Cooperation between European universities is taking an increasing number of forms and extending beyond traditional student mobility. Developing such forms of cooperation is one of the main objectives of the European Universities alliances, including ECIU University, of which Lodz University of Technology is a member.
With support from the European Universities Support Programme, the International Cooperation Centre of Lodz University of Technology conducted a study covering all ECIU member universities, which aimed to identify and analyse existing joint educational initiatives and to explore the benefits, challenges and future prospects associated with them. Particular attention was paid to joint and double degree programmes, as well as to shorter and more flexible forms of cooperation, including flexible learning pathways, micro-credentials and challenge-based learning. The study considered these developments in the context of the future Joint European Degree initiative and the Joint European Degree Label, which is already being implemented.
The study included a review of relevant literature and policy documents, 34 in-depth interviews with 54 university representatives, and a survey sent to more than 100 coordinators of joint and double degree programmes. The survey received 25 responses from representatives of nine ECIU member universities.
The research revealed a wide range of interesting practices, as well as clear differences between the participating universities. At some institutions, joint and double degree programmes form an important part of their internationalisation strategies, while at others they remain more limited initiatives. The universities also differ in the extent to which they develop shorter and more flexible forms of learning, how cooperation is organised, what administrative support is available, and how they address the recognition of learning outcomes. The study also examined awareness of and attitudes towards the Joint European Degree and the Joint European Degree Label. It explored the extent to which existing programmes correspond to the criteria proposed for the Label and the challenges that may arise during its implementation. The findings suggest that further development of joint education will require both clear European frameworks and appropriate organisational arrangements at national and institutional level.
We invite you to read the full publication, “Towards a Joint European Degree: Perspectives from across the ECIU Alliance”, which presents the detailed findings of the study and recommendations for the further development of joint educational initiatives. The study and publication were prepared by Dr Dorota Piotrowska, Dr Maria Plucińska, Jolanta Jagiełło, Agata Kostrzewa and Marta Rybicka.
This activity was carried out under the European Universities Support Programme, financed from European Union funds as part of the project “Support for European Universities Alliances,” project number FERS.01.05-IP.08-0219/23.