Intro
The main topic of the session was how to attract and train the best talents in Top of Europe. The knowledge based economy requires flexibility and adaptability to the changing global competitive environment. The key to these is talent and knowledge. Europe and the BSR are losing competitiveness in the area of higher education to other regions, like the U.S and Asia. Discussions focussed on possible ways to restructure and improve the education system of the BSR in order to attract and keep talented people.
Main Messages
• Flexibility and adaptability to the rapidly changing global economy is crucial for the BSR. - Børge Diderichsen
• The education system of the BSR must be improved significantly if we want to outcompete regions like the U.S. and Asia - Børge Diderichsen
• The BSR must attract some of the knowledge communities the EU is creating in the near future under the umbrella of a European Institute of Technology. - Anders Flodström
• Increasing student exchange from inside and outside of the BSR is extremely crucial. - Anders Flodström
• The next step should be to divide strategic points and to agree on concentrations in education in the BSR. - Minister Reps
Themes
The knowledge base
Moderator, Vice President at Novo Nordisk, Børge Diderichsen underlined that in the changing environment of global competition the BSR needs to be adaptive to the new speed and the changing conditions. This flexibility should be one of the competitive advantages of the Region, he stated. Diderichsen stressed that the key to this adaptability is people with talent. In fact, he argued that the creative class requires talent, technology and tolerance. He also pushed for accepting the diversity in the Region and embracing our neighbours in all regards; “Talent is in short supply”. Diderichsen referred to an article in the Economist, which states that Europe is losing talent particularly to the US. The education system is not as advanced as we would like it to be, and that is one of BSR’s major weaknesses, Diderichsen pointed out. Unless Europe reforms its universities, other regions like the US and Asia will outcompete us before long.
President of the Royal Institute of Technology, KTH, Anders Flodström, pointed out that productivity today is created by constantly producing new products to the market. In fact, knowledge and competent people are the two determinants of productivity.
Polish Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Economy and Higher Education, Andrzej Kaczmarek, agreed and underlined that in entering the knowledge-based era the development of science, high technology and technological services of the information society are the bases for new economic strategies.
Estonian Minister of Education and Research, Mailis Reps, stressed that the knowledge based economy is the key to sustainable success and emphasised that “no knowledge, no future” is absolutely valid in the entire BSR. Kaczmarek argued that a country’s capacity to take advantage of the knowledge economy depends on how quickly it can become a learning economy.
Strategies to implement
Minister Reps highlighted the rapid economic growth of Estonia in the past decade. She pointed out that Estonia needs similar growth rates in the long run. The Estonian government is soon implementing a higher education strategy focussing on the strength of institutions, quality improvement, internationalisation and the facilitation of the participation of Estonian scientists and students in international networks for competitiveness. Another strategy to be implemented is the Research & Development and Innovation strategy, which aims at achieving competitive quality and high intensity in R&D. Reps recognised that Estonia’s strength lies in ICT applications, biomedicine and material technologies. In the R&D and Innovation strategy a new type of instrument will be introduced, the so-called National R&D programs, which will allow the implementation of measures that support and foster cooperation between enterprises and innovation. Reps drew the attention to the fact that the Estonian government is highly supportive of and contributing to any companies that plan to start high-tech production or R&D activities in the country.
Kaczmarek pointed out that education and research are today part of the business process, and knowledge should not only belong to universities. He stressed that Poland needs to find new competitive advantages, and the only way is through knowledge and innovation. He stressed that accomplishing a change in mentality is the hardest part, and, therefore, building a knowledge economy is the most significant challenge for the Polish economy. Poland has recently adapted a strategy for increasing the innovativeness of the Polish economy. The knowledge economy sector will receive special attention and education is going to be improved. An important element of the process is the coordinating mechanism. He stressed that there is a need for better cohesion and integration in knowledge creation, in coordination and adjustment of the different social economic aspects of science and innovation, and in combining knowledge from different branches and science. Kaczmarek pointed out that the role of the universities is changing, as they are becoming the production factors of knowledge. Therefore, main structural changes in the education system are needed. Best practices from the surrounding members of the BSR are important to learn from in the Polish process.
Rector of St. Petersburg State University, Ludmila Alekseyevna Verbitskaya, said that the Russian government’s focus is increasing on science and education. The strategic aim of the so-called National Program of Development of Education 2006-2010 is the development of the content and methodology of education, the upgrading of the quality of education and management in education. She added that the prestige of teaching is growing and there is a positive trend towards involving more young people in science. She also emphasised that signing the Bologna declaration in 2003 was a very big step for Russia, yet not all universities joined. Verbitskaya stated that the St. Petersburg State University is aiming to promote the Bologna process to others. The university actively participates in cross-border cooperation, particularly with Finland, and it is also a part of the BSR university network. Russia’s policy today builds on strong cooperation between academia and businesses both on the national and international level. Verbitskaya justly advised that besides learning from the best practices of other countries in the BSR, it is important not to lose the best practice of the traditional Russian education. Moderator Diderichsen supported this idea and felt it was valid for the entire Region to learn from the best practices of others, but at the same time keep its own identity. Verbitskaya underlined that cooperation in education is vital for the BSR to become the most successful knowledge region in Europe.
Concrete Goals for the Future
Flodström drew the attention to the budget recently created by the EU to establish a European Institute of Technology from 2008, a European institution equivalent to MIT. The initial idea was to build one single university, but it was later changed into creating three to six knowledge communities throughout Europe. These communities will be in the areas of biotechnology, ICT, material science and so on. Flodström underlined that the BSR needs to attract some of these knowledge communities, as these will be favourable research environments for companies. This is a concrete goal to work for in the BSR, he said. Flodström also advised that the BSR prepare for the challenge of attracting the best students to the Region. He believes that one important step is to increase student exchange from inside and outside of the BSR. He also suggested a more functional cooperation in education in the BSR. Another main challenge for the Region is to find a balance in being a strongly integrated region while also being a part of Europe, he stressed.
Minister Reps stated that the next step for the BSR is to divide strategic points and agree on concentrations in education. Each country has its strength, but, realistically, it must be agreed upon which areas to concentrate on and what institutions to develop, she said. One important answer is to attract private sector involvement and to get the companies interested in investing in brains.
Moderator Diderichsen pointed out that attracting students from the Eastern part of the BSR to the Western parts would be highly beneficial, as many companies would be interested in training and employing Baltic and Polish students, particularly in these problematic times of labour shortage.
