Growth, jobs and more

  Another modern touch in the updated Lisbon Strategy is a reference to Open access to knowledge and Open innovation, both in the context of 5th freedom: “Member States and the EU must remove barriers to the free movement of knowledge by creating a “fifth freedom” based on enhancing the cross-border mobility of researchers, as well as students, scientists, and university teaching staff, making the labor market for European researchers more open and competitive” It is the free movement of the  entire creative class  that can make sure that in Europe we can put the best person to the job. Each individual member state is too small a market for the highly skilled and their movement is hampered through all kinds of obstacles. But the phrasing “ cross-border mobility of the  creative class ” or “ cross-border mobility of  talents ” did not pass  under  the bar. Member states do have a broader vision. For example, the discussion paper of the UK government “Re...

The economic and social future of Europe is mainly outlined in a strategy called "Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs". Launched in 2000 it provides the blueprint for Europe staying competitive in the globlized economy. It so happened that at the Spring European Council ending a few minutes ago, Europe is launching the next three year cycle. The European Council is presided by Slovenia and as the Minister in charge for the Lisbon Strategy in Slovenia I imagine that I had a little bit of influence on the flavor of the strategy in its next cycle. The first lesson learned with Slovenia in the driving seat of the EU is that it cannot make any sharp turns. The EU is much like a huge cargo ship with 27 smaller or larger tow boats trying to push it a bit in that or the other direction. And in the last couple of months we did some more pushing than one would expect from one of the smallest member states. Since its beginnings in 2000, the Lisbon Strategy was placing high hop...

Some notes for the speech to the European University Business Forum in Brussels last week. Key messages: universities were designed for a paper based communication technology which is outdated; the prevailing position that the universities have had on education and research and their other functions is coming to an end; universities need to change; updated Lisbon strategy is sending some messages in this respect, but there is a limit to what politics can do; the change must be initiated from within the universities; for this they need more freedom, but also more competition and market orientation; universities should be less of an industrialized mechanism to crank out graduates and more of a community of teachers an students, shaping minds rather that transferring knowledge. Dear X, dear y, ladies and gentleman, It is a pleasure etc. etc. … I was lecturing design communication , how professionals communicate when they design and build....