Two master’s courses awarded first European joint degree label

Two master’s programmes offered by European university alliances have become the first to receive a new quality label awarded by the European Commission that recognises joint degree programmes across the continent. 

EU-Conexus’ joint master’s in marine biotechnology and Charm-EU’s master’s in global challenges for sustainability were awarded the joint European degree label during a ceremony in Brussels on 15 July. 

The label is part of the commission’s efforts to promote cooperation in higher education between different European countries. To qualify, programmes must be designed and delivered together by universities in at least two European Union member states or countries that are part of either the European Economic Area or the European Free Trade Association. The commission wants to eventually create a joint European degree that would be automatically recognised across the EU. 

Roxana Mînzatu, the commission’s executive vice-president for social rights and skills, quality jobs and preparedness, said the label “marks the beginning of a new chapter for higher education”. 

“We are recognising programmes that are designed together, taught together and prepare students to tackle challenges that no country can address alone. And this approach is something truly unique,” she said.

Programmes awarded the label are assessed on factors such as shared teaching and governance, student mobility between countries, multilingual learning, digital education and a commitment to shared European values.

Both EU-Conexus and Charm-EU are alliances of nine European universities co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme. EU-Conexus was organised by La Rochelle Université and its joint master’s in marine biotechnology is run by the Catholic University of Valencia, while Charm-EU’s master’s in global challenges for sustainability is led by Trinity College Dublin and managed by the University of Barcelona. 

They are both part of the commission’s more than 70 university alliances, a flagship initiative aimed at creating an integrated continental system that involves about 650 higher education institutions across Europe. 

The ceremony also recognised AQU Catalunya, the quality assurance agency for Catalonia, as the first organisation to award the new label. The assessments were carried out in cooperation with UNIBASQ, the quality assurance agency for Spain's Basque Country.

“The European university system and its stakeholders have long called for an initiative of this kind, which has successfully mapped out the skills and competencies of a new generation of European graduates. These capabilities are far better adapted to the demands of a changing, globalised job market,” said University of Barcelona rector Joan Guàrdia.

seher.asaf@timeshighereducation.com