From 1 to 4 June 2025, the French city of Angers hosted intensive discussions, knowledge exchange, and joint planning of future activities within the EU GREEN Alliance in the field of education for 2025–2026.
Representatives of the EU GREEN Alliance’s WP2 working group, led by Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, met for the third time during the Staff Week. The event focused on collaboration in developing joint degree programmes, short learning programmes, and other educational initiatives within the alliance.
Five new joint degree proposals move forward
A key highlight of the meeting was the presentation of new joint degree proposals submitted during the second EU GREEN call. All proposals received support from at least three partner universities – the minimum requirement to proceed to the next stage.
Five proposals have been qualified for evaluation. The Selection Committee has until 10 June to complete its assessment, with results expected on 16 June 2025.
Lessons from the first round
One session was dedicated to sharing insights from teams that began developing joint degree programmes in the first round. They discussed both achievements and challenges, offering valuable guidance to new teams embarking on similar initiatives. WP2 members assured continued support during the implementation phase and committed to further assistance.
To support the new teams from the second call, WP2 will provide initial training in programme design and assign a dedicated WP2 expert to each team. These experts will help navigate legislative and organisational complexities such as tuition fees, admission criteria, programme structure, and accreditation procedures.
Quality over quantity
Discussions within the Joint Education Commission – comprising vice-rectors responsible for student and doctoral education and the development of teaching and academic staff – centred around quality assurance in education.
Key topics included the implementation of joint programmes and short learning programmes, issuing joint micro-credentials, and aligning curricula to enhance student mobility and integrate content related to the Sustainable Development Goals.
The commission also focused on improving programme selection procedures, refining learning outcomes, and ensuring the alliance’s educational offer remains coherent, unique, and of the highest quality.
Looking ahead
The meeting also led to concrete decisions and plans for the future, including:
- a new call for proposals for redesigning existing programmes will launch between September and October 2025,
- a new series of Masterclasses to enhance pedagogical and methodological competencies of academic staff will begin in the autumn 2025,
- the next edition of the “language cafés”, planned for the 2025/2026 academic year, will focus on underrepresented alliance languages such as Romanian, Swedish, and Polish,
- in 2026, guidelines for developing joint micro-credentials will be published, and the first call for proposals will be launched.
The Staff Week in Angers is further proof that EU GREEN is more than just joint projects – it is a space for collaboration, mutual support, and bold thinking about the future of European higher education in the spirit of sustainability.
