22 June 2026
Joint degree programmes are increasingly becoming a cornerstone of European higher education cooperation. At the NVAO Meet & Greet 2026 in The Hague, universities, policymakers and quality assurance experts gathered to exchange experiences on the development, accreditation and implementation of joint programmes across Europe.
One of the programmes highlighted during the event was YUFE’s Joint Bachelor in Urban Sustainability Studies, an innovative European bachelor’s programme developed by the Young Universities for the Future of Europe (YUFE) Alliance. The programme enables students to study across multiple European universities and graduate with a joint diploma issued by seven degree-awarding institutions. Accredited under the European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes, it welcomed its first cohort in the 2025/26 academic year. The YUFE Bachelor was presented as one of the 21 joint programmes involving Dutch universities that are currently accredited and running. It was highlighted as an example of how European cooperation can create flexible, interdisciplinary learning pathways while strengthening student mobility and institutional collaboration.
During a dedicated session on lessons learned, Liesbeth Opdenacker (University of Antwerp) and Veronique Eurlings (Maastricht University) shared practical insights from the development of the YUFE Joint Bachelor. Drawing on several years of collaboration across ten European universities, they discussed both successful practices and persistent challenges in bringing a truly European curriculum to life. Participants noted that while the European Approach has simplified accreditation procedures for joint programmes, many practical and legal obstacles remain outside the scope of quality assurance frameworks. Overcoming these challenges, they argued, will require coordinated action from institutions, national authorities and European policymakers alike.
The discussion concluded on an optimistic note. Speakers emphasised that European university alliances have created unprecedented momentum for joint education and that experiences from programmes such as the YUFE Joint Bachelor can help shape future European Degree initiatives. As the number of joint programmes continues to grow, sharing practical lessons and building communities of practice will remain essential for making European educational ambitions a sustainable reality.
