FRANCE: Higher education and research are budget priorities

Higher education and research are the government's chief priority in the 2009 budget. Next year's allocation will rise by EUR1.8 billion (US$2.57 billion) to a total of EUR24.16 billion, up 6.5% compared with 2008. But the sector has not escaped 900 job cuts although these are proportionally less severe than those imposed on other ministries.

The extra resources are in line with promises made by President Nicolas Sarkozy during his election campaign last year to promote higher education and research, and increase funding to arm France for the "worldwide battle for intelligence". Sarkozy has undertaken to increase finance for higher education by EUR5 billion, and for research and innovation by EUR4 billion, during the five years up to 2012.

Current government policy is non-replacement of one in two public sector employees leaving to take retirement. But higher education and research have fared relatively lightly: the total of 900 axed posts represents only one in 12 departing workers, and tenured teaching and research posts will not be cut at all, according to the ministry.

Funding priorities of Valérie Pécresse, Minister for Higher Education and Research, are:

• Making careers in university teaching and in research more attractive, including improved pay, administrative structures and pensions.

• Encouraging student success, with the aim of halving the first-year failure rate within five years and achieving the objective of 50% of young people attaining licence (bachelor's equivalent) level. State spending per student will rise by EUR450 to EUR8,530, including increased grants, loans and emergency financial aid for students; more student accommodation, restaurants and access for disabled students. Licence reform will be introduced (see "Plan to halve student failure rate", University World News, 21 January 2008).

• Transition of universities to autonomy, renovating and updating buildings and facilities (see "First wave of autonomous universities", University World News, 3 August 2008). The 10 successful projects selected under Operation Campus, the government scheme to create internationally competitive, top-ranking centres of higher education and research, will share an additional EUR5 billion (see "More super-campuses announced", University World News, 20 July 2008). For the others, EUR800 million will be made available during the period 2009-2011 for them to enter private partnerships.

• Promoting public research "in a strategy of excellence", including increased spending on environmental research in the areas of agricultural and biodiversity, health and environment, climate change and transversal programmes.

• Developing private research, with more generous tax breaks for private companies engaging in R&D, and public-private research partnerships.

www.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr

jane.marshall@uw-news.com