Call: Pilot a joint European degree label

Erasmus+ 2021-2027 is the EU Programme in the fields of education, training, youth and sport, which are key areas that support citizens in their personal and professional development. High quality, inclusive education and training, as well as informal and non-formal learning, ultimately equip young people and participants of all ages with the qualifications and skills needed for their meaningful participation in democratic society, intercultural understanding and successful transition in the labour market. Spending time in another country to study, to learn and to work should become the standard, while speaking two other languages in addition to ones’ mother tongue should be the norm.

Objectives

The general objective of the Programme is to support, through lifelong learning, the educational, professional and personal development of people in education, training, youth and sport, in Europe and beyond, thereby contributing to sustainable growth, quality jobs and social cohesion, to driving innovation, and to strengthening European identity and active citizenship.

The Programme has the following specific objectives:

• promote learning mobility of individuals and groups, as well as cooperation, quality, inclusion and equity, excellence, creativity and innovation at the level of organisations and policies in the field of education and training;
• promote non-formal and informal learning mobility and active participation among young people, as well as cooperation, quality, inclusion, creativity and innovation at the level of organisations and policies in the field of youth;
• promote learning mobility of sport staff, as well as cooperation, quality, inclusion, creativity and innovation at the level of sport organisations and sport policies.

Priorities

Inclusion and Diversity

The programme seeks to increase the qualitative impact of its actions and to ensure equal opportunities. To this end, the programme will reach out to people of different ages and from diverse cultural, social and economic backgrounds. It will focus on people with fewer opportunities, including those with disabilities, educational difficulties, or a migrant background, as well as those living in rural and remote areas.

Digital Transformation

In line with the Digital Education Action Plan’s priorities, the programme will develop accessible and high-quality digital learning, foster the capacity of teachers, trainers and youth workers, etc. to use digital tools and content, test and promote distance, as well as blended learning. The mobility actions of the programme will provide an increased number of opportunities to acquire and develop digital skills through initiatives such as the Digital Opportunity Traineeships scheme. The implementation of the programme will be significantly digitalised and simplified for participants, in particular through the European Student Card initiative and a revamped IT architecture for beneficiaries and implementing bodies.

Environment and fight against climate change

In line with the European Green Deal, the programme will lead by example, by encouraging participants to use lower-carbon transport as an alternative to flying. Erasmus funding will also be channelled into building up knowledge and understanding of sustainability and climate action, so that Europeans acquire the world-leading competences needed to create sustainable societies, lifestyles and economies.

Participation in democratic life

The Programme addresses the citizens’ limited participation in its democratic processes and their lack of knowledge about the European Union, and tries to help them overcome the difficulties in actively engaging and participating in their communities or in the Union's political and social life. Strengthening citizens’ understanding of the European Union from an early age is crucial for the Union’s future.

Objectives

The general objective of this call for proposals is to test and explore deeper transnational cooperation instruments to further develop a genuinely European dimension in the higher education sector, built on shared values, as mentioned in the European strategy for universities presented by the Commission on 18 January 2022 and as confirmed in the Council Conclusions on a European strategy empowering higher education institutions for the future of Europe and the Council recommendation on building bridges for effective European higher education cooperation, adopted on 5 April 2022.

The specific objective of this topic is to allow alliances of higher education institutions  and national authorities to examine, test and facilitate the delivery of a joint European degree label, based on a common set of co-created European criteria5 (see Call Annex). The aim is to encourage, where appropriate, and make it easier for higher education institutions engaged in transnational cooperation, to provide joint programmes and award joint degrees, in accordance with the Bologna instruments, as well as to take further steps to recognise the value of innovative transnational learning experiences and to increase the visibility, attractiveness and reputation, both in Europe and beyond, of joint programmes provided by alliances of European higher education institutions.

This includes:

• Exploring and testing the relevance of these criteria for establishing a label which acknowledges the European and transnational experiences in a joint transnational programme leading to a higher education qualification at all levels (European Qualification Frameworks – EQF – (level 6, 7, 8) and the feasibility of their use;
• Exploring and recommending possible optimisation of the proposed set of criteria in view of maximizing the attractiveness and potential impact of such a joint European degree label;
• Elaborating proposals, in cooperation with the relevant national, regional and/or institutional authorities, aiming to facilitate the development and implementation of joint degrees in Europe. This would include proposing an approach that could be commonly agreed on for the delivery of joint degrees based on co-created European criteria by European countries at all education levels. These proposals should take into account the existing instruments developed by the Bologna Process, such as e.g. the European approach for quality assurance of joint programmes, and reflect on the potential need for updating these tools.

The testing is expected to take place on a significant sample of existing joint programmes implemented by alliances and other consortia of higher education institutions (such as European Universities alliances, Erasmus Mundus consortia, Marie Skłodowska-Curie consortia and other types of transnational cooperation partnerships), in close cooperation with relevant national, regional and/or higher education institutions authorities.

Scope

This call will allow alliances of higher education institutions and national authorities to examine, test and facilitate, on a voluntary basis, the delivery of a joint European degree label, based on common criteria. Later on, the possible design and delivery, on a voluntary basis, at national, regional or institutional level, of joint degrees at all levels, based on these co-created European criteria, could be envisaged, in accordance with the existing instruments of the Bologna Process.

Expected impact

The proposed pilot projects are expected to lead to significant results and impacts in terms of:

• Improved knowledge and evidence base in the field of design and implementation of transnational joint degree programmes with potentially high systemic impact in the higher education ecosystem;
• Demonstrated European added value by identifying and sharing good practices and lessons on how to develop high quality and recognised joint degree programmes at all levels, and in all fields and disciplines, compliant with a common set of co-created European criteria;
• Ensured transferability of conclusions by testing the applicability of a common approach for the delivery of transnational joint degree programmes in different national contexts;
• Ensured scalability by involving a wide range of actors, including those facing barriers in the delivery of joint degree programmes, and by proposing recommendations for the possible design and delivery, on a voluntary basis, at national, regional or HEI level, of joint degrees at all levels, based on the co-created European criteria.

In order to be eligible, the applicants must be:

• legal entities (public or private bodies)
• be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
  • Erasmus+ Programm Countiers (EU Member State and non-EU countries)
  • Non-EU countries: listed EEA countries and countries associated to the Erasmus+ Programme or countries which are in ongoing negotiations for an association agreement and where the agreement enters into force before grant signature (list of participating countries)
• The applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities if any) must be higher education institutions holding a valid Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE), and/or public or private organisations active in the fields of education and training or in other fields relevant to this policy experimentation call.
• Only Higher education institutions (HEIs) holding a valid Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE) can be coordinators of the project.

Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least 2 applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities), which complies with the following conditions:

• Minimum 2 eligible higher education institutions from 2 different eligible countries.

Proposal page limits and layout:

The application form will have two parts:

• Part A contains administrative information about the participants
• Part B contains the technical description of the project
• mandatory annexes and supporting documents:
  • detailed budget table

Page limit - Part B: 40 pages

The available call budget is EUR 1,000,000.

The grant parameters (maximum grant amount, funding rate, total eligible costs, etc.) will be fixed in the Grant Agreement. Project budget (maximum grant amount): EUR 200,000 per project.

European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) - https://www.eacea.ec.europa.eu/index_en

Since 2006, the European Education and Culture Executive Agency has been a catalyst for projects in education, training, youth, sport, audiovisual, culture, citizenship and humanitarian aid. On behalf of the European Commission, EACEA strives to foster innovation in these areas, always in a spirit of cross-border cooperation and mutual respect.

EACEA are project managers, facilitators of knowledge exchange, and supporters of European projects that connect people and cultures.

National Agencies

To bring Erasmus+ as close as possible to the participants and make sure it works well across different countries, the EU works with National Agencies to manage the programme.

The National Agencies are based in Programme Countries and their role involves

• providing information on Erasmus+
• selecting projects to be funded
• monitoring and evaluating Erasmus+
• supporting applicants and participants
• working with other National Agencies and the EU
• promoting Erasmus+
• sharing success stories and best practices

The list of National Agencies can be found here. Countries not in the list of Programme countries may alternately have a National Erasmus+ Office.

National Erasmus+ Offices

National Erasmus+ Offices (NEOs) assist the European Commission and local authorities in the implementation of Erasmus+ in certain Partner Countries.

These countries are located in the Western Balkans, the Eastern and Southern Mediterranean and Central Asia. Russia also has a National Office.

Providing information on Erasmus+, monitoring and evaluating funded projects, assisting applicants and participants, supporting policy dialogue and maintaining contact with local authorities and EU Delegations are among the responsibilities of the NEOs.

The list of National Erasmus+ Offices is available on the website of the Education, Culture, and Audiovisual Executive Agency.