The Europe Supplement
Is Europe Relevant?
Examining Europe’s identity and how collaboration and mobility play a key role in attracting international students to the region.
By Selma Toohey, Executive Director (UK & Europe), QS Quacquarelli Symonds
“Europe is at a crossroads, not for the first time, but perhaps more visibly now than in recent decades."
“Brexit has shifted the dynamic of European collaboration. The UK Turing scheme is non-reciprocal.”
As someone from the two Atlantic outposts of Europe, Iceland and Ireland, I've often stood at the edge of the continent looking inward. What does it truly mean to be European and is this cultural and political identifier exclusively reserved for our friends on the continent, or are the peripheral islanders, such as myself, included in the group? Over time, “European” has increasingly been conflated with “EU”, yet they are not the same. So much so that my job title is Executive Director of UK & Europe, to make the distinction that I also have the UK in my portfolio. So, what does it mean to be European and, specifically in the context of higher education, do we share a true collective identity, or are we just 4,000 institutions loosely connected by geography?
Europe is at a crossroads, not for the first time, but perhaps more visibly now than in recent decades. Anti-immigration sentiment is gaining ground across the continent, while war has returned to our borders. Political unity is fragile, with agreement on ‘the big issues’ being elusive at best, and on the smaller ones virtually non-existent. Economic pressure continues to press down on our universities, eroding funding, constraining innovation and research, and stretching operations. It has been reported that up to 10,000 jobs will be lost through redundancy at UK universities, many of those academic posts.
At the same time, questions around academic freedom and freedom of speech are becoming more than abstract concerns; they are real and urgent. International students and faculty from across the pond are being retaliated against for their political demonstrations on campus, the UK government has for its first time issued a fine to a University for ‘failing to uphold the freedom of speech and academic freedom public interest governance principles’ in relation to the university’s policy statement for trans and nonbinary persons.
These developments compel us to reflect on the essence of European identity in higher education. Are we united by shared values and goals, or merely by geography? The data suggests a need for deeper reflection on what unites us as a European HE sector and academic brand we showcase to international students and researchers.
When a student in Kinshasa, Kansas or Kathmandu considers where to study, are they choosing Europe as a destination in the same way they may chose destination USA? Or are they choosing Germany, the Netherlands, France, or a university whose reputation stands apart from the European context altogether? And if they are indeed choosing Europe what does that mean to them - is it about opportunity, safety, scholarship, culture, or something else entirely?
We go some way to measure these questions in our annual QS International Student Survey, the largest survey of pre-enrolled international students globally. We ask a series of questions to over half a million students and capture the changing sentiments and deciding factors for students over a decade. Our data shows students are now applying to an average of five or more universities in three countries. Students are prudent and understandably are looking at the geo-political landscape to see where they are most welcomed and where the biggest return on investment is.
One interesting attempt to bring clarity on ‘what is a European experience’ came three years ago when we introduced the regional QS Europe Ranking. Unlike global rankings, the European edition includes a uniquely localised measure: mobility. This isn’t just a data point - it’s a value. It reflects a belief that the ease of movement between countries and institutions is fundamental to the European higher education experience. It suggests that part of being “European” is the ability to study in Madrid one semester and Krakow the next, to learn in multiple languages, engage with diverse cultures, and build academic and social networks that cross borders with ease.
Mobility, as abstract as it sounds, has a deeply human dimension. At QS, we facilitate over 150,000 students a year take part in Erasmus, Turing, and other study abroad programmes. These schemes have an immeasurable impact on those individuals. They produce friendships that span continents, challenge students to think beyond national narratives, and provide experiences that change how people see the world and their place in it. These are the kinds of things that defy spreadsheets but define lives.
And yet, even as we celebrate mobility and cross-cultural exchange, the foundations beneath them are under strain. Brexit has shifted the dynamic of European collaboration. The UK Turing scheme is non-reciprocal. It provides funding for outbound students, not inbound students. Visa policies and bureaucratic hurdles are adding a dimension of complexity to mobility - again with the UK leading the way with the introduction of its ETA, applicable to everyone. Some students are finding it more difficult to access the very opportunities that make European education distinctive.
Being from Iceland and Ireland, countries that have historically navigated their place on the edge of Europe, and now based in the newest, voluntary outpost of Europe (the UK), I understand the tension between belonging and independence. This duality is not just a peripheral concern, it’s central to the European story. If we are to define what it means to be European, we must embrace our contradictions and recognise the power of both unity and diversity, of shared values and local contexts.
European higher education does not have a single voice. But it does have a common challenge: to remain relevant and welcoming in the face of changing geopolitics. Whether we succeed depends on our ability to adapt, to collaborate, and to stay rooted in the belief that what we do is not just economic engine or a diplomatic tool, but as a force for human understanding and the advancement of research.
Later next month, we will convene 400 higher education leaders from across Europe (and beyond) to debate, discuss and confer about the issues facing our sector and the strategies they can employ to position themselves as leaders in the global academic arena. We will have an entire two days dedicated to the hundreds of dedicated mobility professionals who facilitate exchange partnerships, promote global opportunities to students and keep them safe and funded on their study aboad experience.
Home to 37 percent of the world’s top 100 universities, European higher education leaders and its institutions are uniquely placed to shape the skills agenda, how we respond to rising populism and the changing appetite toward ‘migration’ and how we can continue to be leaders in scientific and social research to the big issues facing humanity. Embrace our differences as institutions but unite in our mission to serve our communities and global population for the better.
My challenge to you as you take part in these discussions is to ask yourself this question: How does Europe stay relevant in the global HE landscape?