From the US perspective, transatlantic relations in higher education have long been characterized by both strong affinities and substantial differences. The affinities turn on a series of perceived shared values between US and European higher education institutions. Diverging perspectives in relation to higher education in the United States and in Europe can be seen in relation to such matters as the degree to which higher education may be considered a public or private good, and with respect to questions of who should shoulder the costs of education. In the contemporary context, the forces of globalization serve to both foster and complicate transatlantic diplomatic engagement via higher education, as both competition and collaboration are elevated by globalization’s dynamics. Meanwhile, recent nationalistic and xenophobic political and social developments in both the US and across Europe represent major challenges to international and national dynamics and to diplomatic engagement via higher education. Ultimately, however, common support for democratic principles and practices seems to position the transatlantic relationship on privileged ground. We argue that there is an urgent need today for a dynamic ‘knowledge diplomacy’ movement by the higher education sectors on both sides of the Atlantic, as a means to ensure the sustainability of longstanding partnerships and to provide the framework for rational, mutually enriching debates to deal constructively with national and cultural differences across the Atlantic.
European Foreign Affairs Review