Future-proof Criteria for Innovative European Education

2026-07-22

The European degree label has the potential to strengthen the international, uniquely European dimension of educational provision in Europe. European University Alliances – as partnerships created for the very purpose of establishing innovative, transnational higher education systems – are in a unique position to pilot the application of the European degree label and contribute to policy discussions about its criteria, application methodology, legal frameworks and future developmental steps. In this project, three such European University Alliances join forces, represented by eight individual universities, with the aim of testing the concept of the European degree label. Hence, FOCI contributes to reinvigorating the discussion on the future of transnational European cooperation and integration in the field of higher education, and how to co-create, upscale and deepen the European dimension learning experiences for future generations of learners. The FOCI Consortium will do this by starting from the fundamental principles connecting partner universities and their EUI Alliances; openness, inclusivity and innovative approach. These principles will be manifest in the strong role of the stakeholders (students, university staff, national authorities, labour market representatives) within this project. Stakeholders will be essential both in determining the sectoral needs from the European degree label as a concept and in developing policy recommendations for future development. FOCI universities are also connected by their broad outlook and innovative approach to learning and teaching on the European level; therefore the consortium will use synergies within this project to additionally pilot the European degree label on a diverse set of units of learning. Finally, via dissemination and external partnerships, the FOCI consortium will engage in an in-depth policy dialogue and ensure that there is a tangible impact on the long-term development of the European degree.

Croatia

2025-10-01