The EUA published a briefing in which the authors look back at the 2008 financial crisis to draw conclusions for university funding now and in the future.
The European University Association (EUA) draws on its Public Funding Observatory (PFO) with data from more than a decade to analyse past developments, think of possible implications for university funding and publish resulting insights in the form of a briefing. The latest EUA briefing aims at providing evidence-based input in a time when policymakers and institutional leaders are searching for solutions to the economic recession expected to be triggered by the Covid-19 crisis (see SwissCore article).
Experience from the financial crisis in 2008 suggests that all sources of university income, such as public, European and philanthropy funding, will be affected by an economic recession in some way in the short to medium term. With respect to European funding, the EUA predicts a growing demand from institutions for funds allocated under Horizon Europe and Erasmus+, resulting in increased competition. The EUA reminds that higher education institutions will also need additional co-funding more than ever to use these funding sources.
The EUA suggests ambitious, coordinated action at European level. It calls on higher education institutions to rethink their strategies, e.g. to address two of the major challenges societies currently face: the green and digital transformations. More importantly, it calls on governments to provide enabling policy frameworks, but also to secure sufficient funding for education, research and innovation through the EU’s multiannual financial framework (MFF) and at national level. Other recommendations are to foster synergies between European and national funding mechanisms and to enhance simplification at the European level. Developing synergies between education, research and innovation will be crucial in order to maximise the impact of the various funding instruments.