We are delighted to announce that a consortium, which comprises the primary partners of the ETER project, has secured a prestigious opportunity to develop a European Higher Education Sector Observatory.
The European Higher Education Sector Observatory, a key action stemming from the European Strategy for Universities (ES4U), will focus on policy monitoring to achieve the following objectives:
- Strengthening the European dimension in higher education and research.
- Supporting universities as lighthouses of our European way of life.
- Empowering universities as actors of change in the twin green and digital transitions.
- Reinforcing universities as drivers of the EU’s global role and leadership.
The European Higher Education Sector Observatory aims to leverage the strengths of existing EU data tools and capacities, including the European Tertiary Education Register (ETER), U-Multirank, Erasmus+ database, Database of External Quality Assurance Results (DEQAR), Eurostudent, Eurograduate, Eurydice higher education data from the Bologna Process Implementation Reports, Mobility Scoreboard, and other relevant data sources. Additionally, the integration of new tools to further enhance their utility and relevance within the context of the strategy will be explored. This holistic approach will yield a wealth of indicators, benchmarks, analyses, and reports specifically designed to satisfy the requirements of policymakers, European higher education institutions, students, academics, and researchers alike.
The project implementing the observatory will be coordinated by PPMI with Mantas Pupinis as deputy project manager and we are particularly proud to have both, key U-Multirank partners, including the Centre for Higher Education (CHE), with U-Multirank coordinator Gero Federkeil, the Center for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS) at the University of Twente and the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) from Leiden University, as well as ETER partners, including the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), with ETER coordinator Benedetto Lepori, Joanneum Research POLICIES and the Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education (NIFU) included in the team.
This collaboration allows us to build upon the extensive experience of U-Multirank and ETER, ensuring a seamless and efficient launch of the European Higher Education Sector Observatory project. Together, we constitute a powerful alliance that has played pivotal roles in developing and implementing key data sources and tools, such as the European Tertiary Education Register (ETER) and U-Multirank. This collective experience positions us as frontrunners in meeting the objectives of the European Higher Education Sector Observatory.
While preparatory work for the European Higher Education Sector Observatory will start immediately, the ETER dataset and ETER website including all resources will be available at eter-project.eu until the end of the current contract in April 2024. ETER data for the academic year 2021/2022 will be released as planned in March 2024 at eter-project.eu and all planned ETER activities (including research seminars and trainings) will be continued performed as planned.
As from end of April 2024, the ETER data, the next round of ETER data collection, analytical work (including the country reports), training and dissemination activities will be fully integrated in the new Observatory. Access to ETER microdata will be ensured at any time during this transition period and beyond.
We look forward to making significant contributions to the European higher education landscape and while advancing the outlined objectives in the ES4U. Stay tuned for updates as we diligently work towards realizing the Observatory.