In her capacity as current President of the Council of the European Union, Slovenian Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology Mrs Mojca Kucler Dolinar today gave a presentation at the European Parliament. She outlined the Presidency's priority tasks in the field of higher education to the members of the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT).
The Slovenian Presidency will pay special attention to examining the Erasmus Mundus II dossier. This is a new generation of the programme, providing for academic staff and student mobility activities to be continued and extended. “The European Union's aim is to make the programme a flagship of cooperation with non-EU countries in the field of higher education,” said Mrs Kucler Dolinar. As this is a matter to be adopted under the codecision procedure between the European Parliament and the Council, the Minister invited the Members of the European Parliament to engage in an active dialogue with a view to adopting a decision at the earliest possible opportunity, thus enabling the programme to start on time.
Slovenia's Presidency will also devote itself to furthering the Bologna Process, with special emphasis on introducing lifelong learning in higher education and on the modernisation of universities to promote European competitiveness in the worldwide knowledge economy.
The Minister also highlighted the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, presenting a practical contribution, “which will leave a permanent mark on the Euro-Mediterranean region”, a region of great importance for Europe. She explained that Slovenia wished to establish “a Euro-Mediterranean University with its seat in Slovenia. With joint study programmes, research projects and exchange of professors and students, this institution could link several universities from this region and contribute to the recognition of a single Euro-Mediterranean Higher Education and Research Area.”
The Minister will address the priority tasks in the field of science, technology and information society in her presentation to the EP Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) in the European Parliament on 24 January 2008.
