Why Reform Europe's Universities?

Abstract

Based on a survey of European universities, this policy brief states that despite the good performance of some countries, Europe as a whole trails the US by a wide margin. The reason is two-fold. First, Europe invests too little in higher education. Second, European universities suffer from poor governance, insufficient autonomy and often perverse incentives. If Europe is to be a leader in the global knowledge economy, comprehensive reform of higher education is the order of the day. Most countries should invest an extra one percent in higher education each year, and universities should be given more autonomy in budgets, hiring and remuneration.