The European Degree – Integrated Learning Objectives of the European University Initiative

Introduction 

When Emanuel Macron boldly claimed in 2017 that we must create the ‘European University’, built on networks of international academic connections, what was envisioned? How can students expect to take up sociology in Ghent, economics in Barcelona, and then learn French in Marseille? To understand what he was inferring, this article will firstly explore a history of the European University Initiatives (EUI) and identify the vision of this Europe-wide strategy. Furthermore, it will discuss the opportunities for collaboration for higher and further education students across Europe. This article will create a balanced argument for the EUI, drawing on both its advantages and limitations. While collaborative university-level programmes initiated several years ago, this article will focus on the prospect of further integration in formal learning. Finally, this article will discuss the significance of engaging with the EUI on a national level, focusing on Ireland as a case of success in this regard. The goal of this research paper is to highlight the EUI project and the benefits it may bring to students in participating universities. Likewise, it hopes to shed light on the plan to improve education mobility and create an imagination for the future of the higher education sector. Overall, this article should urge a reader to explore the opportunities within their local institution and maximise the potential of their alliance, should they have one. 

History of The European Universities Initiative (EUI) 

Firstly, the concept of the European university was first recorded in 1948 by German economist Alfred Müller-Armack who believed European integration would require  ‘community of the intelligence’ in order to be completed (Gunn, 2020; p.14). However, the purpose of the European University was contentious, there were tensions around whether this was an advancement of technology and industry, or of identity and European culture. This clashing ideology was dragged out across the second half of the 20th century, with slow progress being made on the concept. It was then shelved due to

its organisational challenges and competing interpretations in the 1950s. It wasn’t until Macron’s 2017 pro-European address that the concept of the European university was reinvigorated. 

I believe we should create European Universities—a network of universities across Europe with programs that have all their students study abroad and take classes in at least two languages. These European Universities will also be drivers of educational innovation and the quest for excellence. We should set for ourselves the goal of creating at least 20 of them by 2024. However, we must begin setting up the first of these universities as early as the next academic year, with real European semesters and real European diplomas (Macron, 2017). 

This vision was widely embraced, with the EU forming the ‘Strengthening European Identity through Education and Culture’ report later that year (Gunn, 2020). This document’s focal point was the initiation of the European Education Area, which would be founded on the basis of equal and fair educational opportunities. 

The first call for pilot schemes of the European University Alliance closed in February 2019, with 54 applications for potential alliances (Gunn, 2020). The European University scheme subsequently piloted in June 2019, with 17 participating alliances from over 100 different institutions. However, it is important to note that institutional alliances are not only a European phenomenon but arise globally in forming more competitive education. The EUI is “novel in that it clearly signals an interest in an integrated use of the instruments at the disposal” of the Commission and further demonstrates the potential for transnational education beyond the Erasmus+ program (Maassen et al., 2023; p.954). Several vision statements were drawn to outline what a ‘successful’ alliance could look like by 2025. These expectations included; “shared, integrated, long-term joint strategy for education with links to research and innovation and society at large”, an inter-university virtual or physical ‘campus’, and “European knowledge-creating teams of students, academics, and other parties of relevance to the alliances, to address societal and other challenges in a multi-disciplinary approach” (Gunn, 2020; p.18). Furthermore, it was proposed that students should be able to confidently speak two languages by 2024, though the success of this is questionable.

Advantages and Disadvantages 

The EUI is a significant milestone in the EU’s history, as it marks a defiant ability to overcome social and political obstacles which prevented its launch nearly 70 years ago. It is important to consider what prompted its success, drawing on the focal objectives of the EUI. On one hand, the EUI would strengthen European identity by bringing together a new generation of Europeans. In a time of rising extremist ideology, unifying education may serve to overcome these contentions. Fostering integration of work and culture in an open learning environment would promote intersections of academia and identity for the contemporary students of Europe. On the other hand, improving the quality of overall European education from an international competition perspective was a contributing factor towards the success of this initiative. Harmonising established educational standards across the EU will boost its attractiveness, and will make best use of the pedagogy available in member countries (Gunn, 2020). This cross-border collaboration serves to achieve the EC’s goals in ameliorating education across the EU and foster further international cooperation. Beyond the skills gained from this transnational opportunity, the EU recognises how education assimilates culture and fosters a sense of belonging economically and socially (Maassen et al., 2023). The transnational educational experience is a catalyst for the consolidation of assimilated identity under the canopy of cosmopolitanism. This has thus far been achieved with traditionally self-sustaining models of programmes, including student mobility through the Erasmus+ programme and by offering joint degrees “to enhance university integration” (Maassen, 2023; p. 955). 

However, it is crucial to approach this concept with a critical lens. Maasenn et al. ‘s (2023) research examined the organisational challenges of the alliances through a myriad of interviews and surveys with partners. This qualitative study identified four key challenges from an operational perspective; cultural characteristics, commitment, conflict resolution, and coordination. This passage will briefly discuss a couple of these drawbacks. Cultural characteristics were identified as a potential weakness in the alliances, relating to the norms and values of different institutions, and their ability to collaborate with international partners. Too much deviance from comparable values may lead to unnecessary tensions and the benefit of the alliance may be lost (Maasenn et al. 2023). Additionally, varying levels of commitment to engaging is a critical area of disagreement. Should funding for the alliance be reduced, or a more attractive alternative alliance appear, there is anxiety around universities withdrawing from the

partnerships (Maasenn et al., 2023). While this research is beneficial to acknowledging the internal operational challenges of alliance engagement, the next section will focus on other key stakeholders which have been negated in previous studies. 

One such further consideration may be environmental sustainability, given the need for cross-border travel and reliance on digital tools for the initiative to succeed. This factor was seldom considered in the 2025 analysis of the alliances project but is a concern of environmentalists. Likewise, pan-European education hinges on investment from students at a disproportionate rate, an affliction which perpetuates inequality for disadvantaged top-performers. The oversight of socio-economic disparity can fall short of achieving ‘seamless mobility’ and lacks the financial solidarity required to promote cross-border exchanges. Despite existing mobility grants, such as the Erasmus+ programme which is only mildly adjusted for cost of living, there is an inefficient redistributive mechanism for students of low socio-economic backgrounds. In the interest of educational equity, the EUI must seek wider provisions for equality of outcomes through fair income distribution and deeper consideration for fair educational success. Overall, this project has seen numerous benefits to national and international economies, boosting educational attainment, yet, it is crucial to be aware of the potential disadvantages in engaging in these programmes from a student’s lens. As the key stakeholder in cross-national education, additional research on the burdens and opportunities for young scholars is critical.   

Towards a European Degree 

The European Commission hopes that the EUI project will foster long-term deep-seated cooperation between participating alliances. The European Degree will be accredited on a European-level at Bachelor, Masters, and Doctoral level to unify the education experience for third level students (European Education Area, 2024). This initiative will be hugely advantageous to all stakeholders; from students to employers. The objective of the European Degree is to improve competitiveness of the European workforce by equipping students with the optimal tools across member states. Furthermore, this degree will be a symbol of European identity and create a deeper sense of belonging and community across borders. The European Degree is currently in its development phase, being prepared by a European degree policy lab (European Education Area, 2024). 

The EC’s 2025 report ‘European Universities initiative – outcomes and transformational potential’ provides a reflection on the accomplishments of EUI thus far and the aspirations of the initiative going forward. In particular, it highlights the significant advantage of including students in the governance processes of the alliances (European Commission, 2025). Looking ahead, the report states that better outreach programmes and activities are essential to maximise the potential benefits of EUI and to further integrate actions by alliances. The EC has already achieved many of the goals first outlined in their strategy. For example, in 2024, there were 65 active alliances, engaging over 130 educational institutions which exceeded the goal of 60 alliances by mid-2040 (European Education Area, 2024). The future of the EUI is promising, with student visibility and mobility at the forefront of the project. 

Future of European Education in Ireland 

Moreover, this initiative has been particularly successful in Ireland, with 13 higher education institutions being members of an alliance, making up 42% of all Higher Education Institutions (IUA, 2023 & European Commission, 2025). The significant engagement on this project demonstrates how an already competitive workforce is seeking further academic advantage. Ireland ranks top 5 in terms of participation, with France leading this movement with 62% participation (European Commission, 2025). This signals an unequivocal commitment to innovation and international competitiveness. This pursuit is strongly supported by the Irish Government, with Minister O’Donovan providing an additional 2.3 million euro to participating alliances in December 2024 (Dept. of Higher Education, 2024). This funding supports further collaboration and engagement from students, academics, and faculty. This funding also coincides with additional resourcing for innovation and technology research in Ireland, which shows an interlinked approach to boosting the Irish economy and workforce. 

“EUA membership allows Irish universities to harness the collective potential of their partners in delivering the objectives of Global Citizens 2030 – Ireland’s International Talent and Innovation Strategy. This ensures Ireland is an effective contributor in the delivery of the EU’s long-term joint strategies.” (Dept. of Higher Education, 2024) 

While Ireland stands as a strong advocate for the alliances, there remains some spatial disparity in engagement which needs to be addressed by the EC. The Europe Commission’s (2025) report acknowledges the geographical disparity of engagement within alliances but does not outline the undercurrent of mobility restrictions caused by socioeconomic differences. 

Conclusion 

Overall, this article shed some light on the significance of educational mobility and its influence on the future of academic resourcing. More importantly, discussing EUIs allows for greater attention to be drawn to the significance of a transition towards transnational education. With a contended history, the EUI proved that education is an intersection of development and culture, a sensitive line which needs to be treated carefully when integrating international partners. Maasenn et al. (2023) successfully tackle the complexity of assessing the limitations of engaging in a multicultural learning environment. Likewise, the article explores the success of EUI in Ireland, demonstrated by its exceptional engagement with European partners. The future of the European degree remains uncertain, but there is great opportunity for wider collaboration and deeper understanding of European integration and culture. 

References 

Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation, and Science . (2024, December 19). Minister O’Donovan announces additional funding for universities to support their participation in EU alliances. Www.gov.ie. https://www.gov.ie/ga/preasraitis/fb121-minister-odonovan-announces-additio 

nal-funding-for-universities-to-support-their-participation-in-eu-alliances/ European Commission. (2025). Report on the outcomes and transformational potential of the European Universities initiative. Publications Office of the European Union. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2766/32313 

European Education Area. (2024, December 19). The Commission presents a blueprint for a European degree. European Education Area. https://education.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-presents-a-blueprint-for-a-eu ropean-degree#Blueprint 

European Education Area. (2025, January 25). Timeline and future developments – European Universities initiative – European Education Area. Education.ec.europa.eu. https://education.ec.europa.eu/education-levels/higher-education/european-uni versities-initiative/timeline

Gunn, A. (2020). The European Universities Initiative: A Study of Alliance Formation in Higher Education. Springer EBooks, 13–30. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56316-5_2 

Irish University Alliance (IUA). (2023, October 17). European Universities Initiative. Irish Universities Association. https://www.iua.ie/ourwork/internationalisation/european-universities-initiative/ 

Maassen, P., Stensaker, B., & Rosso, A. (2022). The European university alliances—an examination of organizational potentials and perils. Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00951-4 

Macron, E. (2017, September 26). President Macron gives a speech on a new initiative for Europe. Elysee.fr. https://www.elysee.fr/en/emmanuel-macron/2017/09/26/president-macron-gi ves-speech-on-new-initiative-for-europe