6 May 2004 • Increasing University Student Mobility: A European Policy Agenda • Gudrun Biffl

In the last 25 years, the number of university students has more than doubled in Europe. However, large differences in university participation remain between countries. This is in the main a result of different social norms and values which impact on the transition rates between upper secondary education and tertiary education. Countries with an almost universal general education stream of upper secondary education tend to have high entry rates into universities, while countries with a strong vocational orientation of upper secondary education – which focuses on early entry into the labour market – have relatively low entry rates into tertiary education. Amongst the former are the Nordic countries and the Netherlands, amongst the latter Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

In spite of the differences in university participation rates, every country is promoting the mobility of their students. The objective is the enhancement of the competitiveness of Europe via increasing the allocative efficiency of labour, in particular highly skilled labour.

With increasing student mobility within the EU, the question of equal treatment of students of another EU member state becomes a contested issue.

EU member countries, which are net-receivers of EU students, are effectively subsidising the net-sending countries. Accordingly, they have expressed an interest in a compensation scheme similar to that made in other areas, e.g., transit transport and environmental matters.

Indeed, a more equitable distribution of costs could well encourage the very object of EU policy for greater competition and mobility.

Vienna, 5 May 2004.

For further information, please refer to Gudrun Biffl, phone (1) 798 26 01, ext. 259, E-Mail address Gudrun.Biffl@wifo.ac.at

For the full text of this article see the Internet under http://www.wifo.ac.at