Expanding the European Universities Initiative and establishing a joint European degree are at the heart of the European Strategy for Universities and recommendations for “building bridges for effective European higher education cooperation”, proposed by the European Commission (EC) on 18 January.
The objective is, by mid-2024, to focus on strengthening the European dimension in higher education through flagship initiatives “that will be for transnational cooperation what Erasmus+ has been for student mobility so far and Horizon Europe for excellent research: the visible expression of a distinctly European approach”.
The four flagship initiatives include the scaling-up of the European Universities Initiative to 60 alliances with up to 500 institutions involved in total, working towards establishing joint European degrees, the exploration of a legal statute for university alliances and the roll-out of the European Student Card.
Other objectives include to support universities as ‘lighthouses of our European way of life’, empower universities to be drivers of green and digital transition, and reinforce universities as drivers of the European Union’s global role and leadership.
“Through deeper international cooperation within Europe and beyond, support universities in becoming more outward looking and competitive on the global scene, and in contributing to the strengthening of higher education systems in partner countries, in line with European values.
“This will help in turn in boosting Europe’s attractiveness not only as a study destination, but also as an attractive global partner for cooperation in education, research and innovation,” the EC said in its proposal.
Source information:
https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20220121143311811