FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THE INTERVIEW WITH THE COMMISSIONNER FOR EDUCATION JAN FIGEL 00.01 On the purpose of his visit to Serbia Serbia is an important partner country to the EU and has EU vocation and destiny. As Commissioner responsible for the more and more important portfolio of education I see many reasons to go to Serbia and to speak to partners there. Education, youth, culture, civil society are basic pillars for future in the country but also in the EU. By investing better and more in these areas we can build up our future as soon as possible by improving not only the economic possibilities but also social cohesion, cultural events, political maturity. These are important message everywhere in all the members of the EU and future members. I have met Serbian representatives at different occasions mostly outside Serbia. Now I would like to intensify the dialogue and cooperation and to open more space quantitatively and qualitatively in the EU programmes for the next 7 years. I m sure that the interest in this engagement of Serbian partners, universities, schools but also individuals students, professors, will grow with these opportunities. 01.54 On EU programmes in the field of Education and Culture The programmes I am responsible for are organised around non tangible issues like integrated long-life learning. But also Culture 2007 which means a new generation of programme offering much more engagement for mobility of art and artists and the cultural dialogue so important in the society but also between countries. The citizenship programme is also very instrumental for building a citizens friendly Europe. After achieving a lot in terms of market friendly, investment friendly, business friendly Europe we need to be more keen on citizen friendly Europe. There are opportunities how to engage citizens, NGOs, local communities in building their partnerships and building networks in Europe. 03.08 On Erasmus Mundus Erasmus Mundus already offers space for Serbian students and they are studying in European universities. This depends also on partnerships and study programmes both in the EU but also in the partner countries. For the next year we want to offer a special window for the Western Balkans in Erasmus Mundus for hundred students and I think that for Serbs there is a growing space based on the voluntary engagement and successful participation. We want to create more space for future years, but 2007 could be a new step in this direction. In the participation programmes we want to offer more support via Tempus and to use the instruments for preaccession in order to intensify cooperation in education. I see that this cooperation is really decisive for mental and political evolution in Europe. In the EU we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Erasmus programme. It started with 140 students in 1987. Some countries opposed because we didn’t have a legal base, we had little money. Now we have 1.5 million students in 20 years, last academic year we had 145000 students which is one percent of the academic student population. With little we do a lot in changing the mentality, in changing the approach of the countries. Now Erasmus is everywhere, supported, welcomed and we want to do more. For the next seven years we want to go to 3 million students participating there. This trade mark, this label, should be very present and popular also in Serbia because it helps to Europeanize Europe, to give higher quality to our studies and recognition more relevant for the mobility in Europe. 05.35 The programme actually runs only the third year. Erasmus Mundus is a new wing; follow up, special part, connected to the basic internal Erasmus. It takes time for universities from non EU states to get into partnership and close cooperation with Erasmus Mundus universities. My visit is aimed towards spreading the message that there is more space for engagement. It is voluntary, nobody is obliged to participate, but the opportunity is wonderful. There are not many universities still from the new member states because they have domestic reforms. But I am sure that even domestic reforms could be developed in a more mature way via cooperation in Erasmus Mundus. Those partnerships share a lot of information, a lot of openness between universities and this makes participating universities from Serbia more equipped for challenges of the time, more ready to adapt and to adopt the decisions rightly and correctly for themselves. 07.06 The Balkan region is in transition. It means countries are on the track to join the processes of cooperation, namely Bologna and we need to work a little bit longer to get basic issues and parameters into compatibility and then to measure the quality and change in time. Because you can not get results in the area of education quickly and easily. It takes a lot of engagement investment and also the time in order to change the system, methodology, curricula. From this point of view I would say that the Balkan states are improving which is more important than actual comparisons because there are many problems as well in the well established European countries. The drop rates are very high, more than 20% even more than 30% or so rate of success and achievements can be measured in time not only immediately. It is important that Serbia will join the processes where we work now on skills, we call it the Copenhagen process where much more is done in vocation education and training not only in higher education. Secondly, you can not achieve high results in the tertian level if you don’t start on the first level, basic education, and even before in pre school education. So my message is much more complex than just ranking. You need to start investment, invest efficiently and very friendly towards the participation. We don’t need to build elitist systems in societies but to improve access to education and also the quality of education in order to build a pyramid of knowledge in the society that leads towards innovation, brain mobility and mobilization, not brain drain. Which leads towards a transfer of knowledge in the real economy and good service to the society. So I wouldn’t like to spread any scepticism. If we compare the agenda of the region to the number of partnerships in these areas with the EU that is rapidly growing and this is good and will be improved everywhere, in universities, schools, but also societies. 10.20 I think that the decision is right and I congratulate but it is not enough. It is very important that the decision is transferred into real deeds. Not only on central level, but on many other levels, regional, municipal. It is important that national policy is linked to European policy. For example external assistance from the EU is matched with domestic strategies. We not only congratulate this decision but we want to help and believe that for our common future education is an acquis. When people understand, when people know, remember, they are more capable to build a positive future. If they tend to forget, don’t understand they neglect, that is a way towards ignorance and intolerance. So, I think that with an educated Macedonia, Serbia, Slovakia, Europe is much better equipped for the 21 century on global and local issues. There is an interesting invitation saying Think globally act locally. To think globally means to understand what is going on in the world but to act hic et nunc, here and today because it is our best opportunity but also our responsibility. I will do my best to help countries in SE Europe to take these invitations as long term invitations. It can not be done in campaign type approach on Sundays it must be done seven days a week, 365 days a year and many years. It is generational issues but we can see differences in few years. One example is Finland, Presidency of the EU, country of 5 million people joined the EU 11 years ago. It had 19% unemployment; many structural problems, today they have one digit unemployment, are best in innovations, they have internetisation of schools as the first country in the EU, they are highly successful in the transfer of knowledge, country which became world reference in education. They are the concrete example showing that education and knowledge, research, innovation is really a central strategy which does not change with each government. The fruits come. Very credible, visible and important fruits for citizens. This is also an invitation for SE Europe countries. 14.03 on VISAS The facilitation of the visa regime is coming in the EU in January 2007 after the decision which was adopted in December 2004 by all countries with exception of UK, Ireland and Denmark. Facilitation does not mean free visa but friendlier and softer conditions for the mobility of students, researchers, professors, and youth to the EU. We are also working on the next stage which means even smoother conditions for visa regime or for free visa access to the EU. The EC proposed a new mandate to negotiate on the behalf of the EU with Serbia and other countries in the region. Here we are at the final stage of the internal negotiations. Once we are ready we will step up this endeavour with partner countries and hopefully achieve agreements in order to make visa policy really much more productive and constructive for real participation of young generation of SE Europe. Cutaways 15.30 Jan Figel in his office in Brussels 17.39 Meeting with DG Translation 18.34 Weekly EC meeting 19.20 Figel meeting Erasmus Mundus students 19.54 End of transmission |
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