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home > Media services > Press releases > EUN leads debate at high level event to raise interest in maths, science and technology EUN leads debate at high level event to raise interest in maths, science and technology European Schoolnet chaired a session at the European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT) forum on 2 October 2008, focusing on how to increase young people’s interest in maths, science and technology (MST). Research indicates their interest in these topics is falling, and it poses a threat to Europe’s economic growth and competitivenss. Keynote speakers and panellists included the CEOs and chairmen of some of the largest corporations in Europe, José Manual Barroso, president of the European Commission and Janez Potocnik, European Commissioner for research. The high-level multi-stakeholder event, organised in Brussels, brought together academia, business, government and the teaching profession to explore a shared approach for the promotion of MST across Europe’s schools, from primary school level onwards.ERT Chairman Jorma Ollila, Chairman of Shell and Nokia, stated that “With a declining student proportion in MST, a stabilisation of access to tertiary education, unfavourable demographic trends and negative attitudes towards education and careers in MST, it is evident that stakeholders need to act.” European Commission President Jośe Manuel Barroso supported the initiative, saying “Europe needs more highly skilled, qualified and motivated individuals to push back the technological frontiers, in order to improve economic growth and employment. Your analysis on the need to promote MST in our schools and universities is spot-on. And so is your solution. The European Commission has been calling for more partnership between education and business for some time. Together let us show the way ahead.” "The challenge of falling student interest in maths, science and technology is a concern for all stakeholders. European Schoolnet, and our member Ministries of Education, have been cooperating for some time with industry on this issue, and believe such initiatives should be scaled up," said Marc Durando, EUN Executive Director. Facilitating stakeholders at the event included representatives from the European Commission, European Schoolnet, European Industrial Research Management Association (EIRMA), Junior Achievement Young Enterprise (JA-YE) and Jet-Net. The European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT), is a group of 45 industrial leaders from across Europe. Related links EUN projects: www.xplora.org www.xperimania.net European Roundtable of Industrialists www.ert.eu About European Schoolnet European Schoolnet (EUN, www.eun.org) is a unique not-for-profit consortium of 31 ministries of education in Europe created in 1997. EUN provides major European education portals for teaching, learning and collaboration and leads the way in bringing about change in schooling through the use of new technology.
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