Challenges with regard to excellence in teaching and learning

European universities are faced with the  problem of dealing with large student numbers and low student-to-staff ratios (15/1 or 20/1 and lower, compared with 3/1 or 6/1 in  highly ranked universities in the world); delivering high quality education to these large groups in a close nexus with actual research and innovation ; and organising this with a lower (still decreasing) funding per student.

Solving these problems requires the re-thinking and re-designing of on campus education, using blended forms of teaching and learning, combining traditional formats with new modes of teaching and learning based on ICT.