European Citizenship and Higher Education

Abstract

Whereas much discussion about citizenship and citizenship education has taken place within the confines of the nation state, the development of the European Union has added a new dimension. In this chapter I discuss the rise of the idea of European citizenship, particularly in relation to European higher education policy and research. This will not only allow me to highlight the specific character of these discussion and developments but also to indicate where national and supra-national thinking about citizenship, education and lifelong learning appears to converge. The European case also provides an example of a strong connection between research and policy, which raises important questions about the position of research in this field.