Universities, the energy crisis and the cost-cutting trap [Op-ed]

With multi-fold increases in energy bills being felt across Europe, is this one crisis too many for universities? For University World News, EUA’s Enora Bennetot Pruvot and ACA’s Veronika Kupriyanova explore the impact of the energy crisis on the sector and the support needed to maintain the quality of research and teaching.

Universities are big consumers of energy. And in many countries, inflation and soaring energy bills are compounding structural underfunding of the sector, leaving universities with little room to manoeuvre.

With the higher education sector facing such a difficult context, this article outlines measures being taken by institutions to mitigate the impact on staff and students and initial support measures from public authorities. In addition, the authors address key concerns such as student mobility and international competitivity, as well as what the crisis means for universities’ capacity to tackle structural issues and lead the digital and green transitions.

The full article is available on University World News: Universities, the energy crisis and the cost-cutting trap.