Time to link academia to business needs, says EU commissioner

European universities need to step out from their traditional isolation from the outside world in order to avoid producing jobless graduates, says EU education commissioner Jan Figel.

In 2010, Europe will reach two deadlines connected with the portfolio of the Slovak commissioner: One to make the EU economy more competitive and knowledge-based and the other one to complete a higher education area in the 46 countries participating in the so-called "Bologna process."

Mr Figel argues...