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Higher Education & Research

:: Policy ::

International level

EI's policy on Higher Education and Research is essentially shaped by the various resolutions passed by the consecutive World Congresses since 1995. These resolutions focus, mainly, on the status of academics and on the development of the higher education and research sector.

In addition, along many years, EI has elaborated strong policies on the globalisation of education, in particular of higher education, and how this is affected by GATS and Trade Agreements.

EI also encourages the implementation of the UNESCO Recommendation Concerning the Status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel. Adopted in 1997, this instrument provides for the employment and the academic rights of higher education teaching personnel by: defining the profession, outlining the rights, freedoms, duties and responsibilities of higher education teaching personnel; identifying the conditions needed for effective teaching, research and scholarship (such as security of employment, appraisal, discipline and dismissal procedures, salaries, workload and social security); and establishing the rights and duties of the institutions of higher education.

EI is committed to maximise its opportunities to work with and within those international and regional organisations and those processes that are shaping higher education and research globally. This implies, in particular, working with the OECD and UNESCO for the implementation of the Guidelines on Quality Provision in Cross Border Higher Education.

European level/ Bologna Process

Bologna Process

EI and the Higher Education and Research staff unions of Europe welcome and support the Bologna Process as a means both of protecting and enhancing higher education and research across Europe and of increasing transparency and mobility. We believe that Bologna places this on the public agenda. Although we welcome the emphasis on quality, we assert that this will require greater public investment in the system and its staff if quality is to be sustained and enhanced (EI policy statement February 2005). In relation with the Process, EI is promoting the UNESCO-Council of Europe Lisbon Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications, and it advocates for its ratification.

At the European level (European Commission), EI has been involved in the process of elaboration of the European Charter of researchers and a Code of conduct for the recruitment of researchers. The EI Standing Committee on Higher Education and Research strongly supports the Charter, which is considered to be an important step in the acknowledgement of researchers and of the work they are doing towards the attainment of the Barcelona goal of ensuring a minimum investment in research of 3% of GNP in each member-state - 1% of this shall be invested by the public.

EI is strengthening its partnership with other consultative members of the process, in particular with the National Unions of Students in Europe (ESU, former ESIB), with which an agreement was signed in July 2004.