EUA has launched a new monitor to examine the effects of the economic crisis on public funding of higher education in Europe. The results of the budgetary changes are published as a map, differentiating between five different scenarios:
1. Major budget cuts: over 10% of the previous year’s budget
2. Substantial cuts: between 5% and 10%
3. Indirect or moderate cuts: up to 5%
4. Systems where previously agreed investments have been postponed or canceled
5. Public authorities have upheld commitments and further invested in higher education
The map highlights that there have been severe funding cuts in countries like Italy (-20%) and Greece (-35%), as well as Latvia where public funding was reduced 48% (!) in 2009 and further 18% in 2010. Only Norway, Finland, France, Portugal, Germany and Slovenia are indicated to have kept the previous commitments and even increased public funding. For example, France has an increase of 4,7 billion euros in 2011.
The map is based on a series of reports published by EUA, the latest from June 2011 that gives some more background information to the simplified picture presented with the map.
