More than 260 people followed online and in presence the event Towards the European Degree: Exploring Pathways through Joint Labels, Best Practices, and Policy Innovation, organised by UNITA and CIVIS alliances on 27 November 2025 at the Brussels Institute for Advanced Studies (BrIAS).
The event gathered a quite diverse group of participants: about 30 people joined on site, including representatives from the European Commission, FOREU4ALL, several European University Alliances, students and different higher education quality agencies. In addition, the meeting was followed online by more than 230 people on Zoom and YouTube, showing how much attention this topic is receiving at European level.
The day started with welcome remarks from representatives of the European Commission, the CIVIS and UNITA alliances, and FOREU4ALL. One of the most appreciated contributions came from Kinga Szuly, Head of Higher Education Policy at the European Commission, whose presence underlined the political relevance of the Joint European Degree.
The plenary session helped clarify the current state of the Joint European Degree Label, as well as how it connects to the wider European system of quality assurance and recognition.
Later in the morning, a roundtable discussion focused on how institutions can prepare for the new label. Participants shared experiences already being tested within some alliances, and quality agencies explained what they consider essential to ensure clear and reliable evaluation processes.
The afternoon sessions presented several case studies: the UNITA Label initiative – described as a useful tool to strengthen common identity and support innovation inside the alliance -, the microcredentials in ENHANCE – useful to create flexible learning pathways that fit into the broader vision of the European Degree. Representatives from the FOREU4ALL Student-led community explained what transnational learning means from a student perspective and why it matters for the future. The CIVIS TRACEE Master Programme was also introduced as an example of how an alliance is trying to design programmes that are ready for the new European context.
Overall, the event showed that there is strong motivation across Europe to move towards a more integrated and accessible higher education system. Both the in-person and online participation demonstrated that many institutions and individuals are eager to contribute to the development of the future European Degree and the opportunities it can offer to students and universities.
Follow the full registration of the event in the UNITA Youtube Channel.
