ANALYSIS OF KEY INDICATORS OF THE FUNCTIONING OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR IN THE EU

Abstract

The article is dedicated to analyzing the performance indicators of the EU higher education (HE) sector in the context of the activation of its educational policy. The transition of the modern economy to an innovation-driven growth model and the sustainability paradigm increases the significance and expands the role of HE. The development of the HE sector has become a strategic task for every country. Within its competencies, the EU pays significant attention to this, implementing a comprehensive HE development strategy and providing multifaceted support to the sector. The purpose of this study is to provide a general statistical analysis of the functioning of the HE sector at the EU level. The study takes into account the general characteristics of the EU HE sector, the gradual integration of national HE systems based on spatial structures, and the further development of the regional educational services market. By coordinating and creating a framework for the functioning of the HE sector, the EU has established a set of goals in this area concerning the quality, accessibility, and inclusiveness of HE. Within the framework of a unified strategic course for HE development, an analysis of the main performance indicators of this sector at the EU level was conducted, covering: the number of students enrolled in HE, broken down by public and private institutions and by education levels; the number of new entrants by HE levels; the number of students enrolled in STEM programs; and the share of HE students by age groups. Given the growing scale and significance of educational mobility in the EU, changes in the following were analyzed separately: the number of mobile students from abroad by HE levels; the share of mobile students from abroad by education level and region of origin; the distribution of mobile students from abroad and the share of graduates of mobile study programs abroad by education level and region of origin; and the number of graduates who participated in credit mobility programs within the EU by education levels. Attention is drawn to the activation and key changes in EU educational policy.