Europe 2020: Will Higher Education In The European Union Be A Catalyst For A More Dynamic, Prosperous Economy?

This chapter seeks to enhance academic and policy-maker understanding of the European Union\u27s (EU) evolving higher education system by providing context and an overview of some of the major higher education initiatives currently being implemented as EU higher education adapts to turbulent economies, unstable political systems, and rapidly changing social structures. The recognition that higher education is the driver of a country\u27s knowledge-based economy has impacted higher education policies at a national and supranational level. Divergence among the EU member states in their organization of higher education, and the emergence of challenges which go beyond national frontiers, has proved the catalyst for developing a cohesive policy and strategy for EU higher education delivery. Initial efforts to increase European influence in national higher education policy began with the Sorbonne Declaration (1998) and continued with the Bologna Declaration (1999), the Lisbon Strategy (2000), and finally the EU 2020 strategy (2010)