Danske Studerendes Fællesråd
DSF
Danske Studerendes Fællesråd (DSF) er landsorganisation for studerende i Danmark.
ID: 675251413366-32
Lobbying Activity
Response to Brain drain communication
5 Apr 2022
Hjerneflugt er et vigtigt emne som kræver vores opmærksomhed i de kommende år. I Danske Studerendes Fællesråd lægger vi rapporten "Brain Drain in higher education - European context" udført af European Students’ Union (ESU) til grund for det videre arbejde. Vi bemærker her særligt konklusionen og de følgende anbefalinger som relevante i denne høring. Den er vedhæftet her.
Read full responseResponse to Multiannual Financial Framework: Erasmus Programme 2021-2027
3 Jun 2018
The National Union of Students in Denmark (DSF) strongly supports the initiative of doubling the amount of funding allocated for Erasmus+ in the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework.
DSF strongly supports increasing efforts to to make the new programme more inclusive for people coming from less privileged social backgrounds. It is important to remember that the best way of doing so is by tackling increasing and widening the means of financial support, since economic barriers are still, by a wide difference, the main reason why students do not partake in mobility programmes, as shown in the 2018 EUROSTUDENT report. Therefore, DSF welcomes all the non-loan based efforts and initiatives being put in place to substantially increase the economic support given to students when partaking in mobility programmes within Erasmus+. DSF believes that these economic mechanisms should be in line with the real living and subsistence costs of the hosting country, as well as with the different moving costs.
DSF would like to remark that using virtual mobility mechanisms to increase participation of disadvantaged students in the Erasmus+ programme is the wrong way to go. Support mechanisms shall be put in place so the programme is equally accessible to everybody. Virtual mobility does not increase the integration of students from disadvantaged groups in the programme, but give them instead a lower quality option. This has the risk of creating first class and second class students within the programme itself. Making the programme more inclusive is about equal possibilities of access to the same opportunities.
For these reasons, DSF is deeply concerned with the proposal of creating European Universities. Creating programmes where mobility is embedded, without ensuring any sufficient form of social security for students to partake in them, will develop programmes that are only accessible for those who can afford them, making them exclusive at its roots. Furthermore, the excessive focus on excellence and competitiveness of these programmes will translate itself on using a high amount of resources (as described in the impact assessment) to create programmes that will be accessible for a very small minority of students coming from more privileged backgrounds. DSF believes funds could be better used to develop programmes that have widening accessibility at its base and not exclusivity. We hope that the Commission will work for these networks to ensure that education will still be tuition-free and that extra social security mechanisms are put in place to ensure that these programmes are accessible for all students regardless of their social background. Without these basic insurances, the existence of these programmes is very concerning.
DSF would like the new programme to also focus on the current imbalances that exist in country mobility. There is still a tendency of mobility being mainly directed towards countries in Northern Europe. If we want to increase quality in education in Europe, we need to also work to make mobility flows more balanced across the continent.
When it comes to digitalization, it is important that, when developing digital learning options, that these follow the principles of student-centered learning and that do not represent a decrease in quality when compared with non-digital learning options.
DSF fully supports the idea of strengthening the international dimension of the Erasmus+ programme.
DSF fully supports the idea of reducing bureaucracy in the new programme, as well a working for further simplification. Furthermore, DSF believes that increased flexibility in funding distribution within National Agencies should be provided.
DSF would like Commission to work towards including the UK in the new Erasmus+ programme, since the possibility of receiving British, and being able to study in the UK, has a very positive impact on the quality of education in our institutions.
Read full responseResponse to Promoting Automatic Mutual Recognition of Diplomas and Study Periods Abroad
17 Apr 2018
As representatives of long higher education students in Denmark, we welcome the efforts of putting emphasis and supporting solutions to the problems caused by the non-implementation of automatic recognition agreed in the Bologna Process.
It is positive that the European Commission aims support the efforts of Member States to further develop their mechanisms of recognition of studies abroad.
It is although fundamental that this is not done by creating a European Education Area, which will run parallel efforts with the current European Higher Education Area (EHEA).
Efforts of the commission should be aimed to encourage member states to implement already agreed recognition mechanisms within the EHEA, more than to develop new ones, which could potentially exclude countries outside the EU.
Mobility, and the recognition mechanisms necessary to achieve it, are fundamental for the quality of our educations. Closing ourselves in an recognition area, which only includes countries within the EU (and not all countries within EHEA) will translate in less mobility from or to certain countries, damaging the quality of our educations.
Because of this, we encourage the European Commission to continue its efforts to encourage and support mutual recognition initiatives, which are open for all countries within EHEA and not only for EU Member States.
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