On December 2nd, the ENHANCE Steering Committee and Core Officers, as well as representatives from the ENHANCE Operational Office, gathered in Brussels for their final meeting of the year. As the governing body of the ENHANCE Alliance, the Steering Committee oversees all activities within the Alliance, including but not limited to the currently running ENHANCE+ education innovation project. Representatives from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport, and Culture (DG EAC) also joined the ENHANCE colleagues for the ENHANCE Dialogue – a fruitful exchange on the latest developments in the ENHANCE One Campus, and policy developments relating to the future of European University Alliances.
European Degree: Opportunities and Challenges
A core focus of discussions was the proposal for a European Degree (Label). Then acting Head of Unit ‘Higher Education’ at DG EAC, Tine Delva, outlined the latest developments and goals of the European Commission for the new initiative. Participants discussed the proposed features, and explored some of the outstanding questions and challenges, also reflecting on the learnings from the pilot projects such as JEDI, in which ENHANCE participated. ENHANCE is committed to an innovative joint education offer for its learners, and through the ENHANCE European Education Pathways Ecosystem has built a new approach to joint education based on pre-recognition. In this dialogue participants also exchanged on the latest developments to this ENHANCE approach and how together European University Alliances and the European Commission can work to drive progress towards the shared objectives of the European Education Area. ENHANCE will continue to monitor the developments of the European Degree (Label) closely and contribute to the policy conversations around this important initiative. As part of the ongoing ENHANCE+ project, the Alliance is also developing an ENHANCE Degree Label, to test this for science and engineering graduates of ENHANCE universities.
Insights from the European Commission
Tine Delva and her colleague Stefan Zotti, were invited to this ENHANCE meeting, to allow for exchange between ENHANCE leadership and the European Commission. Within the Commission, DG EAC oversees policies and funding initiatives related to education, including the Erasmus+ programme, which supports European University Alliances like ENHANCE. Delva and Zotti’s participation provided valuable insights into the Commission’s vision for the future of European higher education, reinforcing the strategic alignment between ENHANCE and EU priorities. Alongside the European Degree, points of discussion included a possible legal instrument for alliances, and securing a sustainable future for alliance funding.
ENHANCE+ Project Updates
While the Steering Committee oversees all Alliance initiatives, this meeting also included updates on specific activities within ENHANCE+, the Alliance’s education innovation project. Current developments and strategic questions were presented by two Work Packages in the ENHANCE+ One Campus Cluster, namely:
- WP8: New Formats and Frameworks (led by Warsaw University of Technology)
- WP9: IT Infrastructure and Services (led by RWTH Aachen and co-led by ETH Zurich)
These teams outlined essential next steps, including partner universities’ required actions for the ENHANCE IT Infrastructure Pre-Master Plan.
Future Alliance Strategy
The Steering Committee then engaged in a dynamic discussion on ENHANCE’s strategic planning beyond 2025. The Steering Committee is set to reconvene next month to finalise recommendations for the Board of Directors. For a deeper dive into this topic, Ana-Marija (ENHANCE Strategy Officer) has prepared a comprehensive (internal) paper, “Towards a Long-Term Strategy for the ENHANCE Alliance.” ENHANCE leadership will in the coming months prioritise strategic actions and policy recommendations for the Alliance.
We extend our gratitude to Massimo Busuoli and his team at the NTNU Brussels Office for hosting this productive and insightful gathering.
