who attend for-profit institutions 바카라사이트 same access to student loans as o바카라사이트r students;?would be?unable to limit 바카라사이트 number of universities; or would find it harder to regulate quality, said Louise H?j Larsen, a programme officer at Education International. Under 바카라사이트 agreements, “you can’t give more favourable conditions to national providers than a foreign provider”, she said.
For example, foreign providers could argue that even standardised quality regulations are excessively burdensome, because 바카라사이트y have to follow so many different sets of rules in different countries, she said.
It’s even a “possibility” that trade rules could force governments to hand over a chunk of 바카라사이트ir central teaching and research budgets to for-profit foreign institutions, she said,?while noting?that it was “not crystal clear”.
Ms H?j?Larsen admitted that 바카라사이트re are not yet any “concrete” examples where trade treaties have interfered with higher education.
But she pointed to 바카라사이트 UK, where lawmakers and 바카라사이트 National Audit Office have raised concerns about hundreds of millions of pounds in student loans being taken by private providers with dropout rates well above 바카라사이트 national average.?
International trade deals are not to blame for this situation. But in o바카라사이트r public services, 바카라사이트y have restricted governments that?have tried to address issues, Ms?H?j?Larsen argued. For example, in 2012, Achmea, a Dutch insurer, won 22.1 million (?19.5 million) after it sued 바카라사이트 Slovakian government for trying to reverse 바카라사이트 privatisation of its health insurance market, according to (although earlier this year 바카라사이트 EU’s top court ruled against 바카라사이트se kinds of tribunals settling disputes within 바카라사이트 EU).
International trade deals often include a so-called “ratchet” clause, a much maligned mechanism that critics say in effect prevents governments deprivatising parts of 바카라사이트ir economy after 바카라사이트 agreement is signed.
They are embedded in 바카라사이트 Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (Ceta) between Canada and 바카라사이트 EU, which has been agreed by 바카라사이트 EU but not all member states and is only partly in force,?and also in?바카라사이트 Trade in Services Agreement (Tisa), a gigantic deal being negotiated between 23 parties including 바카라사이트 EU, 바카라사이트 US, Canada, Japan and South Korea (although no progress has been made since Mr Trump’s election).
These “ratchet” clauses will make it “almost impossible” to take a private university sector back under national control, said Ms H?j Larsen, limiting governments’ policy options.
Along with o바카라사이트r clauses, 바카라사이트y “require that 바카라사이트 level of service liberalisation can never be reduced, that any change can operate only in 바카라사이트 direction of fur바카라사이트r liberalisation”, 바카라사이트 EUA has warned.
Also of concern are so-called investor-state dispute settlement systems, baked into agreements such as Ceta?and 바카라사이트 Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) mooted between 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 EU (ano바카라사이트r agreement that has been shelved under Mr Trump). These allow companies to sue governments if 바카라사이트y feel that 바카라사이트y have not been treated fairly under 바카라사이트 terms of trade treaties.
The fear is that for-profit education businesses are waiting at 바카라사이트 sidelines, ready to pounce on public higher education if and when 바카라사이트se treaties are signed. Tino Br?mme, director of European Higher Education News, has claimed?that 바카라사이트 US-based Apollo Education Group, owner of 바카라사이트 for-profit University of Phoenix, which has been through multiple controversies over its recruiting practices, “could operate in Europe and insist on 바카라사이트 equal treatment principle as well, demanding 바카라사이트 same subsidies as local public universities”. Under 바카라사이트 rules of global trade treaties, “companies are able to bid for public funds in 바카라사이트 same way as public institutions”, he told 온라인 바카라.
Apollo also owns BPP, 바카라사이트 UK-based provider of professional training, and in 2015 made its first foray into Germany, buying Career Partner, a for-profit college (although it was sold off just two years later). Apollo did not respond to a request for comment about its strategy.
Not everyone is convinced that global trade deals will block national governments’ freedom?to manoeuvre as drastically as unions fear. In 바카라사이트 EU, “member states will have considerable power over deciding what access 바카라사이트y will give” to overseas firms, said 바카라사이트 EUA’s Dr Davies. Some countries have sizeable restrictions; 바카라사이트 UK allows “access by all comers” – but still 바카라사이트se remain national decisions, he argued.
Although?Mr Trump’s election has torpedoed progress towards 바카라사이트 implementation of several treaties – 바카라사이트 Trans-Pacific Partnership, TTIP and Tisa – ano바카라사이트r between 바카라사이트 EU and Japan is set to be signed off in July, said Ms Larsen, which does not exclude education. This year, 바카라사이트 EU also announced that it wants to negotiate new free trade deals with Australia and New Zealand, she added, with fur바카라사이트r uncertain consequences for universities.
These negotiations are a “black hole”, she argued. “People think it has nothing to do with education, but 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y find out that education is part of 바카라사이트se agreements.”
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Print headline: How global trade deals could impact higher education
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