National differences hinder development of European degrees

Significant obstacles remain to the introduction of European joint degrees, according to a European Commission survey of ten Erasmus+ pilot projects. Barriers include incompatible national rules on curriculum structure, duration, teaching languages and recognition of blended and online learning.

Even rules governing the thickness of the diploma paper can stand in the way.

The heart of the problem is that education is largely a national competence. Different rules hinder efforts to collaborate. “The more partner universities that want to get involved, the more complex it gets,” the report says.

Despite this, the Commission insists it is worth the effort. An EU system for awarding joint degrees would create unprecedented opportunities to boost excellence and improve the competitiveness of higher education in Europe.

There are two main forms a European degree could take. It could be awarded to students of joint courses that meet certain criteria, meaning students receive a European degree label certificate alongside their degree.

Alternatively, a new European degree qualification could be enshrined in national legislation and awarded jointly by universities in different countries. 

A label would be easier to introduce but would not solve the problem of incompatible national rules, meaning it is more likely to be seen as an interim step. 

“A meaningful label phase, i.e. a label embedded in law to facilitate the legal framework for joint programmes, could pave the way for a future European degree,” said Kurt Willems, professor in education law at KU Leuven and coordinator of ED-AFFICHE, one of the pilot projects covered in the report.

However, he rejected the report’s suggestion of a dual approach, with EU member states that are quicker to implement reforms able to progress at a faster pace. This risks misalignments and even conflicting approaches that would result in further complexities, he said.

The pilot projects also highlight the need for dedicated EU and national funding to develop joint degrees. “Ideally, every new initiative would bring in an additional budget to the Erasmus+ programme,” said Ivana Didak, head of higher education policy at the Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities.

Commission plans

In March 2024, the Commission presented a blueprint for the creation of a European degree, drawing on early results from the pilot projects, and presented criteria that several of them had developed together.

Proposals include a policy lab to develop guidelines for a European degree; an annual European degree forum to take stock of progress; and Erasmus+ support for pathway projects to design joint degrees that meet the criteria, to be launched in 2025.

Willems welcomed the blueprint, but said there is still a lot of work to be done. “We want the European degree to be meaningful and ambitious in order to facilitate smooth transnational cooperation between higher education institutions. This means strong coordination from the European Commission is needed.”

While the blueprint will benefit universities, legislative hurdles to joint programmes will only be removed if there is “more decisive action towards a shared competence of the European Commission and member states in higher education,” said Peter Lievens, vice rector of international policy at KU Leuven. Lievens was the lead author of a recent paper on the European Universities alliances by the League of European Research Universities.

Meanwhile, a clear distinction is needed between the European degree and a potential legal status for these alliances, Lievens said. 

Both initiatives are on the agenda of European Commissioner Roxana Mînzatu, who told MEPs during her confirmation hearing that she wants to explore all potential options for a European degree, including a label and a fully-fledged degree.