University leaders push for Europe-wide excellence initiative

European universities are pushing for 바카라사이트 implementation of a new continent-wide ¡°excellence initiative¡± that would see 바카라사이트 European Union provide institution-level funding to help ¡°increase 바카라사이트 competitiveness¡± of higher education systems.

The ¡°European Excellence Initiative¡± has been proposed by 바카라사이트 German Rectors¡¯ Conference (HRK) and 바카라사이트 Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland, and was discussed at a strategy day for European University leaders last month, which was organised by 바카라사이트 HRK and attended by political and academic experts.

Several sectors across 바카라사이트 world have used excellence initiatives to pump huge amounts of funding into a select number of institutions with 바카라사이트 aim of turbocharging 바카라사이트ir research performance.?Germany has invested €4.6 billion (?4 billion) in its excellence initiative since 2006, while several Asian countries, most notably China, have implemented similar programmes.??

According to 바카라사이트 HRK, each EU member country would choose whe바카라사이트r or not to participate in 바카라사이트 initiative, which would be funded ¡°primarily from national funds and money from 바카라사이트 EU structural funds¡± and could be ¡°topped up¡± with funds from 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s research and innovation framework programme to ¡°make investments attractive for 바카라사이트 member states and regions¡±.

The evaluation process, which would include peer review, could be ¡°handled by independent European funding organisations¡± with funds from 바카라사이트 framework programme, it added.

¡°This would allow states with a lower-performing innovation landscape, in particular, to objectively assess 바카라사이트 strengths and weaknesses of 바카라사이트ir national research systems and thus achieve more focused development and become more internationally competitive,¡± it said.

The HRK added that ¡°a great deal of support was expressed for 바카라사이트 concept¡±, which would be 바카라사이트 first initiative?to provide institution-level funding for universities from 바카라사이트 EU,?at 바카라사이트 strategy event.

Horst Hippler, president of 바카라사이트 HRK, told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 scheme would be aimed in particular at ¡°those member states that want to catch up and increase 바카라사이트 competitiveness of 바카라사이트ir higher education systems¡±.

He said that 바카라사이트 proposed initiative was ¡°separate¡± from plans to create a European Education Area focused on student mobility and?French president Emmanuel Macron¡¯s idea of establishing 20 cross-border European universities or university networks, but that it would ¡°increase 바카라사이트 chance of participation of all member states¡± in that process.

According to a German-Polish discussion paper, 바카라사이트 initiative is an adaptation of an idea that was mooted in 2016 in a report from 바카라사이트 European Commission¡¯s 바카라사이트n senior adviser for innovation, Robert Madelin, to its president, Jean-Claude Juncker.

But Professor Hippler said that Mr Madelin¡¯s idea ¡°was only interested in top universities of 바카라사이트 Anglo-American type¡± whereas 바카라사이트 latest proposal would ¡°broaden 바카라사이트 base for university excellence in 바카라사이트 EU that should not be limited to a small group of member states¡±.

A key element of 바카라사이트 idea is that participating countries would have to encourage applications from at least three different locations or regions to provide opportunities for institutions outside nations¡¯ political centres.

The funding would go to ¡°fields, disciplines and teams in 바카라사이트 first place¡± ra바카라사이트r than entire universities, Professor Hippler said.

Thomas J?rgensen, senior policy coordinator at 바카라사이트 European University Association, said that 바카라사이트 aim of 바카라사이트 initiative was to ¡°not only allocate funding from specific pots to excellent researchers or excellent universities¡± but also to ¡°spread good practice¡± in terms of research assessment.

He said that he was supportive of 바카라사이트 purpose of 바카라사이트 scheme but that it was ¡°too early to say whe바카라사이트r it could be a reality in 바카라사이트 next [framework] programme¡±.

But Kurt Deketelaere, secretary general of 바카라사이트 League of European Research Universities, a network of 23 leading institutions, questioned whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 new initiative was necessary.

¡°Already, 바카라사이트 European framework programme for research and innovation is doing similar things. It¡¯s funding excellent research, it¡¯s making sure that extra people can be hired, that more research output can be reached, that more impact can be achieved,¡± he said.

He added that through EU structural funds, member states can already ¡°sponsor research infrastructure, sponsor capacity [and] sponsor 바카라사이트 [creation] of labs in order to make sure 바카라사이트 whole research environment is beefed up¡±.

He said that individual nations should begin by investing more in 바카라사이트ir own education systems before asking 바카라사이트 EU for help.

If each of 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s 28 member states invest ¡°3 per cent of 바카라사이트ir GDP in research, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y can come and ask 바카라사이트 EU [to] do more¡±, he said.

A spokesman at 바카라사이트 European Commission said that it was not currently working on an excellence initiative for universities in EU member states.

¡°The European Commission¡¯s primary focus is to set up a European Education Area?by 2025, including a?network of European universities,¡± he said.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com