The EU’S higher education discourse and the rest of the Mediterranean

Abstract

The Union for the Mediterranean Higher Education and Research Project is likely to kindle debates as to what initiatives ought to be taken in order to develop a common Higher Education and Research Area. Many research initiatives have been taking place around the Mediterranean, including the development of a number of research journals focusing on the area and the setting up of research networks and societies focusing on different areas of research including comparative education. The idea of a common Higher Education and Research Area is indeed quite interesting. The larger Mediterranean requires some kind of entity that can help sustain projects in the area, though I do have a few concerns regarding what this might entail. The last thing one desires for this area is a new form of cultural imperialism through a higher education discourse from Europe that places emphasis on internationalization, competitiveness and privatization, in short the ingredients for a neoliberal framework for higher education and lifelong learning in general.