Higher education; time for coordination on a European level?

Laura Thissen and Sjef Ederveen

No 68, CPB Discussion Paper from CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis

Abstract: Education has always been regarded as a national matter. According to the subsidiarity principle power may only be shifted to a higher level of coordination when solid arguments exist that this will improve welfare. This paper aims at answering the question if these arguments exist. We find no support for economies of scale, i.e. larger countries do not necessarily provide higher quality education; nor do larger schools. Empirical evidence for human capital externalities through student mobility is scarce. Concluding, we find little support for European coordination of higher education. However, there is evidence that student mobility is a precursor for labour migration. Uniformizing the structure of higher education in the EU, and making educational programs more transparent, may therefore be defended from this perspective. Quality does matter for students, and student mobility is increasing. This may be beneficial to labour mobility.

JEL-codes: F22 H87 I2 J61 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2006-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu, nep-eec, nep-hrm, nep-lab, nep-pbe and nep-sog
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (21)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cpb:discus:68

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