OBSERVARE

Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa

e-ISSN: 1647-7251

VOL. 16, Nº. 1, TD1

Thematic Dossier – Internationalization of Higher Education:

Experiences and Challenges

June 2025

THE EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION ALLIANCES: THE CHALLENGES OF

TRANSNATIONAL UNIVERSITY COOPERATION

CONCEPCIÓN ANGUITA-OLMEDO

canguita@ucm.es

Professor at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM, Spain)-Faculty of Political Science

and Sociology, Department of International Relations and Global History, since 2004, and

researcher at the Instituto Complutense de Estudios Internacionales (ICEI). She has held

different management positions: Vice-Dean of Master Studies and External Practices, Academic

Secretary of the Department, Coordinator of the MU in International Politics, Coordinator of the

MU in Defense and International Security Politics and Coordinator of the IR line of the Ph. D. in

Political Science and International Relations of the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences. Elected

representative of the UCM Senate and member of the Faculty Board. She has been granted

Professor Honoris Causa by the Brazilian Ministry of Defence at the proposal of the Escola de

Comando e Estado Maior do Exército do Brasil (ECEME-Rio de Janeiro). She has been awarded

the Cross of Military Merit with White Distinction by the Spanish Ministry of Defense. Visiting

Scholar at: Inter-American Defense College (Washington D.C.) (2022), U. of California at San

Diego (2019), U. of California at Los Angeles (2014). Short stays: U. de La Plata, U. de Lanús, U.

de Varsovia (Poland), U. Autónoma Lisboa, U. Coimbra, ECEME (Rio de Janeiro) and URAP

(Moscow). Concepción Anguita-Olmedo received her PhD by the Universidad Complutense de

Madrid in 1997.

Abstract

The European Higher Education Area has paved the way for a more inclusive and accessible

education by facilitating the mobility of teachers and students among universities adhering to

the Bologna Process framework. At the 2017 Gothenburg Summit, a further step was taken.

Since then, the European Commission has promoted the creation of European University

Alliances aimed at improving the quality of higher education through long-term cooperation

projects among institutions in the member states. In this context, the European Strategy for

Universities was presented in 2022, with four objectives: to strengthen the European

dimension of higher education, to consolidate universities as promoters of the European way

of life, to make universities key agents of change in the ecological and digital transition, and

to position universities as global leaders representing the EU. Achieving these goals

undoubtedly requires overcoming significant challenges, including funding, the establishment

of joint European degrees, the creation of a legal status for alliances, and international

mobility, among others. Therefore, this article will address the current characteristics of higher

education, considering not only the common objectives shared by the universities that form

the alliances but also the challenges they face in this new phase where joint degrees are being

implemented.

Keywords

European Higher Education Alliances, Transnational University Cooperation, Bologna Process,

Labor Competitiveness, Educational Mobility.

JANUS.NET, e-journal of International Relations

e-ISSN: 1647-7251

VOL. 16, Nº. 1, TD1

Thematic Dossier

Internationalization of Higher Education: Experiences and Challenges

June 2025, pp. 64-84

The European Higher Education Alliances: the Challenges of Transnational

University Cooperation

Concepción Anguita-Olmedo

Resumo

A consolidação do Espaço Europeu do Ensino Superior constituiu um marco fundamental na

promoção de uma educação mais inclusiva, acessível e integrada, favorecendo a mobilidade

de docentes e estudantes entre instituições universitárias aderentes ao quadro definido pelo

Processo de Bolonha. A Cimeira de Gotemburgo, realizada em 2017, representou um avanço

adicional neste percurso, ao estabelecer novas diretrizes para o fortalecimento da cooperação

no ensino superior a nível europeu. Desde então, a Comissão Europeia tem incentivado a

criação de Alianças Universitárias Europeias com o objetivo de elevar a qualidade do ensino

superior, através de projetos de cooperação estratégica e sustentada entre instituições

europeias de ensino superior. Neste quadro, foi apresentada, em 2022, a Estratégia Europeia

para as Universidades, centrada em quatro objetivos estruturantes: (1) reforçar a dimensão

europeia do ensino superior; (2) consolidar o papel das universidades enquanto promotoras

dos valores e do modo de vida europeus; (3) posicionar as universidades como agentes

catalisadores da transição ecológica e digital; e (4) afirmar as instituições de ensino superior

como líderes globais representativas da União Europeia. A concretização destes objetivos

implica, inevitavelmente, a superação de diversos desafios de natureza estrutural, jurídica e

financeira. Entre os mais prementes destacam-se o financiamento sustentável das iniciativas,

a implementação de diplomas conjuntos europeus, a criação de um estatuto jurídico próprio

para as alianças universitárias e a facilitação da mobilidade internacional de estudantes e

profissionais do ensino. O presente artigo propõe-se, assim, a analisar as características

atuais do ensino superior europeu, com especial enfoque nos objetivos comuns definidos pelas

universidades participantes nas alianças e nos obstáculos que enfrentam na implementação

desta nova fase de integração académica, particularmente no que se refere ao

desenvolvimento e reconhecimento de diplomas conjuntos no espaço europeu.

Palavras-chave

Alianças Europeias De Ensino Superior, Cooperação Universitária Transnacional, Processo de

Bolonha, Competitividade Laboral, Mobilidade Educativa.

How to cite this article

Anguita-Olmedo, Concepción (2025). The European Higher Education Alliances: the Challenges of

Transnational University Cooperation. Janus.net, e-journal of international relations. Thematic

Dossier - Internationalization of Higher Education: Experiences and Challenges. VOL. 16, Nº. 1,

TD1. June 2025, pp. 64-84. DOI https://doi.org/10.26619/1647-7251.DT0325.5.

Article submitted on 16

April 2025 and accepted for publication on 6 May 2025.

JANUS.NET, e-journal of International Relations

e-ISSN: 1647-7251

VOL. 16, Nº. 1, TD1

Thematic Dossier

Internationalization of Higher Education: Experiences and Challenges

June 2025, pp. 64-84

The European Higher Education Alliances: the Challenges of Transnational

University Cooperation

Concepción Anguita-Olmedo

THE EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION ALLIANCES: THE

CHALLENGES OF TRANSNATIONAL UNIVERSITY COOPERATION

RESEARCH

CONCEPCIÓN ANGUITA-OLMEDO

Introduction

The European Commission has been promoting the creation of European University

Alliances since 2017, with the fundamental goal of improving educational quality,

enhancing the competitiveness of universities, and increasing the mobility of the entire

university community. Cooperation has become a key axis for adapting educational

offerings to the changes experienced by international society, thereby fostering the

employability of young people and promoting European values and identity.

The European Universities initiative was proposed by the Commission before the

Gothenburg Social Summit in November 2017, with the idea of creating a European

Education Area, with a timeline for implementation extending until 2025. Days later, in

the conclusions of the European Council on December 14 of that year, various proposals

were promoted, one of which was to "strengthen strategic partnerships between higher

education institutions throughout the EU," thereby promoting university networks

(Chaves, 2022). While considerable progress has been made in student mobility through

the Erasmus+ program, it was deemed necessary to take an additional step towards

achieving the Europeanization of university degrees.

In a context where the European Alliances for Higher Education must face significant

difficulties in achieving their objectives, it is worth asking what are the conditions that

the European Alliances for Higher Education face? Are the European Alliances prepared

to offer joint degrees? What challenges do European universities face in achieving

institutionalized cooperation? From a methodological standpoint, this article represents

a qualitative and exploratory investigation of the current situation, starting from the most

immediate past, in relation to the actions of the European Union in higher education and

looking ahead to 2024 with the achievements made. Additionally, the role of the

European Education Alliances and their challenges in improving educational quality and

the mobility of students and professors will be analyzed, which should undoubtedly lead

to better preparation to tackle the current and future challenges of the European labor

market.

JANUS.NET, e-journal of International Relations

e-ISSN: 1647-7251

VOL. 16, Nº. 1, TD1

Thematic Dossier

Internationalization of Higher Education: Experiences and Challenges

June 2025, pp. 64-84

The European Higher Education Alliances: the Challenges of Transnational

University Cooperation

Concepción Anguita-Olmedo

Therefore, it is necessary to consider the evolution of university policy in the current

context. The first part of this article provides an overview of the Bologna Process, from

its implementation to the present day. The second part presents a panorama that

analyzes what the European Strategy for Universities of 2022 has meant for higher

education. The third part of the article addresses the emergence of the European

Alliances for Higher Education; the fourth part presents the current challenges that

European higher education must face, and finally, some conclusions.

1. The Bologna Process. The European Higher Education Area

The beginning of a process of change and transformation in European universities started

to take shape in 1998 with the Sorbonne Declaration

, signed by the ministers

representing France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. This declaration was

inspired by the Magna Charta Universitatum (Observatory Magna Charta Universitatum)

adopted in Bologna ten years earlier. Its objective was to promote a European Higher

Education Area (EHEA), deepening and expanding the path initiated by the Erasmus+

program, which from its inception has fostered student and staff mobility.

The following year would be key to this achievement: in June 1999, twenty-nine

European representatives of education and science signed the Bologna Declaration

titled “The Europe of Knowledge”, to promote the convergence of national systems, thus

giving rise to the creation of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA)

, with a clearly

pan-European vocation. The Declaration, with a marked political or programmatic

character, outlined a series of objectives (international competitiveness, mobility, and

employability) and instruments

to achieve them, setting the year 2010 as the target

date for the construction of this area. Undoubtedly, this document, although it did not

establish legally binding commitments, was the starting point of a profound educational

reform to which states have had to adapt, a transformation that still continues. Since

then, 49 countries have joined this construction, whose benefits are shared by students,

Joint Declaration for the harmonization of the design of the European Higher Education System, 25 May 1998,

in https://ehea.info/page-ministerial-declarations-and-communiques (accessed 28 January 2025).

Signed by 400 rectors of European universities.

Joint Declaration of the European Ministers of Education meeting in Bologna on 19 June 1999, in

http://www.eees.es/pdf/Bolonia_ES.pdf (accessed 31 January 2025).

The Member States of the EHEA are, in chronological order, since 1999: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech

Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia,

Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,

Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom; since 2001: Croatia, Cyprus, Liechtenstein and Turkey; since

2003: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Holy See, the Russian See, Serbia and the Republic of

Macedonia; since 2005: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine; Montenegro (2007), Kazakhstan

(2010) and Belarus (2015), the Republic of San Marino (2020). The Principality of Monaco is the only member

of the Council of Europe that has not been integrated into the EHEA. Other States or territories have applied to

join the Bologna Process, but their candidacy has been rejected; namely, Israel, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo and the

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Due to the war between Ukraine and Russia, at the meeting held in

Strasbourg in April 2022, it was decided to suspend all representation rights of the Russian Federation and

Belarus, see: https://ehea.info/page-full_members (accessed 26 January 2025).

The instruments cover six aspects: adopting a transparent system of comparable grades; following a system

essentially based on two main cycles (undergraduate and postgraduate); developing the European Credit

System (ECTS); promote mobility; to promote European cooperation for the assurance of academic quality;

and to promote the European dimension in the university curriculum (Rodríguez Rodríguez, 2018).

JANUS.NET, e-journal of International Relations

e-ISSN: 1647-7251

VOL. 16, Nº. 1, TD1

Thematic Dossier

Internationalization of Higher Education: Experiences and Challenges

June 2025, pp. 64-84

The European Higher Education Alliances: the Challenges of Transnational

University Cooperation

Concepción Anguita-Olmedo

academics, technical, management and administrative staff, higher education institutions

themselves, and society at large.

In successive meetings—Prague (2001), Berlin (2003), Bergen (2005), London (2007),

Louvain-la-Neuve (2009), Budapest and Vienna (2010), Bucharest (2012), Yerevan

(2015), Paris (2018), Rome (2020), and Tirana (2024)—significant progress has been

made in this process, although the path has not been easy. National and academic-

institutional resistance makes the process even more complex. It is important to

remember that "education is closely linked to issues of national, cultural, and linguistic

identity, and is crucial in responding to social needs and the demands of the economic

and productive system” (Valle, 2006, p. 263), in addition to presenting difficulties arising

from the structural changes necessary to implement methodologies based on student

self-learning (Delgado Martínez, 2019). In this sense, it is essential to consider that these

new methodologies must combine theoretical knowledge with the acquisition of skills,

where both teacher and student participation are fundamental (Calvo & Mingorance-

Arnáiz, 2009).

The Bologna Process cannot be understood without recognizing its connection to two

major vectors of change that occurred in society at the end of the 20th century. The first

vector is related to economic, political, technological, social, and cultural transformation;

the second, to the expansion of the European Union and the emergence of European

citizenship. Therefore:

“Bologna becomes comprehensible in the transition from the ‘modern’ society to the

‘knowledge’ society, taking both concepts—modernity and knowledge society—as

synthesis-concepts, to describe in one case the society resulting from the combined

action of the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, and the Liberal Political

Revolutions, and in the other, the society shaped at the end of the 20th century by the

combined effect of various processes” (Bajo Santos, 2010, p. 434).

At the core of this process lies the idea that university must be the driving force behind

research and innovation and therefore must undergo the necessary changes to adapt to

new times in which quality and excellence enable future professionals to develop the

skills needed to perform in a globalized world that is completely different from that of the

20th century.

Therefore, the Bologna Process requires, among other things, that European universities

strive to adapt not only from an academic-curricular perspective but also structurally, as

without this, its goals cannot converge. The curricular adaptation required universities to

adopt a three-cycle structure, with widespread use of the ECTS (European Credit Transfer

System)

. Although this system existed long before the Bologna Process—as it allowed

for student mobility and the validation and equivalency of studies within the Erasmus

European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). A unit of measurement of study or work and of

the competences or learning outcomes acquired. The ECTS is based on the student's effort (not only the hours

of face-to-face classes are counted, but also the necessary time to be dedicated to the preparation of practical

tests or, where appropriate, laboratory, readings or partial and final exams). It was implemented in 2010,

although the "ECTS User Guide" was approved at the Yerevan Conference (Armenia) in 2015, becoming the

reference document. In this sense, each ECTS would correspond to 25 hours of student dedication, of which

only 10 would be face-to-face.

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e-ISSN: 1647-7251

VOL. 16, Nº. 1, TD1

Thematic Dossier

Internationalization of Higher Education: Experiences and Challenges

June 2025, pp. 64-84

The European Higher Education Alliances: the Challenges of Transnational

University Cooperation

Concepción Anguita-Olmedo

program—its implementation has been one of the most important reforms adopted by

universities. The widespread use of ECTS has led to educational harmonization, removing

obstacles to the recognition of studies, facilitating the comparability of education

systems, and paving the way for what was still to come: the European Degree.

This transformation would become a fundamental pillar not only to facilitate the

recognition of studies between universities, but also for the new design of curricula, as it

became a precondition for their structure. This unit of measurement (ECTS) also

introduced an innovation in the recognition of teaching work, as it began to account not

only for classroom teaching hours, but also for the time a professor dedicates to

preparing, organizing, guiding, and supervising students’ work outside the classroom. As

a result, this change in the unit of measurement inevitably led to the adoption of a new

educational model, centered on self-directed learning and student activities, as well as

on independent work to achieve learning outcomes, rather than on content and the

number of hours taught by instructors.

It was at the ministerial meeting in Bergen

, in 2005, that the generic descriptors for the

key levels of the EHEA were adopted: Bachelor’s degree (replacing the traditional

“licenciatura”), Master’s degree (with variations like “Maestría” or “Magister”), and the

Doctorate. The Bachelor’s degree, depending on the country, could have a duration of

three years (180 ECTS) or four years (240 ECTS). The Master’s degree required at least

60 ECTS, typically ranging between 60 and 120 ECTS, and could have three orientations:

academic specialization, professional training, or initiation to research. To get a

Doctorate, a student must have completed 300 ECTS, of which at least 60 must come

from a Master’s program (Valle, 2006).

Likewise, one of the principal issues addressed in the various meetings is the need to

adopt common quality standards. In this regard, it becomes clear that to advance the

EHEA, it is necessary to adopt “common criteria for evaluation, accreditation of studies,

and mutual recognition” (García Gallego & Blanco Alonso, 2007). In the year 2000, the

European Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) was established.

Just a year later, at the Prague meeting (2001), a call was made for universities, other

higher education institutions, national agencies, and the ENQA

to collaborate in the

design of a common reference framework (Rodríguez Rodríguez, 2018).

At the Bergen meeting, the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the

European Higher Education Area (ESG) were officially approved. Since then, considerable

progress has been made in this area, but it was still considered necessary to “improve

their clarity, applicability, usefulness, and scope” (Standards and Guidelines for Quality

Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG), 2015, p. 5). With this aim, in

2012, the E4 Group (ENQA, ESU, EUA, EURASHE), in cooperation with Education

International (EI), BUSINESSEUROPE, and the European Quality Assurance Register for

The European Higher Education Area-Achieving the goals. Communiqué of the Conference of European

Ministers responsible for Higher Education. Bergen, 19–20 May 2005, accessed in

http://www.aneca.es/content/download/12230/142160/file/7.Comunicado_Bergen_2005.pdf (accessed 17

March 2025).

The EUA (European University Association), the EURASHE (European Association of Institutions in Higher

Education) and the ESIB (since 2007 ESU, European Students Union) will also participate.

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e-ISSN: 1647-7251

VOL. 16, Nº. 1, TD1

Thematic Dossier

Internationalization of Higher Education: Experiences and Challenges

June 2025, pp. 64-84

The European Higher Education Alliances: the Challenges of Transnational

University Cooperation

Concepción Anguita-Olmedo

Higher Education (EQAR), was invited to prepare a proposal for the revision of the ESG

(Ferreira, 2019).

As a result of the recommendations presented, during the Erevan meeting in 2015, the

Ministers of Higher Education approved the revised ESG

, which were the result of a

reflective process, and a public consultation carried out throughout the European Higher

Education Area. This document, containing the quality assurance criteria, has become

the reference tool for universities and quality assurance agencies. Among its key

objectives are: establishing a common framework to ensure quality in teaching and

learning; providing transparent information on the quality of higher education; and

promoting mutual trust to facilitate recognition of credits and international mobility.

Undoubtedly, implementing quality assurance is considered one of the core commitments

of the Bologna Process. During this same conference, the “ECTS Users’ Guide” was also

adopted as an official EHEA document, replacing previous versions that had been used

unofficially and were never formally approved by any Ministerial Conference. Thus, it

became a legitimized reference document, especially as it aims to promote the correct

implementation of learning outcomes.

Paris hosted the next Conference of Ministers responsible for higher education on May

24–25, 2018. In it, the key commitments underpinning the EHEA were examined. In

addition, the creation of three thematic working groups was approved, which between

the years 2018 and 2020 were to address the following issues: the development of

national qualification frameworks, compatible with the overarching qualifications

framework in the EHEA; compliance with the Lisbon Recognition Convention; and the

strengthening of quality, in accordance with the ESG in the European Higher Education

Area (EHEA, 2018).

At the 2020 Ministers’ Conference, held in Rome, there was a reflection on the progress

made in the 21 years since the approval of the Bologna Declaration, but also the work

lines for the following years were set, with 2030 on the horizon. This Conference was an

opportunity to strengthen cooperation among member countries. As a result of this

meeting, some commitments were adopted:

“to provide opportunities and support inclusive and equitable education for all people; to

reinforce social inclusion and quality by leveraging the opportunities offered by

technology; to protect and promote research, innovation, and knowledge transfer in all

areas; and to promote student mobility and strengthen the Erasmus program, aiming to

ensure that at least 20% of students completing their studies within the EHEA have had

a learning or internship experience abroad, among others” (EHEA, 2020).

And finally, in May 2024, Tirana hosted what is, so far, the latest meeting held by the

Ministers of Higher Education of Europe. Among the commitments adopted for the

following three years, the following stand out: to make the EHEA an inclusive and

interconnected space; the reaffirmation of the commitment to academic freedom,

integrity, and institutional autonomy; to develop and publish action plans to address the

To check the changes, see Comparative Analysis of the ESG 2015 and ESG 2005 in ENQA, 2016,

https://www.enqa.eu/publications/comparative-analysis-of-the-esg-2015-and-esg-2005/ (accessed 25 March

2025).

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e-ISSN: 1647-7251

VOL. 16, Nº. 1, TD1

Thematic Dossier

Internationalization of Higher Education: Experiences and Challenges

June 2025, pp. 64-84

The European Higher Education Alliances: the Challenges of Transnational

University Cooperation

Concepción Anguita-Olmedo

implementation issues of the Bologna Process and promote knowledge exchange; to

update the ECTS Users’ Guide and the ESG to reflect current developments and improve

quality assurance; to promote flexible, quality-assured, and recognized learning

pathways, including micro-credentials; to ensure the responsible use of AI in education

and research; to allow hybrid mobility and virtual exchanges; to make automatic

recognition of qualifications and periods of study abroad a reality; to ensure proper

monitoring of political commitments and plan future priorities of the EHEA; to adopt the

new Rules of Procedure for the EHEA and assess the feasibility of an independent

secretariat to permanently support the Bologna Process Secretariat and the Bologna

Follow-Up Group (BFUG) (Torres, 2024).

Throughout this process, the support of the European Union has been fundamental, in

understanding that the rapid and profound changes currently taking place in society

require universities for societies to become more open, democratic, just, and sustainable.

That is why it continues to advance in university cooperation. Thus, in 2022, the European

Strategy for Universities was approved (European Commission, 2022a), which aims to

give continuity to the changes experienced by higher education and to promote further

progress.

2. The European Strategy for Universities (2022)

Although universities have led this change to implement the Bologna Process, the support

of other collaborating institutions and political actors who have driven this modernization

and adaptation has been decisive (Alexiadou & Rambla, 2023). The creation of the EHEA

cannot be understood apart from the very process of European integration. Although this

process is not exclusive to EU member countries, as has already been established, it has

been the European institutions that have driven the modernization of universities,

considering research and innovation as key issues for generating economic growth,

employment, and social cohesion. Regarding the latter, the fact that educational

achievements are closely linked to employment and employability might suggest that

European education policies have been vulnerable to their “capture” (Antunes, 2016).

However, higher education's strategic nature cannot be denied, nor can the capacity of

lifelong learning and training to provide solutions and responses to the problems of

today's society.

Since the extraordinary European Council of Lisbon in 2000, the EU has been actively

involved, through the funding of activities, to promote "the economic competitiveness of

the area by integrating scientific and technological knowledge into production and

services" (Rodríguez Rodríguez, 2018, p. 7). In addition, various European Council

Resolutions and numerous European Commission Communications have made it possible

to establish areas to focus on to achieve this modernization: (1) Bringing universities

closer to the knowledge economy, (2) Reforming governance, (3) Overcoming financial

scarcity, and (4) Seeking closer relationships between universities and businesses (Mora,

2009). Undoubtedly, European institutions are aware of the potential of higher education,

as in the European area there are "more than 5,000 higher education institutions, 17.5

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VOL. 16, Nº. 1, TD1

Thematic Dossier

Internationalization of Higher Education: Experiences and Challenges

June 2025, pp. 64-84

The European Higher Education Alliances: the Challenges of Transnational

University Cooperation

Concepción Anguita-Olmedo

million higher education students, 1.35 million higher education teachers, and 1.17

million researchers" (European Commission, 2022d).

In this regard, in January 2022, the European Union approved the Strategy for

Universities, which sets out objectives and a set of key measures for achieving them.

Among the objectives, the following are highlighted (European Commission, 2022b, p.

1):

− “Strengthening the European dimension of higher education and research.

− Consolidating universities as key points for promoting our European Way of Life

through support measures focused on academic and research careers, the quality

and future relevance of skills, diversity, inclusion, democratic practices, fundamental

rights, and academic values.

− Empowering universities as key agents of change in the dual ecological and digital

transition; and

− Boosting universities as engines for the role and global leadership of the EU”.

This Strategy and the subsequent Council Recommendation of the European Union

(European Council, 2022) – in which Member States were invited to establish coherent

and compatible political priorities for promoting transnational cooperation and making

the necessary investments for it – show how the European Union and the Bologna

Process, with its pan-European nature, are working hand in hand with the same goal: to

make universities and the higher education sector the engine of societal transformation

by placing them at the heart of education, research, and innovation. This Strategy is,

therefore, "a call to EU countries and higher education institutions across Europe to join

forces" (European Commission, 2023a). In addition, the need is expressed for

universities to work to ensure that more and more young people are equipped "with

digital skills and skills for the green transition, or developing green solutions through

technological and social innovation, if the higher education sector pulls its weight"

(European Commission, 2022c). Regarding digital skills, the European Union states that

by 2030, 45% of people between the ages of 25 and 34 must have a higher education

degree, and at least 60% of adults must participate in learning initiatives (European

Commission, 2022d).

This Strategy represents a shift for the European Commission, as until then it had focused

on coordinating European policies. However, at this point, it takes a turn to emphasize

organizational coordination, that is, the establishment of European Alliances, highlighting

the need for cross-border university cooperation as a means to drive European policies

(Maassen, Stensaker, & Rosso, 2022). Therefore, it is stated that universities need to

work to ensure that more and more young people are equipped "with digital skills and

skills for the green transition, or developing green solutions through technological and

social innovation, if the higher education sector pulls its weight" (European Commission,

2022c).

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e-ISSN: 1647-7251

VOL. 16, Nº. 1, TD1

Thematic Dossier

Internationalization of Higher Education: Experiences and Challenges

June 2025, pp. 64-84

The European Higher Education Alliances: the Challenges of Transnational

University Cooperation

Concepción Anguita-Olmedo

The implementation of this Strategy and the Council Recommendations was expected to

yield significant results. One of these was the adoption of the European Approach to

Microcredentials (DOUE, 2022), which is considered a tool for higher education

institutions to facilitate flexible and modular short duration learning that allows for the

certification of the acquisition of specific skills and competencies tailored to the needs set

by the evolution of society and the labor market. These microcredentials are not intended

to replace traditional qualifications but to provide a complement to them. Although

microcredentials already existed in Europe, this Recommendation aims to boost the

definition of common standards. Furthermore, it is believed that microcredentials can

facilitate the achievement of the EU’s main objectives to be reached from that date until

2030, “in particular the objective that 60% of all adults participate in training activities

every year and an employment rate of at least 78%” (DOUE, 2022, p. 7).

Another of the expected results was to continue to deepen the joint European degree

label. At that time, 90 universities and 17 ministries were participating in 10 Erasmus+

pilot projects where effective, institutionalized cooperation instruments were being

tested, leading European universities to a new level and paving the way for the

universities of the future. In line with this, work is being done on a possible European

legal status for university alliances, which would facilitate closer cooperation, but also

the possibility of sharing human, technical, data, education, research, and innovation

capacities (European Council, 2022).

Following the path set years earlier, this Strategy includes support for the creation of 60

university alliances under what is known as the "European Universities Initiative" (EUI)

launched by the European Commission in 2018.

“This aims to develop and establish long-term, structural, sustainable, and systemic

cooperation in education, research, and innovation through the creation of interuniversity

European campuses where students, staff, and researchers from all over Europe can

enjoy seamless mobility and create new knowledge together across countries and

disciplines” (European Commission, 2022b).

In the development of this initiative, there was a lot of skepticism about its

implementation due to the challenges it presented, as it could not be considered the

same to approach a collaborative interuniversity project as to an institutionalized

integration (Maassen, Stensaker, & Rosso, 2022), as this was one of the most important

steps in higher education that in the near future would allow the creation of true European

Universities (Jungblut, Maassen, & Elken, 2020). More than 500 higher education

institutions were called to participate in these alliances.

3. European Alliances: a new form of transnational university

cooperation

The "European Universities" are transnational alliances of higher education institutions.

The concept of European Universities was introduced by French President Emmanuel

Macron on September 26, 2017, in his speech on the refoundation of Europe, titled "For

a Sovereign, United, and Democratic Europe" (Macron, 2017). The proposal would create

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"European universities that will be a network of universities from several European

countries, setting up a path where each of their students will study abroad and take

courses in at least two languages" (République Française, 2025). In this speech, he

identified the great principles that should support it, with the goal of achieving it by 2024.

The objective was to create the universities of the future, based first on innovative

teaching methods and a multidisciplinary approach; second, on the promotion of

multilingualism and European values; and third, to respond to the challenges posed by

today’s society. The idea was none other than to form interuniversity European

campuses, both physical and virtual, where degrees would be jointly taught and where

at least 50% of the students could move between universities.

Although the push for its formation is found in the 2022 Strategy, since 2019 and in

2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024, the European Commission has made calls under the

European Universities Initiative to fund the alliances. In the first call of 2019, 17

university alliances were selected, and 24 in the second call, made in 2020. Currently,

there are a total of 65 alliances composed of 570 European institutions from 35

countries

. To support the creation of these alliances, the initiative has been linked to

the Erasmus+ 2021-2027 program with a budget of 1.1 billion euros, the largest so far

(European Commission, 2024d).

The criteria for its funding, in addition to the creation of inter-university campuses, are

based on the use of innovative methodologies centered on the student and the possibility

for the student to follow an individualized itinerary with multidisciplinary teaching

grounded in challenge-based learning. Furthermore, the alliances must follow a

sustainability strategy and ensure geographical balance.

In parallel with the latest 2024 call, where 14 new alliances were approved, a project

was selected that brings together all European alliances. This is the project "FOREU4ALL",

which aims to be an instrument for “exchanging good practices by establishing a

community of practice and strengthening synergies beyond the alliances” (République

Française, 2025). This project has a total budget of 1.2 million euros, of which 962,642

have been financed by the EU. It has two main objectives: the first is to reinforce

collaboration and learning among the alliances. Shared experiences will allow the

exchange of strengths from each one, using those synergies to advance. The second is

to “increase the dissemination of results and transferable models within the higher

education sector to allow for broader use” (arQus European University Alliance, 2025).

To achieve these objectives that would benefit all the Alliances, FOREU4ALL aims to:

“establish thematic groups on key issues to facilitate the exchange of good practices;

prepare guidelines and case studies on best practices that provide valuable ideas and

lessons for the alliances between European universities and the higher education

Number of participating institutions by country: Albania (3) Austria (17), Belgium (17), Bosnia and

Herzegovina (4), Bulgaria (13), Croatia (8), Cyprus (7), Czechia (12), Denmark (7), Estonia (5), Finland (23),

France (64), Germany (67), Greece (15), Hungary (6), Iceland (4), Ireland (4), Italy (46), Latvia (7), Lithuania

(11), Luxembourg (2), Malta (2), Montenegro (1), Netherlands (the) (21), Norway (11), Poland (32), Portugal

(29), Republic of North Macedonia (3), Romania (22), Serbia (3), Slovakia (8), Slovenia (4), Sapin (56),

Sweden (24) and Turkey (5) (European Commission, 2024a).

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sector in general; collaborate with experts who contribute to political dialogue;

organize events and activities such as webinars, meetings, and workshops to share

information and engagement; build the community through activities that foster a

sense of belonging and cooperation; promote the dissemination of transferable results,

as well as events, webinars, and workshops organized by European university

alliances” (Arqus Universidad de Granada, 2025).

The support for European alliances from the Commission is also strengthened by the

Master Plan for a European Degree, from March 2024. With this Master Plan, the aim is

to ease the path for alliances by reducing bureaucratic procedures and achieving

automatic recognition of joint degrees across the EU. This idea of a joint degree

automatically recognized was already considered in the European Commission's

Communication on achieving the European Higher Education Area by 2025 (published in

September 2020). This European degree would constitute “a key element for students of

all levels and disciplines to choose what, where, and when to study within the members

of a transnational university alliance, following solid pedagogical guidelines” (European

Commission, 2020).

However, the diversity of higher education systems across Europe does not allow for

rapid progress. Therefore, the European Commission proposes two approaches: first,

through a preparatory European label, students would receive a certificate with the

European degree label along with their joint degree. Second, through an actual European

degree,

“This new type of qualification would be based on common criteria and anchored in

national legislation. It would be awarded jointly by several universities from different

countries or, possibly, by a European legal entity created by these universities:

students would receive a ‘European degree’ that would be automatically recognized”

(European Commission, 2024b).

The attainment of a European Degree would have added value for students, universities,

and employers. First, for educational institutions, it would allow them to eliminate the

existing barriers and facilitate the creation of joint programs, which would increase

competitiveness and attractiveness. Both issues would serve to offer better learning

experience and greater opportunities, which would be a significant incentive for being

considered a good choice for students worldwide. Secondly, students would have the

opportunity to study at different universities across Europe, obtain a universally

recognized diploma, in addition to having the chance to receive more innovative

education, thus gaining transversal skills. Without a doubt, this would provide them with

better access to a demanding labor market with the highest qualifications. Lastly, for

employers, it would provide the possibility of having highly qualified individuals with the

necessary preparation to face the challenges of international society and a significant

adaptability to the current labor market. But the European Union and its states would

also benefit, as it would help strengthen European identity, student mobility, attract

talent to the EU, and reinforce strategic autonomy (European Commission, 2024c).

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To take these steps toward the European Degree, the Commission has presented specific

actions: first, the creation of a European degree policy laboratory that will develop the

guidelines for the implementation of European degrees, composed of experts from higher

education institutions as well as accreditation agencies or social and economic

stakeholders. This laboratory will be financed by the Erasmus+ program in 2025.

Secondly, an annual degree forum that will not only monitor progress but also serve as

guidance for the next steps. Thirdly, funding with Erasmus+ grants for "European

university pathways projects" that ultimately lead to a European degree (European

Commission, 2024b).

4. The next challenges in European Higher Education

In January 2025, the European Commission presented the Compass for Competitiveness

based on the Draghi Report (European Central Bank, 2025), which provided a diagnosis

and formulated recommendations to boost the competitiveness of the European Union.

One of the horizontal facilitators proposed as a roadmap was to promote professional

skills and quality employment, placing citizens and their qualifications at the foundation

of competitiveness. To achieve this goal, the "Union of Capacities" initiative is announced,

with a plan to "improve education, training, and high-quality lifelong learning" (European

Commission, 2025). European universities, and by extension, University Alliances,

therefore become a fundamental pillar for achieving this, as research and innovation will

drive global competitiveness.

However, the Alliances, in their role as a driving force for change, still face significant

challenges. In all the reports analyzing the situation of the European Alliances, similarities

arise regarding the challenges they face. In general terms, there are differences in legal

and financial frameworks, as well as in the culture and organization of research, where

each university has different priorities. Undoubtedly, all of this makes collaboration more

complex and requires a high degree of flexibility in the approaches, as otherwise, not all

universities will be able to participate in the initiatives within the Alliances (European

Commission: European Research Executive Agency, O'Neill, G., and Acheson, H., 2023),

nor will they serve the purpose intended by the European Union in this "Union of

Capacities" initiative.

As already seen earlier, achieving the joint European degree is the most important

challenge in the short term; however, there are other challenges that define the path of

the European alliances: the legal status, the European student card, the simplification of

quality procedures, or sustainable financing.

• Legal Status for the Alliances

Greater and deeper cooperation within the European Higher Education Alliances requires

maximizing the resources and infrastructures of each one. In this sense, one of the main

instruments for institutionalized cooperation is, without a doubt, the adoption of a specific

transnational legal status that would allow overcoming national regulatory complexities.

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Considering a structural issue and a matter of the functioning of the Alliances, the

Council’s draft Recommendation to the Commission of January 2022 emphasized that

“A legal status for the alliances of higher education institutions would facilitate access,

exchange, and sharing of joint services and resources (financial, human, digital, and

physical). The absence of such a legal status makes it more difficult for higher education

institutions to achieve a deeper level of cooperation and limits their competitiveness”

(European Council, 2022).

With this legal basis, the European Alliances would gain added value by addressing the

challenges of transnational cooperation. This legal instrument would simplify the adoption

of strategic decisions, joint contracting, or sharing of human, technical, data, teaching,

research, and innovation resources. In this sense, most of these issues depend on

national regulations, which complicate, if not prevent, appropriate transnational

collaboration, for example, in the mobility of researchers.

Although the European Union has recommended trying the existing legal instruments,

such as the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC)

or the European

Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG)

, the most widespread conclusion is that there is no

European instrument sufficiently suitable to meet the needs of these Alliances. Therefore,

in February 2023, four projects funded by the Erasmus+ program budget were launched

(European Commission, 2022e) with the aim of exploring new forms of cooperation

regarding possible legal status. Although the European Union had set mid-2024

(European Commission, 2022b) as the reference deadline for developing this legal status,

as of today, no legal form has been adopted to regulate the Alliances. This is undoubtedly

one of the main challenges in the immediate future.

• The European Student Card (ESC)

The idea of creating a European Student Card (ESC) began in 2016 and was a pilot project

funded by the EU for the period 2016-2018. With it, all students would have easy access

to the services of host institutions across Europe during their mobility. But it would also

make universities' work easier, as they could quickly and easily verify the students’

status, that is, where they are enrolled, at a European level by digitalizing the procedures.

In this way, all data would be centralized, which would reduce paperwork and facilitate

the transition to digital processes. It is expected that by 2025, a large number of students

will benefit from its use, whether with a physical or virtual card. This card will grant

access to the host university's campus, library services, or other benefits available to

students, enhancing their experience as mobility students. From the outset, the goal was

for it to be available to students in the Erasmus+ program countries between 2022 and

2025, not only at universities but also for service providers on and off-campus to

recognize it.

See Regulation (EC) nº 1082/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on the

European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) (OJ L 210, 31.7.2006, p. 19).

See Regulation (CEE) nº 2137/85 of the Council, of 25 July 1985, on the establishment of a European

Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG) (OJ L 199, 31.7.1985, p. 1).

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To ensure its implementation, a governance model has been created in which the

European Commission (EC) is involved, as it defines policies, oversees implementation,

and provides resources; the ESC Steering Committee, which sets the strategic direction

and ensures adherence to policies; the Directorate-General for Education and Culture

(DG EAC), which promotes the success of the project, defines plans, and oversees

progress; the ESC Solution Providers, which scale the project and manage strategic

activities; and the User’s Working Groups, which consult on technical and business needs

and test developments (European Commission, 2023b).

The European Student Card is implemented through a digital platform called ESC Router

(ESC-R), which has been operational since October 2024. This platform allows

participating institutions to validate student status in real-time and integrate all the

features of the card, including a unique card identifier, a student identification number,

and an ESC logo composed of a QR code, the text "European Student Card," and the EU

flag, which certify authenticity and validity at the European level (European Commission,

2024g). By the end of December 2024, 18 countries were using the ESC, 15 of which are

EU members and 3 non-associated countries. Additionally, 16 EU member countries and

third-party countries associated with the Erasmus+ Program are connected to the ESC-

R, although they do not issue the ESC. Furthermore, 3.4 million student cards had been

issued, with 1.56 million active cards. A total of 940 organizations are registered in the

ESC-Router, and more than 308 organizations issue the ESC (Conferenza dei Retori delle

Università Italiane, 2024).

• Simplification of quality assurance procedures

Quality assurance is a key element for any qualification, even more so for transnational

joint qualifications. Since the beginning of the Bologna Process, it has become an

essential tool within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). It was expected that

by 2005, all member states would have a quality assurance system that included the

following elements: “definition of the responsibilities of the bodies and institutions

involved; evaluation of programs or institutions; accreditation system, certification or

similar processes; international participation; cooperation and networking” (European

Ministers of Higher Education, 2003). These agencies should verify that higher education

institutions have a coherent institutional strategy concerning teaching and learning

(European Commission, 2024f).

There are three main objectives of quality assurance activities (Backhouse Erazo,

Domínguez Fernández, & Gutierrez Gómez, 2012). The first is control or accountability,

as institutions must comply with a set of standards that allow them to meet the minimum

quality requirements. Therefore, universities have the primary responsibility for quality,

as it is based on the principle of institutional autonomy. The second is the guarantee of

quality, which seeks to assess whether institutions meet what they offer and have the

resources and procedures in place to evaluate the minimum quality standards. In this

regard, to assess quality, there needs to be both internal mechanisms (within higher

education institutions) and external ones that oversee quality (Posca Cohen, 2024).

Finally, improvement through recommendations for their performance. Since Berlin

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2003, work has been done in this direction, promoting a “culture of quality” (Matarranz,

2021).

Moving forward in time, the 2024 Council Recommendation focuses on working on quality

and recognition systems that "support transparency, mobility, and transnational

cooperation, and are based on high quality and mutual trust." Although since 2006, both

the Council and the Parliament had been insisting on greater international cooperation,

these Recommendations reinforce the progress made so far, such as the creation of the

European Register of Quality Assurance Agencies, which allows Member States to choose

which one to use (European Commission, 2024e). However, things have changed

significantly since 2006, especially because the emergence of European Alliances has

been a revolution in the higher education system.

Today, there are obstacles that hinder the provision of joint educational offerings. The

procedures established by universities and agencies remain lengthy and costly, which is

why the European Union advises working to simplify and improve these processes. It is

a necessity for the university of the future that higher education institutions can adapt

their programs more quickly to the needs of society, but also that they can more easily

offer competitive programs that are recognized throughout the European Union with all

the guarantees of quality.

• Long-term sustainable financing: pooling resources and capacities

Another major challenge facing the European Universities initiative is undoubtedly

financing. Being a strategic project for the European Union, the Alliances are primarily

financed through the Erasmus+ programs and the European Excellence Initiative,

regardless of the national funds each university receives. However, these funds are not

sufficient. Revenues come from different sources: first, the Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020

programs (for research and innovation), with the budget from Erasmus+ not exceeding

80% of the Alliance's budget. Second, the national contributions from the governments

and universities participating in an Alliance

. Third, external contributions such as private

sources, though this is not common. A report from the Directorate-General for Education,

Youth, Sport and Culture of the European Commission (Directorate-General for

Education, Youth, Sport and Culture Youth, Education and Erasmus+, 2022) reveals that

the total costs of the Alliances' activities are higher than the funding they receive from

the EU and from the universities themselves, and that in the coming years, their financial

sustainability will still require funds from both the EU and the Member States.

However, the Strategy for Universities maintains that the money coming from the EU

should only complement national public funding and investment from third parties, both

public and private, which is still far from the reality. It is true that participation in an

Financing can take different forms, for further in-depth information see the Final Report of the Study on the

state and effectiveness of national funding systems of higher education to support the European Universities

Initiative, pp. 46 and seq (Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture Youth, Education and

Erasmus+, 2022).

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Alliance adds value to the participating institutions and that this should be rewarded with

funding, but it is also true that there is a need to generate social wealth with this value.

Clearly, Alliances must diversify their funding sources to be sustainable in the long term.

This is why they are required to explore synergies to find other sources of support, such

as micro-credential certificates or joint research projects. At this point, we return to the

need for Alliances to have their own legal status, not only to be able to apply for different

types of funding alongside their institutional partner members, but especially because

with this status, resources and capacities could be shared, as mentioned earlier, which

would undoubtedly lower the costs of the Alliances.

Conclusions

European Alliances have been a further step in the European Higher Education Area,

driven by European institutions but also by the need to respond to the challenges of

today's international society. University Alliances have become one of the key pillars of

European policies aimed at innovation and competitiveness.

Although academic and curricular adaptation has not been easy, over the years a

European Higher Education Area has been achieved; however, the real obstacles lie in

the structural adaptation of universities and in the legal framework that allows for the

design of formal structures and decision-making bodies. This would undoubtedly also

have economic benefits for the Alliances, as it would allow the finding of public or private

funding beyond the contributions from the universities themselves or from the European

Union. Overcoming all the challenges requires continuous long-term effort, otherwise the

Alliances will not be able to develop institutionalized transnational collaboration that

overcomes national barriers. The human factor is also important; in these governance

tasks, academics, researchers, students, and administrative and service staff must also

be involved, or there will be a risk of disconnecting from the fundamental objectives of

the Alliances, which is none other than the effective transmission of knowledge, learning,

and innovation.

The European Union must continue working to transform higher education. The Compass

for Competitiveness requires Alliances capable of increasing the qualifications of citizens

and fostering labor skills from which companies will benefit, leading to greater

competitiveness in European markets. In this sense, if Alliances can offer high-quality,

attractive, and sustainable academic and research careers, the European Union will be

able to compete by attracting and retaining talent.

It is therefore necessary to continue working on actions that transform European higher

education. The universality of the European student card, the automatic recognition of

qualifications, the design of a legal framework for the Alliances, and sustainable,

inclusive, and more technological programs will undoubtedly help this transformation.

In short, European higher education alliances are essential to fostering cooperation and

integration between educational institutions from different countries. Collaboration

means the exchange of knowledge, resources, and best practices, enriching the

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educational experience for both students and faculty. Cooperation allows us to address

common challenges, resulting in higher quality qualifications.

The Alliances promote student mobility, which fosters cultural exchange and a deeper

understanding of European values and culture. But they also promote researcher mobility

by creating innovative international networks, which drives the economic and social

development of the region. In a world where industry increasingly depends on technology

and innovation, University Alliances play a key role in preparing future generations by

applying student-centered teaching methods and encouraging lifelong learning, tools that

will undoubtedly enable the personal and professional growth necessary to face the

challenges and opportunities of the future.

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