free movement of students
Some of the Member States are reluctant to welcome students from other Member States. Belgium now plans to limit the number of students from outside Belgium in its universities (see also the euractiv story here). In particular large numbers of French students have moved to Belgium to study medicine there:
The move comes as French students in particular come to Belgium to take advantage of easier access to medical studies and receive cheaper education in Belgium in their own language, reports Le Monde.
And another recent article says that Austria has similar issues:
Austria will cap the number of foreign students at its universities… in a bid to restrict German access to its medical faculties, despite a recent EU court ruling which declared earlier restrictions illegal.
The ECJ’s decision last year is here.
It’s worth noting that in the EU the Member States are prohibited from charging higher levels of tuition to students from other Member States than they charge to their own citizens (although they are permitted to charge higher tuition fees to students from outside the EU).
I think that universities banning students from other countries is an unfortunate, but inevitable result of the EU taking too much control. The EC was formed for economic reasons and to prevent war between countries by establishing this superior authority…however, when you expand so extensively to include such a vast spectrum of people, it is only a matter of time before conflict will arise between the countries. The only difference, then, with the formation of the EU is that it will be an “EU internal conflict” rather than separate sovereigns in conflict.
I think countries join the EU thinking only of their own benefits, and once they see that they must confer benefits to others (i.e. let French students into Belgium universities) at the cost of their own students, losing a spot at the unversity, they suddenly are only aiming to protect their own natives & somewhat undermine the point of joining the EU.
This also sounds a lot like affirmative action/quotas in the U.S. The university wants to control the number of certain nationalities rather than just admit students based on merit. I think its unfair to implement affirmative action…although I understand a nation’s interest in making sure its citizens are educated.