Interview with Ivan Wilhelm, Rector of Charles University, Prague

Ivan Wilhelm is Rector of Charles University (Prague) which is a member of the European University Association (EUA). Read the .

Do you think that enlargement will have a significant impact on the number of students moving to another country for studies or traineeships?

Yes, I do. The conditions for the free movement of people inside the EU in general make the movement of students highly probable. The ability to adapt easily to a new environment is mainly a characteristic of young people. These days, of the students at Charles University nearly 10% are foreigners. We are increasingly involved in modifying subjects so that they can be taught in English in order to improve conditions for student exchanges.

What needs to be done to encourage more students from the EU 15 to study in Central and Eastern Europe? What are the strengths of universities from the ten new Member States that would attract students from the EU-15?

First of all, more and better information on the opportunities and conditions available to foreign students is needed. Another issue is to improve information on life outside the university (for example, that there are nearly 100,000 Americans living permanently in Prague). The situation in individual universities is very different in the EU15 compared to the "new" states, but there are no principal differences in educational standards. However, it should be mentioned that in general more emphasis is placed on the role of knowledge in our educational system compared to skills in the EU15.

In your view, what can make European universities more attractive on the world education stage? Should universities specialise in their strengths rather than have a multidisciplinary approach?

European universities have a good reputation in the world. The educational standards are on average quite high, and the differences in the level of quality do not vary so widely in comparison for example with American universities. Both deeper specialisation and a multidisciplinary approach are needed to strengthen European universities. However, it should be for the individual university to define its own development.

How far has the Czech Republic implemented the Bologna reforms to create a European higher education area by 2010?

Over 50% of study programmes are already structured according to the Bologna reforms. By 2010 it's highly probable that the Bologna reforms will be completely implemented.

As the EU 15 offers more attractive salaries than the new Member States, is the fear of a 'brain drain' from Eastern and Central Europe to the EU a real possibility?

I must say that the brain drain from Eastern and Central Europe is a very real possibility. The cause of this is not only more attractive salaries, but more attractive conditions in general for more highly qualified jobs. In this respect the area of research is most at risk. The EU must implement a strategy in order to change the situation very quickly and create as homogenous a European Research Area as possible.

Do you fear that people from the new member States could sign up to study courses in the EU 15 - while intending to work - to get round the restriction to workers' movement?

No, I don't. I hope that the restrictions on workers movement will be removed soon in any case, and that students will be able to benefit from real educational opportunities.

In your view, do national education systems ensure that the European dimension is sufficiently taken into account?

Yes, they do. The European dimension doesn't have to mean uniformity. The national traditions produced by the historical developments of the last ten centuries are too valuable and important to the definition of national identity to be disregarded. Universities as educational and cultural centres have an essential role to play in this respect.