The European University for Well-Being (EUniWell), a European Universities alliance coordinated by the University of Cologne, has been awarded funding under the Erasmus+ funding line “Partnerships for Excellence: European Universities – European Degree exploratory action”, amounting to a grant of one million euros from the European Commission. The three-year project “Paving the way for a European Degree: Intensifying collaboration and accelerating transnational learning experiences in EUniWell and beyond” (PATH_ED) supports four existing joint and double-degree programmes, as well as two new joint-degree programmes in their efforts to meet the criteria for the Joint European Degree Label and obtain the award.
The Joint European Degree Label is a mark of quality for joint degree programmes offered by higher education institutions from several European countries that meet 16 specified criteria. These relate both to the joint organization of the programmes and to their European dimension, including transnational cooperation, mobility, multilingualism, inclusion and quality assurance. PATH_ED supports the EUniWell programmes in making the necessary adjustments to curricula, governance structures, mobility opportunities, and accreditation and quality assurance procedures.
Within PATH_ED, the University of Cologne is responsible for the overall coordination and is involved in four of the six degree programmes: the German-Italian Bachelor of Law, the German-Italian Master of Law, the new Master’s programme in Well-Being oriented Healthcare, and the planned Master’s programme in Environmental Humanities. The other two programmes are Global Peace, Justice and Well-Being, and International Finance. PATH_ED therefore covers a range of subject areas and levels of the European Qualifications Framework.
“I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to my colleague Professor Dr Busse and the EUniWell team on securing this EU funding. PATH_ED plays a key role in enabling us to offer joint European degree programmes of outstanding quality. I am particularly pleased that the coordination of this important task lies with our Vice Rectorate for Teaching and Studies,” says Professor Dr Joybrato Mukherjee, Rector of the University of Cologne.
“With PATH_ED, we are preparing six EUniWell degree programmes for the Joint European Degree Label, whilst at the same time gaining practical insights for further joint degree programmes in Europe,” says Professor Dr Beatrix Busse, Vice-Rector for Teaching and Studies at the University of Cologne, EUniWell Chief Development Officer and coordinator of PATH_ED. “Direct support for students is particularly important: scholarships, mobility grants and supporting services are intended to remove the financial and practical barriers to transnational degree programmes.“
A total of 500,000 euros has been earmarked for this direct financial assistance and the accompanying support services for students.
In addition, the University of Cologne will establish a university-wide platform for teaching and the Joint European Degree Label. A Spring School, coordinated by Team Q³ – Evaluation, Development & Accreditation – within the Vice-Rectorate for Teaching and Studies, aims to bring together quality assurance specialists, programme developers and other academics.
In addition to the University of Cologne, four other EUniWell universities are involved as project partners: the University of Florence, the University of Konstanz, the University of Murcia, and Nantes Université. The European Consortium for Accreditation in Higher Education (AQAS), the Swedish Higher Education Authority (UKÄ), and the Coimbra Group are also involved. The seven other EUniWell member universities – Inalco, Linnaeus, Semmelweis, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, the University of Birmingham, the University of Santiago de Compostela, and the Medical University of Warsaw, are participating as associate partners. The lessons learnt from the project will be summarized in workshops and training sessions, practical guides, a toolbox and a closing conference, and will be shared with national and European professional and policy networks.
Media Contact:
Professor Dr Beatrix Busse
Vice-Rector for Teaching and Studies, University of Cologne
EUniWell Chief Development Officer
beatrix.busse@uni-koeln.de
Dr Dorothee Groeger
Co-operation Officer for Research and Teaching
dorothee.groeger@uni-koeln.de
Press and Communications Team:
Mathias Martin
+49 221 470 1705
m.martin@verw.uni-koeln.de
Eva Laurie
EUniWell Head of Communications
University of Cologne
+49 221 470 76683
eva.laurie@uni-koeln.de
Further information:
www.euniwell.eu
Press Spokesperson: Dr Elisabeth Hoffmann – e.hoffmann@verw.uni-koeln.de
Media Contact
Mathias Martin
University of Cologne
m.martin@verw.uni-koeln.de
Office: +492214701705
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/Scientific community/Education/Educational programs/Special education
