Modernising higher education in the EU: We need to remove existing obstacles and barriers.

The EU needs to ensure the necessary funding for University infrastructure for the period of 2014-2020 and it calls on EU Member States to use at least 2% of their GDP for higher education.

Modernising higher education in the context of the challenges brought on by the economic crisis is of the utmost importance. The imposition of budget cutbacks, high levels of unemployment and the ongoing demographic changes are just some of the obstacles encountered.

"We have to lend a hand to higher education institutions in order to adapt to this changing context. Continuous investment in higher education and innovative funding are indispensable. I strongly hope that – in drafting their education policies – the European Commission, as well as the Member States will pay great attention to the report passed today by a large majority. It gives me a great sense of satisfaction and joy that, following the fact that we partially managed to establish a system of higher education in Hungarian in Transylvania, Romania, and after twenty years of great and continuous efforts, on this occasion, breaking away from the disadvantages inherited from our communist past, we also contributed to the modernisation of the European higher education system", declared László Tőkés MEP, EPP Group Rapporteur.

This report equally calls on Member States to financially support and pay increased attention to higher education and to institutions serving traditional, national, ethnic or linguistic minorities with special focus on endangered cultures and languages.

In order to enhance development, the report urges stronger collaboration of higher education institutions with external partners, as well as regional cooperation. In cross-border cooperation, it stresses the need to intensify the interaction between the three parts of the knowledge triangle (education, research and innovation) as a key element for growth and job creation.

Considering that higher education has the potential to promote social inclusion, the report calls on Member States, regional and local governments and higher education institutions to strengthen their efforts to widen equitable access to studies for all (from early childhood to higher education). "We need to continue the fight against all forms of discrimination recognising multiculturalism and multilingualism, including sign language, as fundamental values of the EU that need to be fostered", Tőkés concluded.