The Student-centred Higher Education Innovation for the Future of Teaching (SHIFT) project’s primary goal is to transform higher education by embedding student-centred learning methodologies and developing flexible academic pathways that respond to students' needs and labour market demands. This mission aligns directly with the core priorities of the Erasmus+ Programme and the European Education Area, specifically contributing to the implementation of the European Degree and the strengthening of student-centred teaching.

Through a combination of research, training, stakeholder dialogue, and policy advocacy, the SHIFT project aims to address the challenges of academic rigidity, skills mismatches, and the limited recognition of learning outcomes from mobility experiences.

The project has five key objectives:

• Labour Market Alignment: Assessing the alignment between higher education outcomes and labour market needs to improve the understanding of soft and hard skills required for graduate employability.
• Methodological Innovation: Investigating learning and teaching methodologies to develop a structured model for implementing and assessing student-centred learning in transnational higher education.
• Capacity Building for Staff: Strengthening the capacity of academic coordinators and professors to design and implement flexible academic pathways and inclusive pedagogical practices through co-creation processes.
• Student Empowerment: Enhancing the capacity of students to actively engage in and advocate for the co-creation of their own education at institutional, national, and alliance levels.
• Policy Advancement: Fostering dialogue and influencing policy developments at European, national, and institutional levels to ensure student-centred education becomes an embedded and sustainable practice.

The SHIFT project focuses on bridging the gap between higher education and the labour market by fostering "trialogues" and structured cooperation between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), students, and employers. Its mission is to drive a holistic transformation of the student experience, supporting institutions as they transition toward more flexible, inclusive, and internationally connected learning models that enhance student agency and employability across Europe.

The project is coordinated by the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) AISBL. Project partners include the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA), the Institute for the Development of Education (IDE), the European Students' Union (ESU), ECIU University (ECIU), the University of Poitiers (UPoitiers), and the University of Oviedo (UniOvi).