CHALLENGES FACED BY THE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM IN THE EUROPEAN UNION (Wyzwania stojace przed systemem szkolnictwa wyzszego w Unii Europejskiej)

In the process of creating the most competitive knowledge-based economy the European academic institutions have to fulfill the important role. By carrying out that responsibility they can make profit on resources they possess. Universities are those places where knowledge is not only discovered, but moreover interpreted. Above all, the knowledge is the key asset of every learning organization. The mission of the academic institutions encompasses not only conducting research and passing new knowledge through teaching, but furthermore contributing to the regional development. That last task isn't an easy one, particularly when we compare it with the challenges faced by the higher education system in XXI century, such as globalization of educational services or tailoring the didactic offer to the market needs, to name but a few. That and other related issues constitute an axis of the presented article.