The Digital Education Action Plan
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00:00
ComputeranimationBesprechung/Interview
01:33
Besprechung/Interview
08:34
Besprechung/Interview
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Computeranimation
Transkript: Englisch(automatisch erzeugt)
00:06
Thank you very much and good morning everyone. Ladies and gentlemen, let me start first of all by expressing the regrets of my Commissioner, Commissioner Maria Gabriel, for not being able to join today's conference and also to extend her warmest regards to all participants.
00:23
I was asked to deliver this speech on her behalf and I'm very glad and honoured about that. So Commissioner Gabriel was invited to talk about digital education and the priorities for the future of higher education in Europe. This topic is very dear to her heart and I'm glad to have the opportunity
00:42
to guide you through some of the key elements and concrete actions of the flagship initiatives that Commissioner Gabriel presented last week. These flagships are the new Digital Education Action Plan, the European Education Area Communication and the European Research Area Communication.
01:02
And although the focus for this speech is on the first of these two initiatives, I cannot but mention a few words about the role of the universities in ensuring synergies between the European Education Area and the European Research Area.
01:20
And before I go into details, I will start with some general remarks. We are going through a difficult time and the public health crisis has caused loss of life and so much pain. It has also had a major impact on education and training systems in Europe.
01:40
It has exposed over 100 million Europeans who are part of the education and training community to new ways of learning and teaching. Higher education has shown incredible resilience and solidarity in the face of this crisis and you realise how important it is to be together to meet the challenges.
02:05
And in this context, I would like to also thank the Kochschul Forum for the remarkable leadership and practical support provided to the sector in Germany over the past months. Education is the main foundation on which we build our future
02:24
and we are at a crucial time when common solutions to our common challenges are needed. With these reasons in mind, last week Commissioner Gabriel presented the new Digital Education Action Plan and the communication on the European Education Area.
02:43
Both initiatives highlight the growing need for deeper cooperation in higher education across borders, disciplines and cultures in order to continue on the path of digital transformation to recover from the crisis and build resilience.
03:02
Today I would like to present these two initiatives to you and tell you how they will help us achieve our goals. Starting with the Digital Education Action Plan and the COVID-19 crisis has been an unprecedented stress test for education and training. Universities along with many other education providers
03:22
had to move very quickly to distance learning. Technology and digital tools can of course enable learning but they can also create major barriers if equipment is missing or if it is unsuitable or if staff and students do not have the right digital skills
03:45
or if accessibility is not taken into account. The new Digital Education Action Plan will help address these issues. The document reflects the lessons learned from both the implementation of the current action plan and the coronavirus crisis.
04:04
It is the result of an intensive, comprehensive and inclusive process of dialogue and consultation with Member States, the European Parliament, the Committee of the Regions, the wider education and training community and various stakeholders.
04:22
The high interest in the topic can also be seen from the extensive feedback we received to the public consultation. We have more than 2,700 contributions and 130 position papers. And it is interesting to see that 95% of respondents agreed
04:41
that the COVID-19 crisis is a turning point for digital education. We fully agree with this opinion. We need to use this turning point and pave the way for a digital education that works for all. We are grateful for the very rich feedback because it has helped us
05:02
develop an ambitious and inclusive vision for future digital education. The new action plan will have a longer duration, covering the next programming period and a wider scope, including non-formal education and the need for a lifelong learning perspective.
05:23
The document offers a set of limited but very concrete and impactful initiatives in each of the two priority areas. The first priority area is dedicated to the development of a high-performing digital education system. This priority includes the need for robust infrastructure,
05:42
digital equipment, updated teaching and learning practices and new approaches to assessment, as well as high-quality digital education content, user-friendly tools and secure platforms that respect data protection and ethics. Let me give you a few examples of the initiatives
06:02
that we want to either continue or create. And the intention is to continue some of our most successful initiatives, such as the European Code Week, which encourages creativity, problem solving and collaboration through programming but also through other tech activities. And another example is the Safer Internet for Kids initiative,
06:24
which aims to protect children and teenagers from the risks of the digital world. We also want to build on other successful initiatives, like the Age Innovate tool, which helps higher education institutions to assess their entrepreneurial capacity.
06:44
Among the new actions that we would like to see developed is a strategic dialogue with the member states on the key enabling factors of digital education. And this dialogue may lead to a proposal for a Council recommendation. And we would like to discuss issues such as connectivity,
07:03
infrastructure, educator skills or the dialogue with the member states. Furthermore, it is crucial not to allow the digital divide to deepen further. Therefore, Commissioner Gabriel is committed to work with member states on the connectivity for schools initiative,
07:21
including with a special focus on rural areas. Next, we need a high quality digital education content that builds on European cultural and creative diversity. This is why a feasibility study will be launched
07:40
on the creation of a European exchange platform. Europe needs to catch up and create its own common space to share certified online resources and link existing education platforms. We would also like to promote understanding of emerging technologies
08:00
and their applications in education, including higher education. For this, we will develop ethical guidelines on artificial intelligence and data usage in teaching and learning for educators. And the guidelines will be accompanied by a training programme for researchers and students on the ethical aspects of artificial intelligence
08:25
and will include a target of 45% of female participation in the training activities. The second priority area of the new digital education action plan focuses on enhancing digital competencies.
08:41
To thrive in a technology driven economy, Europe needs a digitally competent workforce and a growing digital talent pool. Unfortunately today, all member states face a shortage of digital experts, including data and cybersecurity analysts, software developers,
09:02
digital accessibility specialists and machine learning experts. 58% of companies wishing to recruit digital specialists have difficulty and 78% of companies cite a lack of appropriate skills
09:21
as the main obstacle to new investments. Therefore, the new action plan will support the development of both basic and advanced digital skills, building on, for example, the success of schemes such as the digital opportunities traineeship scheme. This initiative has already provided over 1,200 students
09:44
and recent graduates with basic and advanced digital skills through cross-border traineeships. And the scheme will continue to offer the opportunity to get hands-on experience in companies dealing with digital technologies
10:01
and to prepare trainees for the labour market in areas such as cybersecurity, big data, digital marketing and software development. Inclusion is also a big priority. For example, we have actions aimed at increasing the number of women in digital studies and careers.
10:22
In 2017, women made up to 54% of all higher education students in the EU but they are particularly underrepresented in digital sectors, holding only 17% of jobs. So we will, for example, support the EU STEM Coalition
10:43
to develop new higher education curricula for engineering and the EICT. They need to be more attractive for women and this will help us to fully exploit the talent potential of Europe. These are just a few of the initiatives you will see in the new action plan.
11:04
And to make them successful, we need the support both of the member states and the education and training community. This is why a European Digital Education Hub will be set up. We will build a network of national advisory bodies on digital education.
11:21
This is to connect agencies like the Hochschule Forum so that they can work together with their counterparts in other countries and support the member states with guidance, research and best practice on digital transformation in education. The second flagship initiative that Commissioner Gabriel presented last week
11:44
and I would like to bring to your attention today is the European Education Area Communication. Education is the foundation for personal development for employability and active and responsible citizenship. And the European Education Area, which we must make a reality by 2025
12:06
is our direct response to a number of challenges. We all know what these challenges are. In the EU, one in five people aged 15 lack basic skills in reading, science and mathematics.
12:22
This is a problem because basic skills are a prerequisite for continuing education and finding a fulfilling job. More than 40% of adults in Europe have insufficient digital skills. Half of employers find it difficult to recruit people with the right skills
12:43
and less than 5% of young people can have an Erasmus Plus experience. It is also true that the Union is resetting its growth strategy based on sustainability with green and digital transitions as its transformative drivers.
13:03
But an inclusive green and digital Europe can only be achieved if every young person can benefit from inclusive and high quality education. The higher education institutions have a key role to play in this regard. Against this background, we have announced a number of policy initiatives
13:23
that will help member states and higher education sector transform in support of recovery. We have proposed a vision that builds on our success stories such as the European Universities Initiative and addresses the weaknesses by proposing tangible initiatives
13:45
in all six dimensions of the education area. The six dimensions focus on quality in education, inclusion and gender equality, green and digital transitions, teachers and trainers, higher education and geopolitical aspects.
14:03
Let me give you a few examples that are particularly relevant for higher education. We will engage in the full roll out of the European Universities Initiative under the Erasmus Programme in strong synergy with Horizon Europe and other EU instruments. We now have over 280 higher education institutions
14:26
from all different parts of Europe participating in the 41 European universities alliances. We will work together with the member states and the higher education sector to confirm the validity of the concept
14:41
and to overcome the specific obstacles we face. This will enable the alliances to achieve their high ambitions. The European universities will bring a new generation of Europeans equipped with the skills for the future,
15:00
able to cooperate and work on the biggest societal challenges. This new generation will work in different languages and across borders, cultures, sectors and disciplines. The European universities initiative is also a concrete example of bringing together the strongly interlinked objectives
15:23
of the European education area and the European research area. For example, Horizon Europe and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology will have a key role to play in supporting the research and innovation dimension of the European universities alliances.
15:44
Another example, the researchers at schools initiative supported by the Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions will provide opportunities for pupils and teachers to directly interact with researchers and to strengthen science education.
16:01
We want to stimulate children's curiosity in science. However, I would like to point out that in addition to the transformation of European universities alliances, we need to accelerate the progressive transformation of all higher education institutions in Europe.
16:22
It is the strong will of my commissioner to work with the higher education sector and the member states to create the incentives for a transformation in an open and inclusive manner To this end, an online public consultation will be launched.
16:43
And this public consultation will be also complemented by targeted outreach events. This will allow for the co-creation of a transformation agenda for higher education by the end of 2021. Such a transformation will focus on connectivity
17:04
between higher education institutions but also with their surrounding ecosystems and society so that all four missions of universities are covered education, research, innovation and the service to society.
17:23
Inclusion will also be a key goal to ensure accessible higher education institutions open to a diverse student and researcher body. And apart from innovation linked to research, it is equally important to ensure innovation
17:43
in student-centred learning and teaching and more flexible and modular learning pathways. Having all this in mind, we'll examine together with the member states and stakeholders the development of a European degree. It will be a fundamental element to allow students at all levels
18:05
and across all disciplines to choose what, where and when to study within the members of a transnational university alliance. We also need to make lifelong learning a reality in Europe.
18:23
Unfortunately, most people, once they join the workforce, do not have the ability to pursue fully structured degrees. Therefore, we need a more systemic approach to continuous learning in higher education.
18:41
We need innovative, diverse options, including online and blended learning and new forms of short and targeted courses, such as micro-credentials. With the support of Erasmus+, the European Education Area will also advance initiatives
19:01
that directly promote the digitalisation of higher education. Take, for example, the European Student Card. Through its two key components, the Erasmus Plus mobile app and the digitalisation of student mobility management the initiative simplifies the way universities manage the student mobility.
19:26
As a result of the successful piloting phase, which started in 2018, over 2000 higher education institutions are currently involved in the testing of digital mobility management. The Erasmus Plus mobile app has also been downloaded
19:44
and installed more than 85,000 times and around 2.3 million European student cards have been produced with the European Student Hologram. Finally, I would like to emphasise
20:00
the importance of the European Graduate Tracking Initiative. This is our link with the labour market. Feedback from the graduates after they finish their education is essential for ensuring that the knowledge, skills and competencies acquired by students are of high quality
20:23
and relevant to the world of work. The European-wide implementation of graduate tracking should be achieved by 2025. Ladies and gentlemen, current education is key to Europe's recovery and together with businesses and civil societies,
20:45
universities, we shall have to find solutions to the challenges we face and prepare future generations to meet these challenges. We must work together, making use of all the tools at our disposal.
21:01
In implementing both the European Education Area and the Digital Education Action Plan, we shall ensure synergies with other Commission initiatives, in particular with the European Research Area and the European Skills Agenda. Together, we will make sure that both initiatives
21:22
set us up to invest in our people with high quality and inclusive education at all stages of people's lives. So on behalf of my Commission, I would like to know that we very much count on the support of the education and training community
21:40
for the implementation of our ambitious flagship initiatives. We are confident that by working together, we can transform higher education in Europe. We look forward to continued cooperation and active dialogue on these highly important issues in the future.
22:02
Thank you very much.