Speaking at the Oxford University's technology transfer company, on 3 April 2006, the EU Commissioner for Education, Ján Figel, addressed the role of European higher education in the EU’s international competitiveness. To stop holding European universities back from delivering their full potential and thus contributing to the EU competitiveness, he outlined the need for three major reforms concerning:
Governance: Figel wants governance of the European universities to be changed towards more independent, professional management. Currently almost totally publicly funded, the universities are 'controlled' by national ministeries. "I do not believe that we shall ever get the best from our universities if ministries keep control and spend their time trying to guess better than academics what is the right area to invest in," said Figel.
Curricular reform: European universities need to have comparable degree structure and to move from a variety of degrees to a global standard for university qualifications. This would make the European education system more attractive world wide.
Fragmentation: The fragmentation of the European university system should be fought by "pressing the EU member states to introduce the above reforms and free their universities from unnecessary burdens," said Figel. He also believes that the future European Research Council (ERC) and, in particular, the European Institute of Technology (EIT) will have an important role in creating unity.
