Suchergebnisse

The Lithuanian system of higher education should be diversified so as to match students' potential talents with the university offerings. In Europe, almost eighty per cent of graduates feel that they work in an international environment. This calls for English to be used at least in Masters programmes, as well as for some internationally oriented Bachelor studies. Rather than spend money in political and economic cooperation on translators, we need to produce graduates who are fluent in English next to their mother tongue. A wider usage of the English language in university studies will create more favourable conditions for teacher and student exchange and will encourage young people from abroad to enter Lithuanian universities.

The Lithuanian system of higher education should be diversified so as to match students' potential talents with the university offerings. In Europe, almost eighty per cent of graduates feel that they work in an international environment. This calls for English to be used at least in Masters programmes, as well as for some internationally oriented Bachelor studies. Rather than spend money in political and economic cooperation on translators, we need to produce graduates who are fluent in English next to their mother tongue. A wider usage of the English language in university studies will create more favourable conditions for teacher and student exchange and will encourage young people from abroad to enter Lithuanian universities.

Das deutsche Bildungssystem steht ungeachtet diverser Reformanstrengungen in der jüngeren Vergangenheit weiter vor großen Herausforderungen: Im internationalen Vergleich fehlt es an sozialer Chancengleichheit im Verlauf der Bildungskarrieren, und für eine Bildungsnation nehmen sich die getätigten Investitionen in den Bildungssektor zu gering aus. Der Bildungsföderalismus wird nicht zum Wettbewerb um den besten Weg genutzt, sondern schafft vor allem Intransparenz. Im Hinblick auf die demografisch bedingt rückläufigen Humankapitalressourcen ist eine tatkräftige Bildungspolitik von großer Bedeutung. Sie muss durch gezielte frühkindliche Förderung, Korrekturen im Schulsystem, eine Stärkung der dualen Ausbildung und die Öffnung der Hochschulen für Quereinsteiger und berufsbegleitende Studien für mehr Chancengerechtigkeit und eine Kultur des lebenslangen Lernens sorgen. Das hierzu benötigte Geld fehlt nur scheinbar, denn die Kosten unterlassener Bildungsanstrengungen sind weit höher. Keine Investition wird sich für Deutschland mehr und nachhaltiger rentieren und ist in Form von späterem Wirtschaftswachstum so hoch verzinst wie weitere Bildungsinvestitionen.

Full employment in the European Union member states is a challenge but feasible, also in downswings of the business cycle and during stages of increased robotization. It requires a labor legislation that ensures flexibility and retraining, responsive labor sharing during the business cycle and to individual life cycle needs, government interventions to supply supplemental employment and revamping dual education. The future of work is better ensured with coordinated European full employment labor policies establishing fair work conditions based on long-run business strategies as well as a fair distribution of national income between labor and capital.

Abstract We sketch a visionary strategy for Europe in which full employment is quickly regained by 2020, income inequality is reduced and the economies are more sustainable. We call this scenario "vibrant". It is contrasted with what would happen if present policies continue within the European Union (EU) and its member states. In the vibrant scenario, full employment is regained through more policy attention toward innovation and its underlying research and development (R&D), accompanied by more labor mobility within and between EU countries, in combination with a selective immigration policy based on labor market shortages. The road to full employment is embedded in a landscape with less income inequality and more "greening" of EU member states' economies. We translate the vibrant scenario into policy proposals distinguishing between the role for the EU and that of the member states. We hope these proposals will affect the debate about the future of the European Union, also with regard to the pivotal role and responsibility of the European Parliament and European Commission. JEL codes D31, D33, F55, I23, I24, I25, I28, J11, J18, J21, J31, J64, J83, O31, O38, O52

We sketch a visionary strategy for Europe in which full employment is quickly regained by 2020, where income inequality is reduced and the economies are more sustainable. We name this scenario vibrant. It is contrasted with what would happen if present policies continue within the European Union (EU) and its member states. In the vibrant scenario, full employment is regained by more policy attention toward innovation and its underlying research and development (R&D), accompanied by more labor mobility within and between EU countries, in combination with a selective immigration policy based on labor market shortages. The road to full employment is embedded in a landscape with less income inequality and more greening of EU member states' economies. We translate the vibrant scenario into policy proposals distinguishing between the role for the EU and that of the member states. We hope these proposals will be included in the election programs for the upcoming 2014 European Parliament elections and in developing the mandate for the new European Commission in December 2014.

The free movement of people and of workers (intra EU mobility) is one of the corner-stones of the EU. It has overwhelmingly benefitted the citizens of the EU member states both in the countries of work and in the countries of origin. Earlier apprehensions on crowding out of less educated workers in the countries of destination and on welfare migration turned out to be by and large refuted. At the same time, EU mobility policies still need a significant deepening and upgrading, to deal with special cases of crowding out in subsectors and with fraudulent contracts. Full integration of some groups of mobile EU workers is difficult because of linguistic and cultural barriers. There is a new challenge for EU policy: integration of circular mobile migrants. EU countries should be guided by the EU to cut red tape and harmonize administration.