Interregional Cooperation in Higher Education in Europe'

Abstract

This article drau's on the preparatory research. discussions and conclusions of a conference on1 Regional Cooperation and Mobility in Higher Education jointly organized in September 1997 in Iceland by the Council of Europe and the Nordic Council of Ministers. Regional cooperation is defined as cooperation between sub-national regions" (either across a common border or longer distance). or between such regions " and/or countries located within a relatively small geographical area of Europe. The article introduces a number of very, diverse cooperation schemes fitting these definitions. It examines the nature and purpose of inter-regional cooperation in higher education, its relationship with other types of international cooperation in higher education and its role within overall inter-regional cooperation. Kei determinants of the future development of inter-regional cooperation in higher education are identified and scenarios and recommendations for the future proposed. The article demonstrates that regional cooperation is a complement to, and in no