The European Commission is moving forward with an ambitious proposal for a European degree — an initiative aimed at strengthening cross-border academic collaboration and improving the global competitiveness of European universities. Building on decades of integration efforts such as the Bologna Process and Erasmus Mundus, this initiative proposes a dual approach: an initial “European degree label” for joint degree programmes that meet EU-wide standards, followed by the later introduction of a full European degree awarded jointly by institutions from different countries.
This degree should simplify academic cooperation, ensure automatic recognition across EU member states and align education with the needs of the labour market — particularly in the green and digital sectors. Despite the challenges related to national regulations, legal frameworks and institutional readiness, pilot projects have shown promising potential.
Like many other European University Alliances, NEOLAiA continues to play an important role in trialling and shaping this initiative by actively participating in the development of joint degrees and micro-credentials.
