Martin Ehrenhauser

Member states are in charge of education policy. Yet, a discussion on higher education policy “strayed” to the Strasbourg plenary session recently. The increasing interdependence between universities and the economy was praised as a new partnership that aims at modernizing European universities. A fusion, that has been a reality for years, will be warmed up once again and exalted as a solution to the current misery in the education system. In recent years in particular this idea has lead to a situation where semi-privatized universities, trapped in a spiritless schematism are much like controlling business establishments that are simply trying to fulfil the requirements of the economy.

“We should make sure that we stimulate the economy, actively contributing to the development of teaching materials for entrepreneurship,” said the German MEP Doris Pack. “We certainly need people, educated by specialists with a sense of entrepreneurial spirit, who understand what it means to be a manager.” This is Doris Pack’s misleading perception of entrepreneurial spirit. Though short term requirements of the economy towards education are important and necessary, they represent the requirements of one single part of our society. Therefore they should not be raised to the primacy of the entire debate on education policy.

But exactly this has been happening over recent decades. The essential mission of universities to foster scientific curiosity and creativity in order to develop values that are beneficial for the whole society, and are beyond the constraints of economic growth, has been undermined. This very perception of education however must be lived by people who have an appreciation for morals and the truth, who value modesty when it is necessary to do so and are able to question societal changes. It would be truly modern if this were the common wish of the majority of MEPs.