Erasmus+ funding will test European Degree label and new cooperation between higher education institutions

10 projects funded by Erasmus+ will test new forms of transnational cooperation between higher education institutions. This was outlined in the European strategy for universities just one year ago and is a key milestone for achieving the European Education Area.

Testing a joint European Degree label

Six of the selected projects will examine, test and facilitate the delivery of a joint European Degree label. This is a complementary certificate to the qualifications students obtain when graduating from joint programmes in the context of transnational cooperation between several higher education institutions, such as European Universities.

The label is a step towards a joint European degree, spanning several EU Member States, and designed to encourage student mobility and cooperation. It would

reflect the skills and learning outcomes acquired by students who have followed a joint programme in several institutions and in several countries, in several languages
be issued on a voluntary basis as a certificate attesting learning outcomes, achieved as part of transnational cooperation among several institutions, and based on a common set of criteria

New forms of cooperation between alliances of higher education institutions

The other four projects will allow alliances of higher education institutions, such as the European Universities, to test new forms of cooperation, such as a possible European legal status for these alliances.

The aim of this legal status is to give university alliances, on a voluntary basis, the latitude to act together, make common strategic decisions, experiment joint recruitment, design joint curricula or pool resources and human, technical, data, education, research and innovation capacities.

Complementing national solutions

Any future step will not replace existing national solutions, and will aim to provide for complementary solutions, on a voluntary basis, to facilitate deeper transnational cooperation, fully respecting the principle of subsidiarity and institutional autonomy.

Next steps

Each selected pilot project can receive a budget of up to €200,000 from the Erasmus+ programme for the duration of one year, which is expected to start in spring 2023.