Colin Riordan, head of the University of Essex, said recent policy proposals from the commission may reflect a feeling in Brussels that it ¡°ought to be more closely involved¡± in the sector across the continent.

Giving evidence before a new inquiry by the Lords¡¯ Social Policies and Consumer Protection EU Sub-Committee, Professor Riordan, who leads on international policy for Universities UK, said: ¡°I think that¡¯s something that we do need to be aware of and keep an eye on.

¡°I think there perhaps is a sense that the European Commission ought to be more closely involved. As I understand it there is some skepticism in the commission, for instance, about the Bologna Process ¨C [that] it has been going about 10 years and they feel it hasn¡¯t made fast enough progress.¡±

He added that such a view about the Bologna Process was wrong as it was ¡°working pretty well¡± precisely because it was a development being forged through consent rather than compulsion.

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¡°If you try and direct alignment that is going to work very much against university autonomy and we have to defend against that,¡± he said.

However, he also agreed that there was a degree of ambivalence towards the Bologna Process in the UK, mainly because it tended to fit the English-speaking model of higher education and meant greater change for other countries in Europe. ¡°People just don¡¯t think it applies to them,¡± he said.

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Meanwhile, Professor Riordan also said UK universities would not welcome the introduction of the European wide U-Multirank tool for profiling institutions if it meant more red tape.

¡°If it is going to ask us to do more I don¡¯t think that is acceptable,¡± he told the committee, which is investigating recent commission proposals for the future funding support of universities at the European level.

simon.baker@tsleducation.com