Higher education for modern societies: competences and values

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Preface

Radu Damian

Why a preface? This was the first question that I asked myself when accepting theresponsibility of writing a preface to this new book of the Council of Europe, partof the Higher Education Series. Is a preface really necessary when the reader hasthe table of contents available?Are prefaces always needed?My own answer to this “existential” question was obviously positive since you arereading the preface – hopefully with interest.The main motive behind the decisionis that for universities a subject such as “converging competences for democraticsociety”isnotusuallyonefoundnearthetopoftheirlistofmissions,nottomentiontheir day-to-day practice. For obvious reasons, universities, which I see as “small,autonomous societies” with their own priorities and internal rules, are faced withmore and more challenges. The economic dimension of their existence, related tostudy programmes, teaching methods, learning environment, quality assurance,student numbers, research results leading to prestige in the scientific communityandotherurgentissuesfacingthem,leaveslittleroomforreflectionintheacademiccommunity and the university leadership about values they take for granted, suchas democracy, citizenship and intercultural dialogue. Therefore, I thought that if this book is meant to become known and to appeal to people from universities, my brief preface should contribute to stimulating their curiosity to read it.The values of the Council of Europe are well known: democracy, human rightsand the rule of law. The member states share those values and have committedthemselvestofullypromotethemaspartoftheirinternalandinternationalpolicies.Recent experience and the results of national elections in many countries, as wellas for the Parliament of the European Union, have, however, shown not merely alack of interest among citizens in participation, but also a relative rise of a rather “radical” political message. The relative success of that message, which questionsthe essence of democratic values and is something we believed belonged to the past, is indeed very worrying for the future of Europe and the world. We shouldnot forget that, by the “direct or representative vote of the people”, Europe or other partsoftheworldhaveinthepastexperiencedpolitical“democratic”transitionstoextremism and autocracy, with all the consequences that followed. Must we acceptthis situation and let it happen again in the future?If the answer is negative, and definitely it should be, our societies must reaffirmtheircommitmenttodemocracy,mustuseit,defenditandbeawarethatdemocracyis not a gift and is not to be taken for granted. The best way to defend democracyis to understand how it works, to make full use of it to respect human rights andto live by the rule of law. These elements define in fact in simple words what iscalled a “democratic culture” in society. Defending democracy and making use of

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Higher education for modern societies – Competences and values

its potential is a task for all citizens, as well as for educators, and an obligation for the political class.However, in many European countries, statistics have also too often shown anawkward situation: the percentage of those voting in the elections from populationgroupswhichdidnotattendhighereducationexceedsthepercentageofvotersfrom population groups with an academic background. Newspapers and sociologistscome up with many different explanations related, for example, to the politicalsituation or the disillusionment of educated voters with politics and politicians.Fundamentally, however, the situation is unacceptable and leads to several ques-tions. Does higher education give its students the essential values of democraticsocieties? How should universities do that? How can universities educate not onlyhighly skilled specialists for the labour market but also highly motivated citizensfor our democratic societies? Are there examples of good practice in Europe andacross the world?If you want to ﬁnd some answers, I encourage you to read this book which I hopewill become a reference point in the process of redeﬁning the role of universitiesin the modern, global world.

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Aword from the editors

Sjur Bergan and Radu Damian

The book that you are about to read draws on several sources: contributions to twoCouncilofEuropehighereducationconferencesaswellasarticleswrittenespeciallyforthispublication.Inspiteofthediversityofsourcesaswellasofthebackgroundsand origins of the authors, there is, however, unity in purpose. This book set out toexplore the roles and purposes of higher education in modern, complex societiesandhowtheserelatetothecompetencesthathighereducationprovidestostudents.Public debate, at least in Europe, could easily leave the casual observer with theimpression that higher education serves one purpose and one purpose only: prep-aration for employment. This is of course an important function of higher educa-tion and our public debate is not wrong in emphasising this purpose. It is wrong,however, in emphasising only this purpose. As man does not live by bread alone,human existence is about more than work.In a previous project on the public responsibility for higher education and research(Weber&Bergan2005;CouncilofEurope2007),theCouncilofEuropeidentifiedfour major purposes of higher education: – preparation for sustainable employment; – preparation for life as active citizens in democratic societies; – personal development; – the development and maintenance, through teaching, learning and research,of a broad and advanced knowledge base.Some debaters and authors might have preferred to phrase the four purposes some-what differently, but there is little disagreement that the purposes stated broadlycover the main roles of higher education. This is reflected in the Bologna Process,through the 2007 London Communiqué (Bologna Process 2007: 1.4). Yet, thesestatementshavesofarnotsignificantlymodifiedthepublicdebateinEurope,whichcontinues to give the impression that preparation for employment is the only major reasonwehavehighereducation.Inthis,EuropediffersfromNorthAmerica,wherenot least the higher education community itself is very keenly aware of its key rolein transmitting the values of democratic citizenship (AAC&U 2007) and where theconcept of liberal education emphasises the personal development of students as amajor – perhaps even

the

major – goal of higher education. Therefore, the fact thatseveral prominent US authors contribute to this book is significant.In both the European and North American contexts, it is important to underlinethat the discussion is not about which of these different purposes is the “real” one.They are all important and they coexist. Many of the characteristics that will makehigher education graduates fit for employment will also make them fit for active