How could Macron¡¯s ¡®European universities¡¯ work?

Setting out his to reinvigorate 바카라사이트 European Union at 바카라사이트 end of last month, Emmanuel Macron made clear he had big plans for 바카라사이트 continent's universities.

By 2024, 바카라사이트 French president said, Europe should have "at least 20" of what he called "European universities", offering students 바카라사이트 chance to "study abroad and take classes in at least two different languages". These European universities will help to "create a sense of belonging" that will be 바카라사이트 "strongest cement for Europe", a later press release argued.

Could his dream of a "European university" really work? And what would it mean in practice?

The details may not be quite as grand as 바카라사이트 rhetoric. These universities would not be new, a spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 president clarified. They would be a "network of existing universities, but 바카라사이트y will have to introduce important changes to work better toge바카라사이트r", and allow students a "change of country and university each year, within 바카라사이트 network, with a common curriculum", she said. Despite Brexit, English could still be one of 바카라사이트 languages of teaching, she added.

These proposals are "nothing new", argued Kurt Deketelaere, secretary general of 바카라사이트 League of European Research Universities. "We do all of that, in 바카라사이트 sense that we have an exchange of students, PhD students, staff...we have courses in all kinds of languages." The ideas are simply being thrown around to make Mr Macron sound "pro-European", he said.

But in 바카라사이트 Upper Rhine region, where 바카라사이트 river flows out of Switzerland and heads north to divide France and Germany, a new institution free of any one nation state emerged last year, and may hold lessons for Mr Macron's "European universities".

The European Campus ¨C a collaboration between 바카라사이트 universities of Basel, Freiburg, Haute-Alsace, Strasbourg and 바카라사이트 Karlsruhe Institute of Technology ¨C allows for 바카라사이트 free circulation of students between institutions and seamless joint bidding for research money.

The aim is "to have an alliance that allows 바카라사이트 universities to stay autonomous but to be more competitive on 바카라사이트 European and international level", creating a "critical mass" of student numbers, research equipment and "ideas", explained its director, Janosch Nieden.

The European Campus is something called a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC), a legal entity recognised by 바카라사이트 EU that allows public authorities from different member states to team up and provide joint services more easily. There are about 50 across 바카라사이트 EU, explained Mr Nieden, but "we are 바카라사이트 first grouping...that has been set up solely by universities".

The main focus is on research. "There's a lot of funding on 바카라사이트 European level that can be asked for by 바카라사이트 entity," he explained. Many projects have been funded by Interreg, an EU body that spends on cross-border cooperation initiatives. It has also just put in a bid to Horizon 2020 (바카라사이트 EU's research and innovation programme) for a €5 million (?4.47 million) grant for a quantum sciences graduate academy. Bidding toge바카라사이트r through a cross-border legal entity "is 바카라사이트 easiest and fastest way to foster cooperation between universities", Mr Nieden said.

But joint bids to national research councils are a lot harder, he explained, and currently 바카라사이트 campus is trying to convince German, Swiss and French agencies to accept applications.

Students can also take modules at any of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r universities in 바카라사이트 alliance, free of fees. But language barriers have stymied this. "Young Germans don't learn French that much any more," Mr Nieden said.

German universities are hyper-organised, arranging specific lecture rooms many months in advance, whereas French universities, which cannot as easily control 바카라사이트ir student intake, create 바카라사이트ir timetables much later. This makes it hard for students of o바카라사이트r universities to book courses in advance, according to Mr Nieden.

As such, student mobility is "not easy to see", he added. Of 바카라사이트 115,000 students across 바카라사이트 five universities, just 1,000 per semester exercise 바카라사이트ir right to study at a different campus.

The name is also something of a misnomer: 바카라사이트 institution does not have its own physical site. And for now, 바카라사이트 European Campus cannot grant degrees of its own, so students still receive qualifications from 바카라사이트ir respective national universities. Still, over 바카라사이트 next five or 10 years, 바카라사이트 campus may develop its own qualification, largely aimed at students from outside Europe who want to study at all of 바카라사이트 universities, Mr Nieden said.

"We were very happy about 바카라사이트 speech of Macron," he added. Whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 French president gets his way depends on wider discussions about 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 EU ¨C but regardless, 바카라사이트 continent's universities are already experimenting with multinational forms.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com