The Erasmus Mundus programme has played a significant role in the development of joint programmes at European and national level since its establishment nearly 20 years ago. The Erasmus+ third application round under the current programme generation shows that the interest in the Erasmus Mundus Masters programmes remains high among higher education institutions. The current application levels match those at the end of the last programme period.

The Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) organised a meeting on 20 February 2023 for Finnish higher education institutions involved in Erasmus Mundus Master Programmes and Design Measures projects. The group discussions addressed various aspects of joint programme management and implementation, including grants, tuition fees, mobility paths, and curriculum structures. The participants concluded that the discussions between the Erasmus Mundus Joint Programmes in both the national and international setting are important to find solutions to common issues that limit the development of joint programmes and that could pave the way to a European joint degree label.

The digital dimension of joint programmes was in the focus of the final event jointly organised by the JPROV and GO-DJIP project consortia, bringing together universities from Finland, France, Italy, Norway, Portugal and Sweden. The conference “Digitalising joint programmes: The way(s) forward on the path towards Joint European Degrees”, held in Brussels on 15 March, brought together around 100 participants for critical discussions and reflections, building on the main project outcomes, including the GO-DIJIP AMPLIFIER platform – showcasing best practice examples of digital interaction in joint programmes via blog posts, Video Testimonials and a Handbook, and open to new contributions – as well as the JPROV Toolbox, related guidelines for embedding virtual elements in joint programmes and a Good practices Handbook.

Aiming to build on these successful activities, ACA is embarking on a new service contract for EACEA as part of a consortium with NTT DATA (consortium leader), DAAD (Brussels Office) and Tipik, to provide support to the Erasmus Mundus programme community in 2023-2027. A rich programme of physical and online activities encompassing peer learning events, setting up a community of practice, studies and much more is foreseen for the next few years. Stay tuned!

Read more on the event organised by EDUFI here!