On Friday 14 March, the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) published a report on the state of university cooperation in Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses. This programme, funded by the European Commission, was launched at the start of the 2004-2005 academic year to extend Erasmus to non-European countries. Since then, it has led to the creation of 585 joint masters programmes run by international consortia.
The EACEA study takes stock of this collaboration and highlights the issues involved in implementing the joint integration of programmes, which is essential to their success.
A survey of 104 experts from 80 universities in 25 countries shows that certain aspects of Erasmus Mundus masters courses enjoy a high level of integration, in particular student admission and selection procedures, which are considered to be “highly or very highly joint” by 89% of respondents.
However, various limitations, such as the awarding of joint diplomas, appear to be obstacles stemming from legislative disparities between states, even though efforts to integrate programmes have major benefits.
Indeed, academic quality, the attractiveness of courses and cooperation between institutions are all enhanced.
The results in terms of student success are also significant, as shown by the graduation rate of over 95% observed in these masters programmes.
In order to contribute to this dynamic, the report identifies a series of levers such as the active involvement of stakeholders from the design stage of the programme, the establishment of shared governance between partners and investment in collaborative and trust-based processes.
The study also calls for open and continuous communication, as well as greater flexibility in the face of administrative constraints.
The key role of digital tools in facilitating cooperation is also highlighted. The EACEA recommends changes to the regulatory framework to remove the obstacles to awarding joint degrees and harmonise accreditation procedures.
It also calls for strong institutional and European support to guarantee the long-term future of the Erasmus Mundus model. Among the avenues to be explored, the report mentions the creation of a single European degree, which could be a major step towards even greater academic integration.
To read the report, go to https://aeur.eu/f/fz1 (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)