Ex-education minister and
university professor Luigi Berlinguer told the G7 University
summit in Udine that the "European Union has no competence over
university" policies and the success of the international event
wrapping up on Friday "can only be achieved if Europe has
responsibility over this matter".
"How can we coordinate university policies in different
States to increasingly attain a labor market for young graduates
that favors the recognition of different diplomas? France or
Britain don't recognize my degree or my tenure", said
Berlinguer.
"This is the first main thing that we hope for".
Berlinguer then stressed that "in Italy we have areas where
university attendance and qualifications are weak.
"I don't believe that everybody should become university
students, everybody should finish high school, be it a lycée,
technical school or professional institute".
"It is, however, also true that there are areas in which
university enrolment is insufficient", he continued, noting in
particular that policies to ensure the right to higher education
are underestimated in Italy.
Italy is next-to-last in terms of funding in Europe,
Berlinguer said.
"We must first of all give more money to universities and
especially money to the families of students and increase the
number of researchers, which is lower than the European
average".
Berlinguer concluded that such issues need to be confronted,
although Italy is "in a good situation".
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