“Unresolved issues” dissuade EU Ministers endorsing the European degree project

The Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council calls upon caution on adopting the recent communication proposed by the European Commission on a blueprint for a European degree and the recommendations on the recognition system in higher education. The text “shall not have the intention to make our universities lose their promising professors,” Hungarian Minister for Culture and Innovation Balazs Hanko stated during a press conference.

He further stated that the consultation during the Hungarian semester presidency “clearly shows that several outstanding questions remain unanswered, and it is almost important to address all concerns before we have a consensus on the European degree to avoid the development of the two-speed European higher education.”

The Hungarian Presidency stated in a background note that to fully address skills mismatches and skills gaps, Europe needs the diversity of joint, double-degree programs and vital mobility and exchange actions with full credit recognition for all students.

Budapest further highlighted that the question of financing the possible European degree “is also crucial from a competitiveness point of view and needs to be thoroughly discussed.”

However, the Council approved a set of conclusions encouraging EU countries to make careers in higher education “more attractive and sustainable.”

The Council calls for greater recognition of the full range of roles and tasks performed by academic and professional staff in addition to research activities. Academic staff is set to fulfill various roles, ranging from traditional education to research, innovation, leadership, and mentoring. However, the text reads that these roles are unevenly recognized.

Ministers also held a policy debate during the informal lunch on mobile phones use in schools. The exchange was mainly focused on how to strike a balance between controlled and moderate use that allows people to learn without becoming totally dependent.

The topic is also strictly linked to the actions against social media addiction and cyberbullying that the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, vowed to implement as she addressed the Parliament to get a confirmation for her second mandate at the helm of the Commission.

“We agree that it is essential that schools provide an environment that supports concentration on learning, strengthens students’ mental health, and promotes the development of their social relationships,” Minister Hanko told journalists while reporting on the meeting results. The Hungarian presidency, however, made clear that the debate should be developed in the framework of a best practices exchange. “Obviously, this is a national competence; we must also respect national practices and traditions,” he stated.

A future Commission initiative will take into account this landscape. Countries like Hungary — and soon Italy could adopt similar legislation — opted for total control and stringent bans on the use of mobile phones in schools. Other countries like Estonia promote a more open approach based on the principle that learning should not necessarily be controlled but should be allowed to take place, including through the use of smartphones.