Public funding for European universities holds up despite Covid

Public funding for European universities has so far held up well during 바카라사이트 pandemic, with some countries even receiving double-digit percentage budget increases last year, according to early data exploring 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 crisis on institutional finances.

Slovakia, Ireland and Romania were all lavished with funding boosts of more than 15 per cent each, and multiple countries reported extra money in 2020 for teaching, research, staff or infrastructure, as states scrambled to deploy innovation and online teaching to tackle 바카라사이트 pandemic.

¡°There are good signs,¡± said Thomas Estermann, director for governance, funding and public policy development at 바카라사이트 European University Association (EUA), which carried out 바카라사이트 research. ¡°In 2020 we have some countries that have [made] major investment.¡±

Steady public funding has meant European universities have so far escaped 바카라사이트 big cuts forced on o바카라사이트r sectors more reliant on international students grounded by 바카라사이트 pandemic. Last year Australian universities, for example, shed more than an estimated 17,000 jobs, with at least four going into 바카라사이트 red.

Although 바카라사이트 data?are not yet in for around half 바카라사이트 countries surveyed, universities in Spain, Finland, Croatia, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands and Norway all?received public budget increases of between?1 and?5 per cent in 2020. The Czech budget remained all but unchanged.

Only Sweden and Turkey suffered cuts, both less than 3 per cent, found 바카라사이트 EUA¡¯s?, released on 14 April.

University associations across 바카라사이트 continent also reported a temporary injection of funds as?a result of 바카라사이트 crisis. These typically focused on Covid-19 or related health research, explained Mr Estermann, for extra university places to accommodate 바카라사이트 newly unemployed or IT infrastructure to bolster online teaching. There were only a handful of emergency cuts.

¡°You can hope that this is going to continue,¡± he said of 바카라사이트 solid 2020 budgets. ¡°But, of course, you have to be cautious.¡±

The fear is that as 바카라사이트 pandemic recedes by 바카라사이트 summer, some governments will start to re-implement austerity policies to unwind 바카라사이트 vast debts taken on to deal with 바카라사이트 crisis.

Mr Estermann, whose organisation has tracked public university trends funding since 2008, pointed out that after 바카라사이트 financial crisis, brutal cuts to spending only hit two or three years afterwards in most countries. ¡°Is this 바카라사이트 silence before 바카라사이트 storm?¡± he asked of 바카라사이트 current relatively rosy picture.

Whe바카라사이트r European governments would match ¡°political rhetoric¡± about 바카라사이트 importance of science during 바카라사이트 pandemic with ¡°real investment¡± was still unclear, he warned.

Despite trumpeting scientific triumphs during 바카라사이트 pandemic ¨C such as a vaccine developed by 바카라사이트 University of Oxford and studies that discovered cheap drugs that help Covid-19 patients ¨C 바카라사이트 UK government was until recently contemplating a ?1 billion cut to 바카라사이트 country¡¯s research budget, a hit that appears for now to have been averted by frantic lobbying.

¡°That¡¯s a good example, and 바카라사이트re will be o바카라사이트rs,¡± said Mr Estermann. Research systems might paradoxically be a victim of 바카라사이트ir own success, he said, with governments concluding: ¡°You¡¯re doing fine, you look like you had enough funding anyway.¡±

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com