European Universities Initiative ‘threatens institutional autonomy’

Higher-education unions express concerns over plans for inter-university campuses and European degrees

An EU initiative to establish cross-border networks of universities to develop more pan-European qualifications, posts and academic activities poses a threat to institutional autonomy, higher education unions have warned.

In a position paper on the European Universities Initiative, adopted last week, the European Trade Union Committee for Education (Etuce) said the plan for the initiative to involve activities such as creating inter-university campuses had prompted concern among member organisations that “the autonomy of the institutions will be negatively affected”.