The European Union runs a series of higher education cooperation
programmes with third countries in many different regions of the
world, in recognition of the key role that higher education can
have in fostering social, cultural, and economic development.
According to the European Commission, these programmes aim
to:
- support partner countries outside the EU in their modernisation
efforts
- promote common values and closer understanding between
different peoples and cultures
- advance the EU as a centre of excellence in education and
training
- improve the quality of services and human resources in the EU
through mutual learning, comparison and exchange of good
practice
The Programmes
Cooperation with industrialised
countries
The EU has had formal agreements with the US and Canada since
1995 and since then, bi-lateral agreements have also been
established with Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea.
These agreements, which foster cooperation and establish joint
programmes in both higher education and vocational training, aim to
promote better cultural relations and facilitate the acquisition of
skills needed for the global knowledge-based economy. They
include:
- Atlantis EU-US co-operation in
higher education and training
- EU-Canada co-operation in
higher education, training and youth
- EU-Australia co-operation in
education and training
- EU-Japan co-operation in
higher education and training
- EU-New Zealand co-operation in
higher education and training
- EU-South Korea co-operation in
higher education and training
ALFA
The ALFA programme supports cooperation between higher education
institutions in the EU and Latin America. Beginning in 1994, ALFA
intends to improve the quality, relevance and accessibility of
higher education in Latin America, as well as to contribute to the
process of regional integration in Latin America in terms of higher
education.
EduLink
The EduLink programme funds cooperation projects between higher
education institutions in the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP)
countries and the European Union member states. Its overall
objective is to foster capacity building in ACP countries and
regional integration in the field of higher education through
institutional networking.
Tempus
The Trans-European Mobility Programme for University Studies,
otherwise known as Tempus, aims to support the modernisation of
higher education in the EU's neighbouring regions, mainly through
university cooperation projects. Established in 1990, the
scheme now covers 27 countries in the Western Balkans, Eastern
Europe and Central Asia, North Africa and the Middle East. Tempus
funds joint projects between higher education institutions in the
EU and partner countries as well as supporting structural measures
in partner countries to develop their higher education system and
increase convergence with EU developments. Since 2008, Tempus has
had an annual budget of around €50 million.
Relevant Information