On 30 September 2020, The European Commission published a Communication on “Achieving the European Education Area by 2025”. It outlines key EU actions in education for the next five years. EUA welcomes the Communication as an acknowledgement of the vital contribution of education to Europe’s identity, its future, and the sustainability and long-term resilience of its societies.

Granting refuge and academic freedom to scholars and students, who had to flee persecution and wars in their home countries and regions, is an eminent function of universities. Over the past decades, the numbers of academics suffering from persecution world-wide has grown and applications for assistance to support organisations clearly exceed the number of placement positions and funding available.

In recent years, European universities and other stakeholders have taken interest in career tracking in doctoral education as one of the ways to better understand the potential professional future of doctoral candidates.

This report provides a detailed picture of the immediate impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on university funding and offers insights into the implications expected in the future. It concludes with 10 key messages and a series of recommendations to universities and policy makers on how to mitigate the negative effects of the crisis and turn challenges into opportunities.

EU Commissioner Mariya Gabriel, during the European Research and Innovation Days in September 2020, stated that excellence and inclusiveness are two sides of the same coin in the new European Research Area (ERA). EUA welcomes the European Commission’s Communication “A new ERA for Research and Innovation” released on 30 September 2020 as a starting point to making this ambition a reality.

Following its pledge to design Horizon Europe together with stakeholders, the European Commission must now ensure that researchers are part of its response to mounting global challenges.

Micro-credentials have attracted interest as a means to increase the effectiveness and flexibility of higher education and to provide upskilling and reskilling opportunities for the labour force.

This briefing looks at the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on higher education in Europe over the past six months. In particular, it examines the sudden shift to emergency remote learning and teaching, the impact on internationalisation and mobility, as well as the effects on research.

Universities have a strategic interest in trade in higher education services and this policy briefing provides an update on different negotiations and their potential impact on the sector.

In recent years, higher education provision has been changing rapidly, including the mainstreaming of e-learning, the emergence of micro-credentials, the launch of the European Universities Initiative, and the renewed importance of the third mission of higher education institutions.