EU should have competence - Berlinguer

Ex-minister, policies on education right underestimated in Italy

Redazione ANSA Udine
(ANSA) - Udine, June 30 - 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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