The European University: between Bologna and the Agenda 2020

Abstract

Born as a meeting place for intellectuals and those who aspired to be, the confrontation between the humanist conception of the university, rooted in knowledge, and pragmatic, linked to social demand, has meant that, since its origins, the university has been in constant transformation in order to respond to the needs that social reality has claimed. In a context of global economic crisis, the European university model opted for training aimed primarily at access to the labor market, making the declaration of Bologna and the European Higher Education Area the response of a large group of European countries that are committed to building quality, diversity and competitiveness training. However, the adaptation to the common requirements did not resolve the crisis, the European Commission having to establish supranational objectives (Agenda 2020) that will ensure the increase in the rate of young people with higher degrees. Through the comparative method, the progress and status of the fulfillment of said strategic objective for 2020 at the level of the European Union and the participating countries are analyzed, taking into account the reality of the Spanish state in detail. The results reflect that, considering the 2018 data and the progressive growth achieved, the rate of graduates in the European Union will exceed the value stipulated in the 2020 Agenda, with countries that exceed or match the specific objectives set and others that do not. The data in Spain do not ensure the achievement of the specific objective, it being significant that there is a higher rate of women and universities graduates from northern Spain, together with the community of Madrid. In conclusion, underline the need to consider other aspects besides the rate of graduates in Higher Education if a smart, sustainable and inclusive European economy is to be achieved.