A Study On The Policies Of Cooperation And Exchange In Higher Education Of European Union

As the twenty-first century comes, social development is making changes more rapidly with each passing day. Science and technology have leapt to be an indispensable means of survival of human beings, and social development has accomplished the transition from industrial economy to knowledge economy. Knowledge becomes the production factor of vital importance in the economic progress of each country, and the human capital in possession of advanced knowledge and technology has become the key to the development of knowledge economy. In order to enhance the national economic competitiveness, it is crucial to compete for human capital in the economic competitions among different countries. Governments successively take measures to increase the investment in human capital, of which the most important and direct one is to enhance the input in higher education.In this context, higher education, the most important area which cultivates talents and provides knowledge and technology for knowledge economy, will also be faced with new changes. The development of knowledge economy promotes the wide flow of talents. The cooperation and exchanges among countries in higher education have been unprecedentedly strengthened on a global scale. The international trend of higher education emerges, which prompts the cooperation and development of world higher education at a higher level beyond the limits of ethnics and countries.Based on the European integration process, cooperation in higher education among European countries, breaking the national boundaries, is the overall reform process of higher education within Europe. European countries attempt to improve the overall quality of higher education in Europe in order to enhance the international competitiveness and attractiveness of European higher education. Meanwhile, they also spread the European common culture and value to Europeans, shape the identity of Europe and build it as a world class center of higher education through cooperation and exchanges of higher education.With the globalization of knowledge economy, China is also facing the reform from traditional economy to knowledge economy, the development of which poses severe challenges to the advance of China’s higher education. European countries work together to implement higher education reform through intergovernmental cooperation, improve the overall quality of European member states and reserve abundant human capital for the development of European knowledge economy by taking the following measures: the adoption of standardized assessment system of higher education quality, the unity of higher education system, the increase of mobility of students and teachers within Europe, and the promotion of free and wide spread of knowledge. The study attempts to find out the problems with particularity and regularity so as to provide comparative perspective for China’s higher education policies.To achieve above research purposes, the thesis adopts the following research methods: literature analysis, qualitative analysis, and historical method.Besides introduction and conclusion, the thesis is divided into seven chapters. With EU’s policy of cooperation and exchange in higher education as the main subject, the thesis analyzes the background of European integration and the evolution, contents, implementation, and other relevant issues of policies related to the development of higher education in order to interpret EU’s policy of cooperation and exchange in higher education.Chapter One is EU’s Evolution and Policy of Higher Education. It introduces the background and theories of European integration, and analyzes relevant provisions of EU’s higher education and institutions and processes related to the operation of EU’s policy of higher education. In addition, the chapter also outlines cooperation process of EU’s higher education and the development of EU’s policy of higher education. The research in this chapter paves the way for further study and makes preparation and illustration in theory.Chapter Two is The Motivation of EU’s Cooperation and Exchange in Higher Education. It separately analyzes two aspects, namely, the external promotive force of EU’s cooperation and exchange in higher education, and the internal coordinating homogeneous and heterogeneous force of higher education. It is its profound forces of policy, economy and culture that play an important role in promotion and acceleration of EU’s cooperation and exchanges in higher education.Chapter Three is EU’s Internal Policy of Cooperation and Exchange in Higher Education—Erasmus Program. This chapter analyzes the background, content and influence of Erasmus program, one of the most influential plans of cooperation and exchange in higher education. The program encourages transnational cooperation among universities, increases the mobility of European people, and improves the full recognition and transparency of domestic diplomas in EU, which not only enhances the quality of higher education, but also prompts EU to form the Europe-oriented awareness gradually.Chapter Four is EU’s External Policy of Cooperation and Exchange in Higher Education—Erasmus- Mendes Program. This chapter discusses the background, content and influence of this program. Different from Erasmus program targeting students as main participants, Erasmus– Mendes program is a global plan.Chapter Five is EU’s Eastward Expansion Policy of Cooperation and Exchange in Higher Education—Tem Phillips Program. With the rising power of EU, European integration has extended into Central and Eastern Europe, Soviet Union and other countries. In addition to political and economic fields, what is more important for European integration is to guide the development of higher education system of these countries, and Tem Phillips program is the very plan of significance that EU carries out to help these countries realize the progress mentioned above. This chapter elaborates the background, content and influence of this plan.Chapter Six is The Achievement and Development Tendency of EU’s Cooperation and Exchange Policies in Higher Education. Cooperation and exchange in higher education build Europe into the most competitive and energetic knowledge-based economy, and deepen people’s sense of identity with the land of Europe, and impose profound changes and effects on the continent, countries and universities. Meanwhile, it will explore the development tendency of the policy of cooperation and exchange in higher education.Chapter Seven is The Reflection and Inspiration of EU’s Policies of Cooperation and Exchange in Higher Education. Though the backgrounds are different, under the tide of globalization, both EU’s and China’s higher education take on the tendency of mutual integration. Through the study of EU’s policies of cooperation and exchange in higher education, the thesis can provide comparative perspective for reflection of China’s policies of higher education.