European Education in the Context of Economic Competitiveness

While the European Union focuses on competitiveness, strategic autonomy, and catching up with the United States and China, education is still treated more as a social obligation than as an economic investment.

 

I have followed the evolution of European education since the 1990s, when academic mobility and cooperation between universities began to take on a new dimension. In March 1999, as Vice-President of the Association des États Généraux des Étudiants de l'Europe (AEGEE-Europe), I organised a debate at the European Parliament in Brussels entitled “Education for the Year 2020”. It was a period of tangible change, with a direct impact on university systems and students’ academic journeys.

 

The Bologna Declaration, signed in 1999, laid the foundations for the European Higher Education Area, making degrees more comparable and facilitating academic mobility. At the same time, the Erasmus programme, launched in 1987 and subsequently expanded through European education programmes, became one of the most visible instruments of European integration.

 

I continued my academic research in this field. My doctoral thesis on European education programmes also examined the limitations of these policies. Access to the programmes remained limited relative to the size of the European population. Formal education was not sufficiently connected to informal and non-formal learning, and a shared European identity was still far from being a reality for everyone.

 

Over the next two to three years, the European Union must answer a fundamental question: how can it preserve its social model without losing the global economic race?

Education is central to this challenge. Europe cannot build a competitive economy if universities lack adequate research funding, graduates leave education without the skills demanded by the labour market, and research findings too often fail to translate into economic value.

 

The links between education, research, and industry must be strengthened. Universities, however, must not become mere suppliers of employees for companies. We need partnerships that encourage the development and testing of new technologies, facilitate the transfer of research results into the economy, and ensure that study programmes evolve alongside changes in productive sectors. At the same time, universities must preserve their independence and their ability to pursue fundamental research and foster critical thinking.

 

I returned to these issues in spring 2024, when I worked with Member of the European Parliament Victor Negrescu in preparing the European agenda for 2024–2029. Together with representatives of AEGEE-Europe, I supported the organisation of a debate at the European Parliament. The event was preceded by a student report assessing the state of European education and identifying the measures needed in the years ahead. The main conclusions are presented in the press release published after the event and in the article written by Victor Negrescu and Kirsten Broekema, then President of AEGEE-Europe.

 

The initiative called for education to play a stronger role in the European political agenda. The fact that education now falls within the responsibilities of an Executive Vice-President of the European Commission is an important political signal. However, the real test will be whether European institutions can translate this commitment into adequately funded programmes and measurable results.

 

Another major challenge is ensuring equal access to academic mobility. Over more than 20 years, I have taught courses at 15 universities across six countries. This experience has shown me that international mobility offers benefits far beyond professional training. It broadens perspectives, builds intercultural understanding, and helps students navigate an increasingly interconnected world. Yet participation still depends too heavily on students’ financial resources and universities’ capacity to organise exchanges.

 

For this reason, I believe it is time to seriously consider the concept of “Double Erasmus”. Over a five-year academic path covering bachelor’s and master’s studies, every student should have the opportunity to participate in two international mobility programmes: one in another EU Member State and a second in a country on another continent. Such an approach would strengthen European identity while giving students a broader global perspective. It would also help prepare the next generation to compete and cooperate internationally.

 

My interest in education policy is also personal. I now have three children studying at university in different fields: computer science, communication, and economics. Their academic journeys reflect the growing diversity of skills required by the next generation. They also reinforce my conviction that universities must combine specialised training with opportunities for international experience, critical thinking, and lifelong learning.

 

Dan Luca / Brussels