BDF Conference Report on Strategic and Innovative Mobility summarizes the presentations and discussions that took place at the conference “How to promote mobility for students and researchers in the Baltic Sea Region – strategic and innovative mobility” held in Copenhagen 23 November 2010.
EU-Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region: Mobility
Mobility is a key word in the EU strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, and it is seen as a valuable asset in many regards. It can improve innovation, create a well-functioning labour market, and improve the conditions for entrepreneurs and SME. Mobility is also important for the ability to create excellence in industries and at the universities both in terms of high quality educations and research. In this sense higher mobility is closely linked to improved competitiveness and higher economic growth.
Mobility and free movement of knowledge (also called the fifth freedom of the EU’s internal market) will increase if we are able to identify and break down hampering barriers. Baltic Development Forum is pleased to publish a conference report on this issue: How to promote mobility for students and researchers in the Baltic Sea Region – strategic and innovative mobility.
The conference, held in Copenhagen 23 November 2010, brought together representatives of the academic world and the business community to discuss student and researcher mobility, and it was clear that the need for higher mobility was approach from two very different perspectives, although both academe and business agreed on the importance of the matter. The measures needed to increase mobility did, however differ substantially, corresponding to the respective interests. At the same time, it transpired that there was a need to have a better understanding of the concept of mobility as well as to have better data for analysing the level of mobility of students and researchers within the Baltic Sea region.
One key recommendation that is included in the report is that the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region sets a good framework for improving regional cooperation on mobility. The topic of mobility has enjoyed support in political statements, but actions on the ground are yet to demonstrate that there is political will to solve the issues hampering greater mobility. The issue is high on the agenda both within the Nordic Council of Ministers and in the EU but the Baltic Sea Region framework does not yet seem to attract high attention.
The report is the outcome of the conference mentioned above organised by Baltic Development Forum, the Danish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Technology and Nordic Council of Ministers’ Advisory Committee on Higher Education (during the Danish Presidency in 2010). The Oticon foundation contributed financially to the work on the conference report. The conference is also part of the flagship project mentioned in Education chapter 12.3 of the Action Plan of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.
BDF contact person: Project Manager Ditte Folke Henriksen, Email: dh@bdforum.org, Phone: +45 6120 8584
Read/download the Report.