Greece & a PhD, Social Capital & Soft Power

Six years ago as I began a PhD looking at Europe, the economic crisis was just biting. As I started my research, I joked that I didn't know what Europe would look like when I completed the work. Progress on the thesis and the European economic agenda has been slow but, coming full circle, both issues are reaching a critical point this week.

My thesis looks at why the European Union funded an initiative in Higher Education. I suggest that the EU is drawing on 2 theories with this initiative: Soft Power and Social Capital. Soft Power is defined as the ability to influence others through attraction rather than the hard power of military or economic sanctions. Social Capital theory looks at the development of networks of reciprocity: that by building relationships, people are more likely to support each other. 

Now the EU is well placed to facilitate both Soft Power and Social Capital, and this can be seen in the current Grexit discussions. Greece was attracted to join the EU because of its economic, cultural and socio-political values; the Greek government hopes to emulate these. In turn, the EU wanted to influence Greek behaviour to guarantee both parties long term success, particularly economic success. In other words, Soft Power was at work. What can be seen as  emerging during this crisis is that attraction has waned. The values that attracted Greece to the EU don't quite match, say, Germany's economic prudence. The cultural behaviours of Mediterranean and Scandinavian countries aren't always complimentary, for example. So, in a crisis, cracks start to appear. 

And this is where Social Capital should have helped. The members of the EU had networked and learnt of the value of being a union over many years. The peace and stability the EU has played a part in creating can be explained by the networks of reciprocity and of trust which are seen as defining elements of Social Capital. Instead, the differences in values and views of the EU, as well as different democratic and negotiating styles, has lead to the Social Capital decreasing. It's decreased to such an extent that these recent negotiations are fractious and lack a common vision for the direction of the EU and its constituent states. 

Based on my research, none of this is a surprise. My PhD research showed in a specific initiative funded by the EU that students struggled to identify common European values and that Social Capital can disappear quickly if it is not constantly invested in. My research also found that, in this small group of students, the Soft Power, the attraction, of the EU was founded largely on economic principles rather than cultural ones. 

Now I'm not saying that my research explains the Greek crisis or can be generalised to work at EU level. However, my work does lead me to wonder that if the EU is based on an economic vision then in times of crises, such as the current one in Greece, there is a lack of common bonds or Social Capital to rescue the situation. 

So just as my research concludes, so does the EU situation worsen. But these questions and debates about the role of the EU will continue long beyond the end of my studies as, to my mind, the issues at stake are how different nations and cultures work together and influence each other; issues which the ministers in Brussels cannot solve in a single weekend. 

"The Speech", Europe and Higher Education

Today I will be working on a European Research Bid, discuss my own research into EU funded student mobility and, hopefully, plan a trip to Finland or Lithuania.

Don't get me wrong, I'll also be working on UK based projects and looking at a break in the UK but my life is dominated by Europe. Those that say we should move away from the EU and look towards America, should look at my list of projects. I have one from an American funder compared to 9 within the EU. And, to be frank, the USA's processes are slow and unwelcoming. In Higher Education, certainly at the moment, our eyes are turned towards "Europe".

And what worries me about The Prime Minister's speech and, particularly, his intention to give the people of the UK a vote on the EU is that the media and, thus, the public in general do not see the extent our lives are positively affected by the EU.

Cameron may need to hold his party together but the image this gives off to my colleagues in other European institutions is that Britain is not committed to the EU which affects the work I can do for my University.

This announcement has also brought an element of political instability with it. I thought the general election campaign might wait until after the party conferences this autumn. This divides the coalition & starts the fight now. With fixed term parliaments, we see that election campaigns start half way through a term, as has always been the case with, say, the US Presidentials.

Five years ago the world economic crisis was just starting. Today, five years of European debate starts. For Higher Education, this continues the time we are coping with changes beyond our control. Universities play a central role in the European project. Please allow British ones to continue doing that.

Lasting Impressions of The Balkans

This is my second trip to the Western Balkans, the first being to Zagreb about 2 years ago. I've also been to several countries which only emerged from behind the iron curtain in the last 20 years: the Czech Republic, Poland and Estonia have featured in my travels. Yet, in many senses, this has been a steeper learning and experience curve than those trips.

Throughout many former Eastern Bloc countries and, indeed, most Western European countries, too, there are memorials to those lost in the world wars or in the struggle for independence. There's evidence of change and loss but mostly it has been preserved or sanitised. Although divisions may still exist, they are largely hidden and the process of "moving forward" is well advanced. In Bosnia & Herzegovina and, to a lesser extent, Croatia the divisions remain, the healing is just starting and the physical scars are all too visible.

Even in Dubrovnik with its relative wealth and large number of tourists, gaps remain where buildings have been hit, the suburbs are poor and there are posters condemning the Serbian/Montenegrin bombing, showing where each shell landed. Indeed, when speaking to people the tensions between Croats and Bosniaks, Serbians etc still remain.

In Bosnia, the poverty is much more evident and the damage has been made safe but barely repaired in places. Again, I gather that the divisions remain with schools on either side teaching only their version of history to their people. Signs are meant to be bilingual but often graffiti wipes out one or other language. Political slogans, dates of importance to one side or the other and symbols (including swastikas) can be seen everywhere there is blank wall a spray can can be used on. This is not a sustainable model for peace where a common understanding, respect and future need to be forged.

These countries were at war from 1991-5 with ongoing skirmishes (e.g. In Kosovo) until recently. War is not an historical thing but something that everyone has a story about. Within two and a half of hours of London is a country which is still working through its troubles.

Yet, despite these harsh social realities, there is a softer side to these countries. The scenery is truely spectacular from the coast roads to the mountain passes, from the pretty town centres to the night time panoramas of cities, from the clean accommodation to the welcoming hosts. This was a holiday where I learnt so much of what this area has to offer.

My father remembers travelling through here after his first year at university with its amazing views; I too take away great memories and can wholeheartedly recommend a self-drive trip to explore the area. And it will not be my last trip: the national parks to the north of Croatia and Zadar are a high priority. A trip to Sarajevo is now top on my travel "to do" list.

This holiday has changed the way I see this part of the world and, as with so many of my trips, inspires me travel more around this diverse, fascinating continent of Europe.

Travel: Learning, experiencing, enjoying

As I walked across Dubrovnik harbour front this morning I witnessed some of the worst stereotypical American tourists. Only they weren't a stereotype: they were the real thing. Loud, dominating any scene, ignoring local practices in ordering a taxi and nearly shouting at the locals who were obviously a bit thick AS THEY DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH.

That said, I have remarked several times how tricky it is to be a self-guiding tourist here. Coach tours turn up outside a venue, wander around, get fed and wander on again. A tad stereotypical again but there's less risk there. As a self-guided tourist we need direction signs (language unimportant), safe accommodation and info on what we are looking at. These things have not always been obvious here. We have not been able to find museums, monuments and hotels without a bit of search or, in a couple of cases, at all.

Yet it is easy to be a snobby tourist, stating that "my way is the only way"; I know that I have a tendency not to engage with the local population but at the same time want to avoid mass crowds. I am more comfortable in a little hotel or B&B than staying with a family or in a big all-inclusive hotel. We all have our comfort zones as travellers. It's being confident to move beyond those so we learn more, experience more and enjoying more of the world around us which has to be some of the reasons we travel for.

Beauty and Hurt in the Balkans

One of the joys of doing a PhD on a European-related theme is that I can justify trips to less known corners of my continent as "research". It's a long shot but makes me feel better about taking time off. That said, in the case of Bosnia and Croatia, the focus of my current trip, it's not that far from the truth. These countries have been the focus of EU Higher Education policies to help their recovery from the 1992-5 war and some of the students involves in my case study come from this part of the world. If Universities can be used as a "soft power" tool to bring about social change, peace and growth - as the EU desires - then this is a prime example of where it can be used. 

I was 9 when the war in Bosnia started in 1992 and remember my Mother trying to explain that this was important not simply due to the deaths but it's proximity to us. A shooting in this part of the world had lead 80years earlier to war across Europe. This is not some far flung land but part of our continent. 

And that has been one of the striking things since we landed in Dubrovnik 36 hours ago. The Dalmatian coast is a little bit Italian, the Herzegovinan river valleys seeming a little like inland France and the rocky mountains like Provence. Of course, this country is unique and its beauty stunning but, in places, this is a land that is familiar.  So to imagine a war raging through this part of the edge of Europe is challenging. 

As we drove deeper into Bosnia some of the divisions became clearer. Road signs in cyrillic were crossed out or had graffiti on them to correct into what one minority consider the "correct" language. The number of minarets was a little unexpected but with some 48% of the 3.8m population being Muslim, they shouldn't have been. There have been Muslims in this part of the world for 5 centuries. Christians in the UK have left their mark on the architecture of the country with church towers over that time, the same will be true here. At the same time as witnessing the familiar in Bosnia & Croatia, we were seeing new things, too. 

Mostar is one of the places where the divisions in this society were clearest 20 years ago in 1993 when the bridge between the 2 elements of this society was destroyed and crimes committed against the city's populations. The bridge has been rebuilt and is impressive. In the bright autumnal sunshine it is beautiful yet, all around buildings remain bombed out, bullet marks can be seen on buildings and the community remains separated into groups as can be seen by the separate schools, governance and cultural institutions. 17 years may have passed since the peace was agreed and millions invested but there is still much that divides this nation. 

As tourists, we are amongst the minority who come here though numbers are increasing. We strayed from the main tourist sites to small villages or back roads where the divisions become more evident. Schools for one group of children or another. Cemeteries, spray painted slogans, war memorials and, I suspect, local cafes dedicated to one group or another. The infrastructure here is not suited to tourists (the lack of accommodation, food or even signage indicates that) but this is, I feel, what really needs to be seen and talked about. The reality of this country rather than the glossy brochure they want to present. 

And this is where the EU and, in a strange way, my research links back in. This place needs unifying infrastructure and knowledge. The EU has experience of this following the divisions through war, the iron curtain and socio-political shifts. Through the power of schemes like the one I am researching, people learn and engage with new peoples and cultures. The "other" becomes familiar. If this is allowed to continue here, perhaps HE can have a role beyond educating. 

Today I am stunned by the concurrent beauty and still-visible ravages of war in Mostar & Bosnia generally. Tomorrow, perhaps, I can be impressed by the beauty and a country that has continued to move on from its difficult past. 

Krakow & Poland: Fascinating, challenging & beautiful

So four days almost to the minute since I was sitting on a plane predicting what I was about to see and experience in Poland.  It feels like longer than 4 days that I have been out of the country and the experience has made me think afresh about this country, as I hoped travelling here might. 

It is a fascinating country with a diverse history; indeed, its borders have shifted so much that it has only really existed in its current form for 70 years.  The sense of pride and belonging to the state can be seen everywhere.  It is undergoing rapid change and yet has been caught by many of the problems of the economic crisis in Europe.  

It is a challenging country with a very mixed history: not only through the concentration camps we visited but also in its recent past.  The architecture reminds us that the communist era only ended 30 years ago  though, I feel, wealth has been more equally increased since the late 1980s than, say, in the Czech Republic.  This is a country which is still living with scars of its recent past. 

It is a beautiful country and in places you would not expect: the castle & cathedral in Krakow are, of course, impressive; the countryside around Krakow has a rugged beauty; the alcohol (as you can see from the photo) has won me over; but the lasting memory is the beauty of the modern churches in Nowa Husta which will stay with me (as seen below).  Impressive, beautiful and saying so much about Poland and its population. 

And it is a country I will be returning to – and one that has reminded me to keep traveling through Eastern Europe.  

The Modern Independent Traveller

I class myself as a vaguely experienced traveller in Europe. Packing the rucksack is a bit of an art, knowing when to book flights and where to look for good value hotels are all part of the game.  However, I am no-where near as experienced as my Father, my current travelling companion who must average 4 flights a week and has mastered the Ryanair system to a tee.  When to queue, where to stand and which end of the plane to get on, it’s all a quick routine. 

But we’re not alone; in the past the only way to travel would have been through organised tours and yet the freedom of low-cost carriers and the internet for booking accommodation has made us, the individual, the travel agent.  That’s made things easier over the last five days: having a car has meant we could travel as we pleased and saved time (and money) on local transport. 

And there are various tools in the modern traveller’s armour: the smartphone for those web checks of maps, emails from the airline and telephoning the hotel.  The sat nav as a way of getting easily from place to place.  For me, my mini-laptop to write read, check details and locations as well as using social media to share experiences and get recommendations via the free wifi. 

Yet, some argue there’s something lost, there’s a sanitisation, a westernisation of the whole travel process.  We spend less time with our eyes looking outwards to the new world we are visiting and more downwards to contact the world we come from.  I don’t agree.  Using the technology empowers me to travel: to walk through areas and see things that I might not have done.  It allows me the time to stand and think when I want to rather than when stuck or lost. 

Travelling to see and learn is important but just because we can be “connected” back home doesn’t mean that I am not connecting with the world I am visiting.  In the end, the modern independent traveller is just that: using the technology at hand to see the world around him without support from ‘professionals’. Modern, independent, travel.  

Communal Guilt & Learning from Past Horrors

In the Austria National Hut at Auschwitz, there’s a sign saying that they are in the process of re-writing their exhibit.  Instead of being a victim of past errors they are saying that they are wanting to acknowledge the part that everyone played in the history. 

This exemplifies the change in history over the last 70 years better than any historical text.  In the years after the war there was a need for individuals to be tried and to take responsibility, as exemplified by the Nuremburg trials.  Today there is a need for us all to show our part as well as for someone, ultimately, to say “sorry”.  And it’s not always possible. 

We visited one of the lesser known concentration camps today in Krakow: Plaszov.  Bleak, eerie and sinister as the snow came down.  At many corners the remaining concrete blocks of huts.  Yet the one remaining building was the Commander’s House.  It is now council flats and behind it a modern estate.  The world has moved on and yet this memorial, this memory continues.  And it must continue.  But rather than searching for new people to condemn for the actions of our forefathers and blaming ourselves, perhaps communal guilt needs to be replaced with communal learning.  

Poland and the EU

When I visited Ireland in late 1990s, everywhere one turned there were signs saying “funded by the EU”: from new roads to broadband internet in remote communities. 

And this was the deal that Poland signed up to: that by coming in line with EU beliefs and structures they would get massive investment.  But it hasn't happened.  Then the economic crisis struck and the money that might have come to the poorer corners of Europe is needed to balance the books.  Furthermore, although Europe has expanded, the fundamentally rich countries has not expanded: Germany, France, the UK, BeNeLux, Scandinavia remain the majority funders.  There are more States justly pulling on a resource and funding which is no bigger. 

So Poland has not had the funds that they could have expected.  Unlike my trip to Croatia, there are not EU flags everywhere but there are prices in Euros fairly regularly.  This is a country wanting to commit to Europe but which has been denied full privileges of the club. 

 This poses a challenge on how the EU holds together where countries are not getting quite what they expected but are still getting the kudos of being in the EU.  Poland has positioned itself to be politically and culturally EU-facing – from its architecture and politics to its history and culture selections.  But how long can that continue without the money they hoped for?  How long can socio-cultural union mean the economics are overlooked?  Poland may lead the way in a new type of Europe to get the deal it hoped for.  

The Faith and Hope of the Polish

Today has been a day of two halves: the established, historical faith against the new, reactive faith.  Before I arrived in Poland I was aware of the different values that existed and the high-level of Catholic respect. 

And when one enters Krakow’s castle and cathedral, one sees the historical element of this.  The place where royals were crowned is beautiful and surprisingly intimate.  Religion and politics have always been interlinked with people using one to gain power over the other. 

But in the middle of the 20^th Century that was challenged by the communist regime.  The creation of an ideal communist town in the Krakow with the building of Nowa Huta was about creating a dream to challenge the old regime, including its faith.  Therefore, if the religion was to be communism, then no churches were constructed for the old Catholic faith.  On entry you see row upon row of straight, concrete blocks along wide roads.  The size and fulfilment of a vision is impressive. 

However, behind the scenes the faith continued and, after much campaigning, a church was built and dedicated by the Archbishop of Krakow, the later Pope John Paul II.  And the Arka Pana is spectacular, shaped like an ark as if to carry its people to safety.  This was about the church challenging society, challenging the norms.  This was about the church being its best. 

Just as the Catholic church was trying to say something different to this communist world, so is this building to those around.  Amongst the blocks of straight-lined concrete apartments you find the rounded, circular corners of the church.  In a world of concrete, you find natural wood and stone as if symbolising the difference between the things man constructs and the things God inspires.  The flowing lines, for me contrasted certainty with possibility.  The church building was showing the cultural change the institution of the church can bring.  Inside, the light, the materials and the images are beautiful. 

The church is being used, as I entered mid-afternoon we were scowled at as tourists disturbing the dozen people who had popped in for a moment’s prayer.  Faith is strong here, as seen in the construction of this building 30 years ago and in its continued use today.  Just as the ancient Cathedral has stood for centuries, so will this church as a powerful symbol of hope.  

Stopping the Banality of Evil

My father reminded me of a phrase today: the banality of evil (Edward S Herman/Hannah Arendt).  Today I saw that as well as the scale on which evil can operate. 

Today is my second day in Poland and, for me, one of the main reasons to visit was the camp outside Oswiecim known more commonly as Auschwitz.  The numbers are well known, around 1.5 million killed including at least 1.1 million Jews.  Terrifying and impossible to imagine death on such a scale. 

And it is not that this is my first encounter to human loss on such a scale: I have seen the graves on all sides in both world wars to the concentration camps at Dachau and, particularly, in Struthof in Alsace, France.  The scale of the suffering is huger there, but so much greater at this camp. 

On arrival I was surprised: Auschwitz is in a surprisingly urban setting.  It is a little smaller than I had expected.  The rooms describing the death (particularly in the death block) were chilling.  And yet the thing that stuck me was the permanent nature of the camp.  One imagines wood sheds but here were 2 storey brick buildings: this was a long-term elimination of a race and the nature of the project surprising.  But these houses also reminded me of the 19^th Century Work Houses one sees in the UK and Belgium/the Netherlands.  Blocks to house large populations needed for major industrial projects.  The normal used in a truly awful way: the banality of evil. 

Some 3kms from here is Birkenau, more often seen as part of Auschwitz and labelled as Auschwitz II but actually quite distinct and the only camp created solely to kill people.  This was more what is expected: the sidings where people were removed from cattle wagons and selected for death or work; the cold, basic, accommodation designed for animals not humans; a vast scale taking 20 minutes brisk walk to cross any boundary.  Awful. 

Yet, one of the most striking moment for me was the shower block.  The 1 in 4 selected for imprisonment rather than instant death were processed here and we could follow their passage: undressing, losing their hair, washing, dried and allocated new clothes then being sent to a camp.  Daily tasks here each flowed easily on from the last in a ruthlessly designed example of organisation efficiency which aimed to dehumanise and terrify the individual ahead of their residence at the camp.  The banality of evil. 

And this is tangible history; the camp closed only 7 years before my Father was born.  This is not some historical event but truly living history.  Only 8 years after Auschwitz was closed, was Europe trying to form the European Coal and Steel Community.  The leaders of countries at war which had committed atrocities such as these were trying to find a way forward, trying to find a “durable peace”.  The fact it has stopped war for a generations though mass death has still been seen too close to its shores.  

Standing there, amongst the horrors that had happened, it reminded me of the need for us a European citizens and, more fundamentally, as human beings to stop evil ever becoming banal again.  

The Polish Tiger

Dzien dobry from Krakow. 

Many of us are aware of the Irish Tiger - the artificial property boom and subsequent bust in Ireland - but I am currently sitting in an apartment on the edge of Krakow which seems to prove a Polish equivalent.  The flat's 15-20 minutes easy walk from the centre and very nicely appointed. 

But out of the 15 blocks of some 15-20 flats each, I can see but a handful open, perhaps 5%.  Most are empty and have never been lived in.  They lack furniture and even the protective plastic on each of the new doors has not been removed on most of the flat doors. 

It is a complex, built in a rush to fulfil an anticipated market need and no one has taken it up.  Just are there are housing estates in Dublin with no inhabitants (check Michael Lewis’ Boomerang Tour of Europe out for details), the same is true of Krakow. 

In the UK some complain that Poles are taking many of our jobs; other point that these are roles (plumbing, cleaning, fruit-picking) which some Brits are not qualified or willing to do.  I have heard rumours of the reverse here in Poland: Poles complaining of Brits taking their jobs in academia, management or building.  I have no evidence.  Bar the fact that I have just spent a naughty evening in an Irish Pub. 

Not my normal choice of holiday drinking venue but when there is a need to watch some cracking 6 Nations Rugby, I will find the best location I can.  [As an aside Ireland/Italy a good match, England/Wales a great match but rugby was the ultimate winner]

Anyway, as I sat there, a variety of Irish, Welsh and English companions joined my father and I for conversation as the matches progressed.  It was clear that people are coming to Poland for work as well as culture; the relations between our countries are not simple and both countries are employing each other’s citizens for work. 

And this is one of the successes of the EU: we can travel and work far more easily than any time in the last century.  But it is also a problem. 

This apartment complex is empty because international travellers have not bought a little holiday flat for their breaks away in Poland’s second city.  The professional firms have not provided enough jobs for Poles to need a little flat near to the work.  There has been a perceived need for accommodation which has not materialised. 

Now that migration back to Poland is increasing, the balance may change but with blocks of flats so empty as this one, it is clear that boom and bust has a few more years to play in this and many other EU countries.  

And So To Poland

I am sitting on the Ryanair flight from Livepool to Krakow with my father gently snoozing on the other side of the row.  The plane is bouncing a long and it is one of those moments where it is still early in the morning but one has been awake for hours. 

So Poland; another country on the grand European tour – I think this makes number 18 in my tour around Europe with only another 34 to make all those that possibly be within Europe.  Again, another language to try and follow, another culture to understand.  It’s Krakow where we are headed, the old, royal capital and also famed as being the starting point for a trip to Auschwitz.  Poland’s beautiful and troubled past in one trip. 

And, yet, from what I know the present is no less troubled or difficult.  It’s been a part of the EU for five years now and had wanted to join the Euro.  It can’t given the current economic crisis.  A country which is known for atrocities committed to Jews, Gays and other minorities, has a far right movement which continues to threaten those groups.  The political crisis which lead to its freedom in the 1980s has – like its leaders – matured but not completely been resolved.  This is an interesting country with the same social, economic and political problems as the rest of Europe and is yet working within its own unique historical and cultural context. 

Over the next few days, once again, my view of Poland, Europe and the EU will be most likely challenged and developed.  Which is, after all, one of the reasons we travel and I want to make my way around all of Europe.

 

PS: Countries visited to date: France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ireland, UK, Denmark, Switzerland, Monaco, Vatican City and now Poland

2011: A Year in Review – Crisis & Positive Change

As I get older and a new year approaches, I am struck by both how little has changed, fundamentally, in the past 12 months and how this year seems to have gone faster than the last.  At every turn there has been conflict and challenges to society, to education and to my own life.  I am left feeling that these are not easy times we are living through but crisis has led to positive change. 

This year is often seen as a year of crisis with the political and economic scenes having worsened, particularly in the Euro zone.  With countries arguing over who is in and out of Europe or certain sections of Europe, we have some of the fiercest political debate on our relationships in Europe that we have had in a generation.  It is splitting UK politics, it is splitting various members of Europe from each other and it is indeed splitting the EU from the rest of the world who look on, somewhat in horror, at what their “cultured” and “historic” friends are doing.  At home, the Unions have been protesting, anti-capitalists have been camping, the coalition has been divided, revelations have been made about phones that were hacked (or at least thought to have been) and sections of society have been out rioting and looting.  These are not easy times that we are living through. 

Within my own sector of Higher Education, departments are being cut, student numbers are not clear in the post-fees era and the economic outlook is far from sure.  The future of Universities has never been less clear and the role of institutions is not clear.  I was at a Christmas drinks event recently where people were trying to argue that universities were not producing graduates that were right for the work place.  My feeling is that their expectations of what education can do is false and that it is not simply about skills but about developing the mind, too.  In the economic rush for up-skilling individuals, the role of educating can be lost.  And the role of research has been challenged and its independence questioned.  These are not easy times that we are living through. 

Even at a personal level, it has been a year of huge change.  The issues around the separation of my old tutor and allocation of a new one have been challenging.  The slow progress I have been making with my own research has been disheartening.  The loss of my mother has been sad and heart-breaking.  These are not easy times we are living through. 

And yet, during my travels across Europe in the early autumn, it was clear that the European Union was here to stay in the close relationships shown between nations and the personal welcome and empathy shown to me.  There was a feeling that the EU has to work – for us the people – despite our politicians.  And similarly after the riots or realisation that the press were behaving badly, it was realised that this was our society.  The scenes of mass-clean-ups or wider-scale debate about individual freedoms were built on this.  There is some evidence of a higher level of debate and civic engagement than before.  Crisis has led to positive change. 

In Higher Education, you are seeing programmes for change management, academics taking things into their own hands and forming new colleges and more discussion about industry in the corridors.  Some of this may have already been happening already, some of it may only be transitory but, in the short term, a year of turmoil has made discussion wider.  Now don’t get me wrong, life is hard for the millions unemployed, for the graduates without jobs and for the individuals hurting from the evils in our lives so I do not want to paint an easy, perfect life but, in certain areas, crisis has led to positive change.  

And the change of tutor has driven me on and I feel I am working harder to finish the PhD and chapters are being written, revised, dismissed and accepted at a faster rate than ever in the three years of this project.  At home, the personal kindness I have been privileged to receive, the relationships which have matured within the family and the hope of future blessings have all meant that out of loss has come at least something positive.  Crisis has led to positive change. 

So, in the end, 2011 has been a year which has whizzed by with challenges witnessed at national and individual level but as we go towards 2012, I have to be hopeful that many good things can come out of this time.  These are not easy times we are living through but crisis has led to positive change.  

Europe – In, Out or Just Shaken All About?

There’s the old children’s game of hokey-cokey where various limbs are put in and out of a circle and then shaken all about.  And really the entire thing is a good metaphor for what has been happening in Brussels and in the UK over the last few weeks. 

It’s rather easy (and simplistic) to reduce the arguments in Brussels over the future of the European Union to a child’s game but in many ways the showing off, the whole “whose my friend” and, at times, down right bullying does have resonances with the playground.  Politics has often been like this but when the stakes are so high it becomes even more incongruous with the issues being discussed.  Britain has thrown its weight around in the past – like when Thatcher renegotiated how much we got back – so none of this is new.  Yet we live in very different times and although the City is 10% or so of the UK’s economy, there is much discussion on the extent to which the proposed treaty would have endangered London’s financial operation.  But still the UK’s presence in Europe is desired and various leaders have been emphasising this since the conference.  Perhaps the UK is not whole-heartedly “in” Europe but certainly a major player and economic power aligned to it. 

What this whole spat comes down to is Britain’s position on the edge of Europe – as has been said before the geography is reflective of a mind-set.  Our political parties are divided and, indeed, as is our government.  There is no real political refuge in the UK for those in favour of closer ties with Europe so those in favour of closer ties to Europe are very much “out” of things. 

The UK is often portrayed as the only country to have these issues but remember that the Czech Republic and Hungary wavered over the idea of a treaty, Sweden has deliberately kept itself outside the Euro and Iceland is heavily divided on whether it should join in. Divisions are not uncommon across Europe and Ireland, the Netherlands and France have all wobbled at times. 

But at a time when everything is being shaken all about so much through the economic crisis many see it as necessary to lean together and support each other.  And this is the fundamental problem that with much of UK politics (of all colours) and international relations, individuals are too focussed on themselves and forget neighbours (be they actual people or other nation states).  The lack of commitment to a wider society with responsibilities to each other is one of the reasons that policies from the Big Society to European Relations stumble.  Until all groups are committed to greater, communal projects and not just looking to national leaders or, more specifically, Germany to fund the European Union then this crisis is going to continue.  The social divisions at neighbourhood level are just magnified at national level. 

This is of fundamental importance to my research: I am assessing one of the education policies of the European Union and seeing if its social intentions are working.  When I started the research the future of the Euro and the EU seemed clear and certain; today it seems less so.   Yet, the European Union should not be assessed simply on the economic decisions it makes but also on the social and cultural impacts that it has.  In many ways whether certain groups or nations are “in or out” does not matter as with all the shaking all about due to a lack of hard commitment the entire Union may not exist in the same way for too much longer. 

Europe, the Euro & Which Currency to take on Holiday

A new hashtag has appeared on twitter: #Eurocrisis.  Now, of course, this is referring to the economic crisis which seems to flit from being a banking to a sovereign debt crisis.  In many ways it is both unnecessary and impossible to label the current situation. 

But 2 thoughts have occurred to me.  Firstly, the fact that a hashtag exists indicates a change in our relationship, awareness and communication of this financial crisis.  Unlike in previous economic crises there is wider political and popular debate of the issues.  In the 1930s (the most serious downturn), the media reports were far less and in the 1980s-90s the individually-driven content did not exist.  Not much of the discussion still happens amongst the political elite, despite the new ‘social media’, many of the actors are the traditional ones.  But there is a far greater awareness which drives the agenda and causes mass awareness to a crisis  All of this changes how this crisis may pan out and puts government under increased (sometimes ill-informed) opinion.  Governments need to react and tell us they have reacted in a faster way than previously and the need for quick reaction cuts time for thinking or to develop more innovative responses to the current situation. 

Secondly, my argument about the political/cultural future of Europe, as opposed to the economic is still valid.  Though founded on an economic model, the political and cultural elements are still particularly important.  As a nation on the edge of the European Union, we may not be the best to view the importance of Europe.  But when you travel across countries and see the shared values and communal beliefs, there should be no doubting the necessity of a European Alliance.  And despite the unhappiness in Germany and, to a different extent, France and other “wealthy” nations about the economic impact of the Euro, they would not want to completely dissolve the political union.  So one of the key issues is how Europe holds together despite its foundations (the economy from which it was born) is shaken to the core. 

I wrote recently on twitter wondering if I should take French Francs or US Dollars to France next week given the problems of the Euro.  In March 2008, an academic friend suggested that we could not bank on the Euro existing in 5 years’ time.  Given this was pre-crisis, she was mainly referring to a crumbling of the political union.  It is surprising that the economics might spell the end in the not too distant future and might make my joke about what currency to tale on holiday to Europe an interesting reality. 

The EU is more than the Euro & worth defending

Earlier today I wrote the following flow diagram on twitter:

EU economic crisis -> EU political crisis -> No money/will for EU Education/Social policies -> UK Unis could lose cash.

So the EU Economic crisis could affect EU Higher Education as there is not enough money to go around; thus the future of important international collaborations & student exchanges is unclear.

If cross-EU education projects are cut due to a lack of funds and a lack of confidence in the EU's aims, then future generations will be less aware of th EU's importance and the close bonds between European nations. Money - or specifically a currency - is only part of EU project. Robert Schuman saw his economic alliance as being way to political/social stability. Allowing economic issues to dominate or even end powerful this grouping of nations would be to miss out on its cultural, social and political impact.

Don't get me wrong, the Euro will most likely not exist in its current format in a year or two's time. The strongest argument I have heard is that Greece will exit (and probably sooner rather than later), a northern alliance of Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands will develop. The role of Ireland, Spain, Portugal and Italy (each with their own economic issues) is less clear and a second level of economic union is imaginable with the likes of the UK, Denmark and Sweden remaing as part of the more political alliance. But there are an awful lot of strong relationships, close cultural/political relations have developped within the EU framework over the last 5 decades.

In other words: Eurosceptics will use this current economic crisis to condemn EU. Don't let them. The EU is far more than the Euro.

And anyway what would this do to my PhD on EU HE policy?! The introduction is almost out of date before it's finished.

#LoveEU #LoveHE

882 miles, 5 countries in 5 days & great discoveries in the low countries ... or why we need the EU.

Travelling over what used to be multiple borders, each with their own immigration and hardly hitting the break peddle is a strange experience.  One is aware that something has changed: the signs change colour and from one dialect to another, there are a few more bicyclists in one country, better road maintenance in another.  But during my travels through France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg, it struck me that one eased between each country, both in terms of crossing the border and in terms of the culture.  Flemish, French, Germanic and Anglo-Saxon culture could be observed in varying amounts in almost every part of the 'low countries'.  Architecture, languages and borders were smudged, unclear. 

My travelling companion and I discussed the importance of the EU; his argument against the EU sort of went as follows: 
1. What activity could or would not happen at cross-national level? Is the EU just another level of government? 
2. Isn't the EU simply adding expense & regulation when the individual nation state or, even, the individual person would do better alone?  For example, Switzerland & Norway participate in EU programmes with tangential links to the EU, the UK & Denmark participate financially without the Euro. 

But, my counter arguments went as follows:
1. Activity is not at cross-national but multi-national level.  Student exchanges and research projects are increasingly not working between 2 countries but between 3, 6, 10; I am not convinced this would happen with any uniformity of service - if at all - without some co-ordinating power.   
2. The size of some states and their budgets would stop some of the activity.  For example, BeNeLux already felt an alliance was better as jointly they had more influence and capacity. 
3. There is a clear pride and sense of identity in being associated with the EU. 

And this is why the EU has to work; currencies may come and go but the idea of not travelling freely or working together would greatly impinge on the lives of many Europeans.  As a nation on the edge, the UK often condemns the EU but it is only when one sees the power, ease, complexity & uniform acceptance of co-operation face to face that it becomes clear it will last in some form. 

This is the position that Robert Schuman wanted Europe to get to when he founded the fore-father of the EU, the European Coal and Steel Community.  He wanted war not only to be impossible but to be unthinkable.  As a man born in Luxembourg, graduating from German Universities and then French when Alsace-Lorraine was annexed, he was a French & European politician, a true example of what it is to be European. 

Today, Schuman's vision is mostly true, my trip across Europe was proof of integration, our defence of the EU and the Euro needs to be in the same vain: there is too much to lose by not working together. 

Oslo: Being Confident in Speaking Out

Norway was a different country from the moment I got on the plane: Norwegian may have been ‘low-cost’ but it was no Ryanair. Calm, comfortable, classy with a rather expensive menu.
Then when on the bus, I received a call to say that the hotel I had booked was full but they had found us beds around the corner in a better quality hotel. Good service.

The next day when walking around Oslo, the wealth shone out in the cost of a coffee through to the upkeep of the public transport. There was, without doubt, high taxation everywhere but investment shone through.

At the same time the values also shine through. Families were everywhere, little graffiti or obvious poverty, no need for gay district as couples were free to hold hands, whatever their make-up.

This lead me to a tricky question: do the liberal values come about because people can afford to pay the taxes to under-write them or do the liberal values mean that people feel a duty to pay for the functions of state. No easy answer but I suspect it is a little bit of both.

My travelling companion (rather more conservative than me) challenged my views on immigration, on tax and on education. I am coming to the view point that if we want to pay for high-quality services like I saw in Oslo, then those that can, should pay more tax to help those with less. In my career and my research I believe in a market-led approach, the need for greater investment and liberal values within a conservative context. If I believe in these things – as I saw in Norway - then I need to say it despite it going against some traditional ‘tory’ lines. My family have always taught me to be true to myself and that includes in my politics.

As with so much of my life and travels, there was a song that summarised my trip. This time it was “Sing” by My Chemical Romance.

At the same time as trying to find a new way of living following the loss of my mother, re-assessing my research and re-evaluating my political values, then it is time to speak out about these things:

“Sing it out, boy, you’ve got to see what tomorrow brings.
Sing it out, girl, you’ve got to be what tomorrow is.
[…]
Sing it for the boys, sing it for the girls.
Every time that you lose it, sing it for the world.
Sing it from the heart, sing it ‘til you’re nuts.
Sing it out for the ones that hate your guts.
Sing it for the deaf, sing it for the blind.
Sing it for everyone that you left behind.
Sing it for the world.
We’ve got to see what tomorrow brings.
Boy you’ve got to be what the world needs.
Sing it for the world.”

Adding Morals to Markets: Why markets and neo-liberalism are evolving and not dying

There seems to be a whole body of discussion on whether we are post neo-liberal now or in a revised form of it. But what on earth is neo-liberalism? It may be seen as the dominant political context but few people seem to define it.
Neo-liberalism – for me – is about a market-lead approach, freeing the markets to lead economic growth and service provision. It is also about rendering the individual citizen a contributor and beneficiary of a market system.

Now many against neo-liberalism argue that all values thus become economic, driven by targets and other social and philosophical values are lost.

Those in favour, see it as method for financial gains individually and nationally, smaller, more efficient government which leaves the citizen in control.

During the economic crisis it was deemed that neo-liberalism had failed; leaving banks and markets to decide the worth of anything lead to a melt-down. But it has to be questioned what form of neo-liberalism failed as it has gradually evolved.

Thatcher and Reagan are seen as the original creators of neo-liberalism though they themselves would not use the term nor particularly see themselves as liberals. They lead the large-scale opening up of markets, encouraging home ownership (and thus individual participation in a market) and changed our relationship with public services.

This model was then revised by Clinton and Blair with the so-called ‘third way’: put simply, market liberalism with a social conscience which meant more state investment in services. And yet for some this lacked the economic rigour for some and thus was doomed to failure.

The thing is that we are yet to see a huge divergence away from the models identified above. Despite the cycles of market growth and constriction, it appears to have worked as a model for increasing wealth. Indeed it is still ensuring huge growth in China, India and Brazil.

What 2008 did was make excessive money (and particularly bankers) look wrong and cause people to ask that a wider set of values be attributed to our markets, governance and, indeed, our lives. I can see neo-liberalism evolving to take on these values; causing a third stage of the concept’s development.

As someone researching European Higher Education, many of the key questions tied to it are attributed to neo-liberalism: the current form of the EU, globalisation, the market approach to HE, the understanding of education/learning etc. My tutor (rightly) argues that I need to challenge these ideas and look for alternative models. My problem is this: I have this feeling that, from my perspective, neo-liberalism works and – with the above evolution – should work better.

Due to neo-liberalism (though some would say despite it), universities have grown and been successful, people are more mobile and aware of the world and the individual’s capacity to bring about change have become clear.

There are faults and the current coalition government are aware of them. But what’s required is a revision to the neo-liberal model - rather than a whole scale scrapping of it as it remains an important model for our universities, country and world.