UAS: ‘level playing field’ in EU higher education

At the upcoming international Leuven summit next april this three-cycle structure is supposed to be on the agenda. The UAS network is hoping to convince the European education ministers that all the universities should be used in a equal and innovative way to counter the recent economic crisis. According to them, a ‘level playing field’ and a full participation of UAS in higher education would definitely stimulate the European circulation of knowledge.

At the conference the eleven participating countries underlined the crucial importance of research for the UAS when it comes to the quality assurance of the universities curricula and staff as well as the pursuit of innovation in the region and the labour market. Chairman of the Dutch network for UAS, Doekle Terpstra, declared: “Without the research, we’re an empty vessel.”

The network pointed out that in several European countries the three-cycle system is already adopted by UAS. Though they would remain different in organizational goals and focus on research, this adoption means that the biggest institutional difference between research based universities and universities of applied sciences is gone. For example, this is the case in Portugal, Norway, Austria and France. Here UAS can offer their students a phd degree in partnership with a research based university.