Challenges of Modernising European Universities

Abstract: One of the paradoxes of the 21st century is that while most countries are striving to build knowledge societies and economies, the majority of universities remain conservative in modernizing their curricula. This lack of modernization includes issues such as balancing knowledge, competencies, and skills, implementing student-centered and interactive teaching methods, and involving practical experts in the study process. Awareness of this paradox is still limited not only within academia but also among governments, professional sectors, and the general public. The media, too, could play a more active role in promoting necessary changes. One key reason for the slow modernization of universities is the conservative interpretation of academic freedom and institutional autonomy. This stems from several factors, including the misinterpretation of academic freedom, the career patterns of university academic staff, the prevalent use of traditional lecture-based teaching methods, inadequate research funding, and limited inter-university collaboration. As a result of these conditions, countries struggle to fully develop their human capital, hindering their transition into innovation-based knowledge economies and impeding their international competitiveness. To address these challenges, all societal actors must play a role. Governments should stimulate the development of modern tertiary education systems, business leaders should clearly articulate the competencies and skills they expect from graduates, academia should advocate for sufficient funding for their modernization efforts, and NGOs and the media should raise awareness and urge governments to actively support the development of knowledge economies. Keywords: Modern university; Knowledge society and economy; Importance of competencies and skills; Innovation ecosystem; Inter-university collaboration