{"id":18386,"date":"2008-07-16T20:26:00","date_gmt":"2008-07-16T18:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/?p=18386"},"modified":"2026-05-25T20:31:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T18:31:56","slug":"israel-and-europes-higher-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/2008\/07\/16\/israel-and-europes-higher-education\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel and Europe\u2019s Higher Education"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Higher Education Conference hosted by the Council of Higher Education<br>Jerusalem, 16 July 2008<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/jorono-flag-2681369-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18387\" srcset=\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/jorono-flag-2681369-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/jorono-flag-2681369-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/jorono-flag-2681369-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/jorono-flag-2681369-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/jorono-flag-2681369-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/jorono-flag-2681369-16x12.jpg 16w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/photos\/flag-israel-banner-2681369\/\">Flag Israel &#8211; Free photo on Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Minister Tamir,<br>Profesor Grossman, Mr Gal,<br>Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Introduction<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>I am happy to speak at this conference of the Council for Higher Education and<br>to share with you my thoughts on the role of higher education in modern society.<br>Modern societies need a steady flow of new knowledge for innovation and they<br>need people trained to work in complex knowledge\u2013intensive environments.<br>It goes without saying that universities have a social and cultural function as<br>well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>First, universities are powerful social escalators for talented students that<br>come from the less privileged sectors of society.<br>I had the change to speak to Bedouin girls studying at the Ben Gurion University<br>and this is an example for good investment.<br>Second, universities can also foster inter\u2013cultural dialogue and help to build<br>bridges in divided communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Both the EU and Israel have realised that we are all part of the global knowledge<br>society and our education and training systems are adapting to this new reality.<br>The more we know the better we are prepared to live together.<br>Education unites \u2013 and we need more of it around the globe. This agenda needs<br>a lot of commitments. It is a process where it could be said that &#8220;one sow and<br>others harvest&#8221;; but education is the best investment. It is a process and what we<br>do today is part of this process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>In this respect we can learn a lot from each other.<br>In my presentation, I will explain European higher education reforms. I will also<br>indicate how European initiatives may inspire the world and the implications<br>this may have for Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>European higher education reforms\u2014Lisbon and Bologna<br>European higher education is going through a sweeping process of reforms.<br>Some say, that it is the most profound reform of education system in the world.<br>In the past decade, political and academic leadership have realised that our<br>universities should be better equipped to respond to the needs of society.<br>Europe is still one of the best places in the world to study and do research, but<br>there is a lot of room for improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>For instance, higher education is fragmented in national and regional sub<br>systems which frequently do not interact well or enough.<br>There is still too little intra\u2013European mobility of students and international staff<br>recruitment is a rare phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Also, we have over 4,000 education institutions in the wider Europe; however,<br>our populations are still relatively under\u2013qualified.<br>Not enough of our talented young people enter universities; not enough adults<br>have even seen a university from inside. Most importantly, we do not manage to<br>give our migrant population good educational levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>We invest a lot of public money into higher education, but we cannot attract<br>enough private funding from households and\/or companies.<br>Finally, governments should grant universities more autonomy to take their own<br>decisions. Autonomy combined with accountability; these are two sides of one<br>coin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The waves of reforms needed to attain our goals are driven by two parallel<br>processes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><strong>The Lisbon Strategy<\/strong> which involves the 27 countries of the EU, and<br>the Bologna process for the European Higher Education Area in which 46<br>European countries participate.<br>Although it involves fewer countries, the Lisbon Strategy is the widest in terms<br>of content. As regards Education and Training, it applies to the whole spectrum<br>from kindergarten all the way up to doctoral studies and lifelong learning;<br>lifelong learning as necessity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Together with the national authorities, we work on such areas as participation in<br>lifelong learning and drop\u2013out rates. We also deal with curricular reforms,<br>which is the main focus of the Bologna Process.<br>It is too early to measure the impact of these reforms on higher education, but<br>reports show that all countries have changed the conditions in which their<br>universities operate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Curricula are adjusted to the three\u2013cycle system. Internal and external quality<br>reviews are organised and universities are given more autonomy to decide on<br>programmes, resources and student selection.<br>The trend is clear: we are heading for more open, more attractive, and more<br>competitive higher\u2013education systems in Europe. It is a mosaic of systems but<br>within one space.<br><br>European reforms may inspire the world<br>It is very encouraging to see that neighbouring countries and partner countries in<br>other parts of the world are engaged in similar reforms. It is an indirect proof,<br>that what we are doing is relevant, good and attractive.<br>All the 27 countries that participate in our Tempus programme\u2014including<br>Israel\u2014have made Bologna\u2013type higher\u2013education reform a national priority.<br>All systems that are not based on the bachelor, master, doctorate cycles want to<br>introduce them, and education authorities also want to introduce independent<br>quality reviews and something like our Credit Transfer and Accumulation<br>System (ECTS).<br>There is a keen interest for European reforms as far afield as Central Asia, Latin<br>America, North America and Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>EQF<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Let me just give you one example of a European initiative that is quite fresh,<br>which may have an impact beyond the borders of the EU: the European<br>Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning.<br>Last April, the EU adopted the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong<br>learning (EQF). This followed the earlier adoption of the Bologna Qualifications<br>Framework for Higher Education, in May 2005. Its first ever international<br>qualifications framework; and it is voluntary.<br>What are these qualifications frameworks like and what are they for?<br>These frameworks provide references for the qualifications a person has earned<br>in school and universities, at work, or at home.<br><br>The systems are based on learning outcomes: what people know and they can do<br>with their knowledge. In a sense, a common understanding of learning outcomes<br>is like a new language everybody speaks.<br>The common language makes the dialogue between learners, learning providers<br>and employers a lot easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>We understand that many countries outside Europe\u2014inspired by the EQF and<br>its Bologna sibling\u2014are considering similar moves. We are happy that we have<br>something to offer now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>For instance, over 200 universities in Latin America are working with European<br>counterparts in an effort to define learning outcomes for their graduates.<br>The project is called \u201cTuning America Latina\u201d and mirrors another initiative<br>called \u201cTuning Educational Structures in Europe\u201d that was part of the Erasmus<br>programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Israel and European Higher Education<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Let me now turn to the position of Israel.<br>The Israeli higher\u2013education system is comparable to those of other<br>industrialised nations; you are confronted with similar problems and you are<br>looking for similar solutions. According to some indicators, in fact, you are<br>ahead of the pack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Israel had 7 universities among the top 500 in the 2007 Shanghai university<br>ranking list. If compared to your population, this places you among the best<br>countries in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Public spending on education as a percentage of GDP is nearly two points above<br>the EU average and one of the highest among developed countries. And the<br>investment is paying off. Better and more investment show results.<br><br>Israel is a leading force in knowledge\u2013based information\u2013technology. In 2006,<br>your high\u2013tech industries contributed 75% of all industrial exports.<br>Domestic innovation\u2014especially<br>software, telecommunications, and<br>bioscience\u2014has been driving your economy for years.<br>However, one challenge of your education system lies\u2014I would say\u2014at the<br>opposite end of the spectrum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>In 2006, the share of 15\u2013year olds who struggled with reading was 38.9% as<br>compared with 24.1% in the EU\u2014and we are not happy with that figure either,<br>which we are working to bring down to 15.5% by the end of the present decade.<br>I understand this reflects the diversity of your school population, above all<br>Israeli citizens of Arab descent and the large numbers of immigrants, who often<br>speak other languages at home. But this does not diminish the scale of the<br>challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>As I said at the beginning of my speech, cutting\u2013edge research and innovation is<br>only part of the mission of our education systems, which are also crucial in<br>terms of social inclusion and the mutual recognition of all the social groups in a<br>population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Israel enjoys a good situation also in the terms of the reforms that are linked to<br>the Bologna process I have mentioned earlier.<br>You already have a three\u2013cycle system and this Council carries out regular,<br>external quality reviews.<br>Israel has ratified the Lisbon Recognition Convention and takes part in the<br>ENIC\u2013NARIC network. The National Union of Israeli Students is a full member<br>of the European Students\u2019 Union.<br><br>And I guess that other parts of the Bologna process, such as ECTS, could be<br>introduced without too much trouble.<br>Where does Israel stand in the broader picture? In present company, I hardly<br>need to recall the document adopted by the 46 Bologna Ministers who met in<br>London last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>They\u2014and I quote\u2014\u201cacknowledged that efforts have been made in some<br>countries in other parts of the world to bring their higher education systems<br>more closely into line with the Bologna framework\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>However, there was no agreement on granting special status to the countries that<br>had made special efforts. Personally and continuously, I am in favour of this<br>special status; I have been calling for it and will continue to do so.<br>We will have to see whether a consensus emerges on this issue among the<br>ministers when they next meet in Belgium in April 2009.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>There is already agreement, however, on the need for tighter cooperation<br>between the Bologna countries and the rest of the world.<br>A global strategy was defined in London, covering areas such as information,<br>promotion, partnerships, mobility and recognition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>And because we like to think of the Bologna process and the EU education<br>policies as reinforcing each other; I am pleased to tell you that the most concrete<br>examples of this sort of cooperation can be found in the our Tempus and<br>Erasmus Mundus programmes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Tempus<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>I am happy that I could open National Tempus Office in Israel right now.<br>The Tempus programme is designed to create an area of cooperation in higher<br>education between the EU and our partner countries in the region. The<br>programme promotes the voluntary convergence of higher\u2013education systems<br>with developments in the EU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Israel began to participate in the programme last year and your Council has<br>recently opened a new National Tempus Office. There is no doubt that the office<br>will boost relations between EU and Israeli higher\u2013education institutions in the<br>future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>I hope that many Israeli universities and non\u2013academic institutions\u2014such as<br>enterprises and research organisations\u2014will want to take advantage of the<br>cooperation opportunities offered by Tempus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>The first indications have been encouraging. 11 Israeli institutions benefited<br>from the first Tempus IV call for projects and two as coordinators.<br>I also have high expectations for the policy dialogue with national authorities,<br>which will be reinforced during the project selection process and in view of the<br>definition of national priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>We have signed today the joint declaration and this is the way how to converge<br>policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Erasmus Mundus<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Erasmus Mundus is the other main means of co\u2013operation which provides\u2014<br>among other things\u2014scholarships for talented students and academics that want<br>to participate in joint masters courses in the EU.<br>It should not come as a surprise that Israeli students and scholars are doing<br>pretty well: 28 out of total 4,489 Erasmus Mundus students and 26 out of 1,121<br>scholars are from your country.<br>Participation to this programme is reinforced by what we call the External<br>Cooperation Windows, and one of them is devoted specifically to Israel, Egypt<br>and the Palestinian Authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Ben\u2013Gurion University and the Hebrew University used this opportunity to team<br>up with Brussels\u2019 Vrije Universiteit. About 140 Israeli students and academic<br>staff will travel as a result of this partnership alone over the present academic<br>year and the next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Equality of treatment<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Before I close, I wish to make a plea for the equality of treatment of all<br>individuals and organisations that the EU selects to participate in its<br>programmes and actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>It seems that there are some concerns about a number of Palestinian students and<br>academic staff who had won Erasmus Mundus scholarships to reach their host<br>institutions in Europe. But after the reassurance given by the minister, I am<br>confident that the issue will be solved soon.<br>Admittedly, these decisions are taken in a difficult context, but I would like to<br>invite everyone to adopt a broader outlook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>There is nothing like cooperation in education to build an environment of mutual<br>knowledge, trust and d\u00e9tente.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Close<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Ladies and Gentlemen:<br>The engagement of a country to modernise its higher education is independent<br>of whether it is formally associated to the EU or the Bologna process.<br>Countries and institutions engage in reforms because they believe that reforms<br>are good for their economies and societies.<br>Open channels of cooperation with comparable higher\u2013education systems can,<br>however, accelerate the process of modernisation.<br><br>My conclusion is that both Israel and the EU have a strong mutual interest to<br>co\u2013operate, to intensify our exchanges, and to learn from each other.<br>The Joint Declaration on Education that I have formally signed earlier this<br>morning is tangible proof of the openness, goodwill and positive attitude of both<br>parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>I wish that this declaration becomes a stepping stone towards a dialogue that<br>goes beyond education to include economic, security and broader political<br>issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>This is the traditional role of education and culture policies in the development<br>of EU foreign relations\u2014and they have served us well many times in the past.<br>I can see no reason why history should not repeat itself one more time here in<br>Jerusalem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Thank you.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Higher Education Conference hosted by the Council of Higher EducationJerusalem, 16 July 2008 Minister Tamir,Profesor Grossman, Mr Gal,Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Introduction I am happy to speak at this conference of the Council for Higher Education andto share with you my thoughts on the role of higher education in modern society.Modern societies need a [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18387,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[338],"tags":[1033,9,1062],"class_list":["post-18386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-en","tag-education","tag-eu","tag-israel"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - 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