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The European Union launches an ambitious plan for 20 transnational campuses by 2025. The idea was born at a summit in Gothenburg (Sweden) in November 2017, which coincided with 30 years of the Erasmus program, but the countdown begins now. Universities have mobilized in recent weeks to set up consortiums of camps in at least three different countries, sharing students – who can start their training in one country and finish it in another – research and teachers. On February 28, the deadline for the creation of the pilot program of alliances, with a budget of 30 million euros (128.2 million reais), has expired. Six consortia will be chosen to implement the plan later this year. The rejected groups will have another opportunity in 2020.
"Now that there are doubts about the future of Europe, the best way to unite is to share the culture, "says Eugenio Gaudio, Dean of Sapienza University in Rome, referring to Brexit. and the growth of anti-European populism. Their reflection is shared by their counterparts. "For 20 years, the Bologna plan has created a European area of knowledge and we must now create a Europe of the future, not only financial, but also cultural," said Gaudio, whose alliance called European Civic University, includes eight campuses. "And this transition to a Europe of knowledge must be led by universities and not by other institutions," adds Rafael Garesse, Dean of the Autonomous University of Madrid. "Therefore, in our alliance, we are ready to go ahead, regardless of what will happen in the February convocation, which will be very controversial."
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From 2014 to 2017, 89 institutions in Latin America have participated in 127 Erasmus programs, according to the evaluation of the European Commission. Brazil is among the countries with the most holdings, with Argentina, Chile and Mexico. The University of São Paulo (USP) stands out with nine participations, in front of the Autonomous University of Mexico with seven participations. Never before in the EU had such an ambitious academic program across the academic spectrum – as it also included the Administration and Services sectors, to improve management often slow and confusing – but previous experiences already existed : the universities of the Basque Country and Bordeaux share (19659002) The Alliance of Leaders of European Universities in Economic and Social Sciences (ALEUESS) guarantees the exchange of young researchers and PhD students. The Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), in turn, offers a double degree in law with the Paris Sorbonne since 1995 and its last four years in Bologna (the first group has not yet graduated) . "The Complutense is looking for universities with which it has a certain affinity, such as these, to forge alliances, all of which are historical, public and of a very large scale", explains José María Coello of Portugal, deputy director of international relations at the Faculty of Law of the UCM. "Each university chooses half of the students and changes destination after two years.There are common subjects (such as economics and the philosophy of law), but many others are not, because the codes are not the same, "continues the professor. "It's a very demanding but very recognized program." The UCM is challenging the European competition with these partner institutions.
"It is necessary to train young people for a future life, and that will not necessarily always be in their country.They are no longer baffled by borders," says Yvon Berland, rector of the University of Montreal. 39; Aix-Marseille. "And mobility has to be seen from the perspective of social equity, that there is a common mechanism for low-income students to settle in," says Yvon Englert, Dean of the Free University of Brussels. "Currently, there are inequalities because they have to pay a pbadage area, a home …". The Spanish government's Erasmus grant, for example, is not enough to cover the costs: there are 200 euros (about 850 reais) a month in low-income countries like Slovakia and 300 euros (1280 reais) a year. dear, like Sweden.
According to information provided by Álvaro Sánchez (Brussels)
Late, English wins rivals in the clbadroom
The alliance requires participating universities to recognize academically the studies of others – there will be exchanges of administrative officials to learn how to solve bureaucratic obstacles – and encourages multilingualism just as the United Kingdom leaves the European Union, now reduced to 27 countries. is a contrary path to 2013, when Brussels proposed in a controversial document that the courses be taught in English, the lingua franca, to seduce foreign students and teachers.The European Commission turned towards 2030, year in during which the number of university students in the world would have quadrupled.At the same date, 7.5% of the population will be Spanish-speaking (535 million inhabitants), which opens the debate on the opportunity to maintain Spanish in the clbadrooms.
The President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, has been a major incentive to this transnational project. In September 2017, in a solemn speech on the European Union, called on all university students to speak at least two European languages by 2024. "As pioneers of Bologna, Montpellier, Oxford and Salamanca believer to the power of learning, critical thinking and culture, I wish that we respect this great goal. "
From the transnational project covering the Nordic Baltic countries to the east of the continent, British universities are left behind, spared in many areas and the rectors regret it. "We want to channel a way for British universities, although they can not participate in the European Union, to be present," said Gaudio of Sapienza. "British professors and students have already spoken out against Brexit, and it is not by chance, we have common values, and even in recent years we have intensified our collaborations with them." At the same time, British campuses and Spanish have drafted a common manifesto calling for exchanges of students and researchers. About 30% of British campuses come from the EU.
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