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Expert Network on Economics and Sociology of Education and Training (ENESET)
  • Report

A policy agenda for improving access to higher education in the EU

Improving access to higher education is essential for Europe’s smart, inclusive, and sustainable growth—but requires systemic reforms in funding, governance, and data monitoring.

Details

Identification
Catalogue number: NC-02-13-003-EN-N
Publication date
31 March 2011
Authors
Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture | European Expert Network on Economics of Education (EENEE)
Geographical scope
  • European Union
Level of education focus
  • Adult education
  • Higher education
  • Non-formal and informal learning
  • Vocational education and training (VET)
Thematic areas covered
  • Education-to-work transitions, education and labour market
  • Educational attainment and participation in education
  • Educational effectiveness and efficiency
  • Governance of education
  • International mobility
  • Investment in education, economic impact of education
  • Lifelong learning
  • Monitoring and quality assurance
  • Quality and inclusive education for all
  • Skills development
  • Teachers and trainers
  • Whole-school and whole-system approaches and partnerships in education

Description

If forces are to be mobilized in Europe to successfully exit the crisis and create a smart, sustainable and inclusive growth path towards a knowledge-based society by 2020, European Higher Education has to play a more central role. 

Beyond delivering excellence in research output, it should also achieve a wide access and throughput of students to deliver the necessary skills for Europe 2020. But the European Higher Education system does not seem currently to be in a position to achieve these aspirations in a number of important ways. 

This report reviews the evidence on how the Higher Education system in Europe is currently performing in terms of access, as well as the past and current policy agenda in Europe for improving access to higher education. It provides summarizing conclusions for the future policy agenda in Europe.

Authors

Reinhilde Veugelers

Cite as

Veugelers, R. (2011). A policy agenda for improving access to higher education in the EU. EENEE Analytical Report No. 9

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  • 31 MARCH 2011
A policy agenda for improving access to higher education in the EU