PATH_ED

PATH_ED is a three-year EU-funded project that supports six joint programmes within the Alliance on their path towards the Joint European Degree Label, with further programmes expected to follow. The project also provides dedicated student support to make these joint programmes more inclusive and accessible. Coordinated by the University of Cologne, PATH_ED brings together all twelve EUniWell member universities and four additional European partners.

Working towards a European Degree

PATH_ED supports six programmes in developing towards the Joint European Degree Label. This includes further integration through adaptations to curricula, governance structures, and mobility arrangements, based on each programme’s current design. Where relevant, the process also includes accreditation in accordance with the European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes and external evaluation against the Joint European Degree Label criteria.

The project runs for three years, with all six programmes expected to obtain the European Degree Label by 2029.

Well-being and the European Degree label

EUniWell’s emphasis on well-being in a multidimensional understanding, interdisciplinarity, inclusiveness, and co-creation with students and societal partners – outlined in its Mission Statement – aligns closely with the core principles underlying the European Degree initiative. The six programmes reflect these values and already demonstrate a high degree of alignment with the European Degree Label criteria.

Students are at the heart of PATH_ED

€500,000 of the project funding are dedicated to direct and service-based student support. All six programmes receive funding to enhance accessibility and inclusion, recognising that their high degree of internationalisation and mobility may create specific barriers to student participation.

This funding will support direct financial assistance, including scholarships and support for mobility and tuition fees, as well as guidance, mentoring, and accessibility and inclusion services. The measures will be tailored to the specific needs of each programme and are intended to address challenges and reduce barriers to participation and cross-border mobility.

This strong commitment to student support reflects a central principle of the Joint European Degree Label: programmes should embody European values not only in their content and structure, but also in their accessibility.

Six programmes across Europe

The six programmes to purse the European Degree label as part of the project represent different disciplines, institutions, countries, and European Qualifications Framework levels. They serve learners ranging from bachelor’s students to lifelong learners and reflect the diversity of transnational programmes emerging across Europe. Together, they provide a diverse basis for putting the European Degree Label into practice across different academic and national contexts.

German-Italian Bachelor of Law AND German-Italian Master of Law offered by the University of Cologne and University of Florence

Since its launch in 2015/16, the German–Italian bachelor’s and master’s programme has remained unique in Italy and Germany in the field of law, offering a transnational learning experience within an otherwise highly regulated profession. It trains students in two legal and higher education systems and equips them with competencies in different traditions of legal interpretation and application. The joint programmes are among the few within the three-cycle system that also grant access to nationally regulated legal professions: Italian graduates obtain the Laurea in Giurisprudenza italiana e tedesca, while German graduates become eligible to take the First State Examination in law.

Master’s degree in Global Peace, Justice and Well-Being offered by Linnaeus University, the University of Florence, and University of Murcia

The master’s programme examines the interconnections and interdependencies between peace, justice, and well-being at both global and local levels. It responds to the current context of polycrisis, which threatens democratic institutions and social cohesion, exacerbates injustice, and endangers planetary well-being. The programme explores how individual, social, and societal well-being are closely intertwined and mutually reinforcing. By analysing these interdependencies, students develop holistic approaches and policy-oriented solutions to address contemporary and future societal challenges.

Master’s degree in International Finance offered by the University of Florence and the University of Konstanz

The joint programme in International Finance builds on the existing double degree collaboration between the partners which trains a new generation of quantitatively skilled and internationally oriented financial professionals capable of addressing the technological, regulatory, and sustainability challenges facing European financial systems. A central objective of the programme is to equip students to respond to emerging developments in modern financial markets, particularly within the European context.

Professional Master’s degree in Well-Being oriented Healthcare offered by the University of Cologne, University of Murcia, Semmelweis University, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and University of Florence

The new master’s programme addresses the growing complexity of healthcare systems shaped by demographic change, digital transformation and AI, climate change, and evolving societal needs. It equips healthcare professionals with the competencies required to deliver person-centred care that prioritises patients’ well-being and quality of life. The programme thus contributes to a paradigm shift in healthcare education by moving beyond the traditional biomedical model towards a holistic understanding of health and well-being. In line with the WHO definition of health, it emphasises the interaction of biological, psychological, and social determinants of well-being.

Master’s degree in Environmental Humanities offered by the University of Florence and University of Cologne

The new master’s programme will be built on a commitment to bridging the traditional divide between the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and law. It will integrate humanistic inquiry – such as philosophy, literature, and history – with empirical scientific knowledge from fields including evolutionary biology, ecology, climatology, and geology. The University of Florence contributes expertise in philosophy, conservation biology, and environmental law, while the University of Cologne provides specialised tracks in environmental anthropology, ecolinguistics, religion, and sustainability education.

Partners involved

PATH_ED involves all twelve EUniWell member universities. The Universities of Cologne, Florence, Konstanz and Murcia, and Nantes Université are full project partners, while Inalco, Linnaeus University, Semmelweis University, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, the University of Birmingham, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and the Medical University of Warsaw participate as associated university partners.

Four external partners bring additional expertise in transnational education, accreditation, and quality assurance:

Together, the consortium will connect the development of the six programmes with wider European exchange on the implementation of the Joint European Degree Label.

Sharing experience across Europe

EUniWell builds upon longstanding experience with joint and double degree programmes as well as a sustainable, flexible infrastructure dedicated to coordinated programme development, Alliance-wide quality assurance, and collaborative teaching.

Some EUniWell members are directly involved in delivering the participating programmes, all members contribute to capacity-building and dissemination activities supporting the testing and implementation of the European Degree Label within their respective institutional and national higher education contexts.

The project will share the experience gained through the six programmes with higher education institutions across the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). Dissemination and capacity-building activities will include toolboxes, workshops, peer-learning activities, a final conference, and engagement with national and European networks.

The aim is to support other institutions in understanding and implementing the European Degree Label and in addressing barriers to transnational education.

About the European Degree Label

The Joint European Degree Label recognises joint degree programmes that meet 16 criteria designed to put European values into practice. These include transnational programme organisation and quality assurance, embedded mobility, multilingualism, inclusion, sustainability, and digital competences.

Further information is provided by the European Commission: https://education.ec.europa.eu/education-levels/higher-education/joint-european-degree/joint-european-degree-label

Funding

The project is funded under the Erasmus+ “Partnerships for Excellence: European Universities – European Degree exploratory action” with a three-year grant. The overall project budget is € 1.25 million, 25% of which are institutional contributions by the partners.

Contact

For further information, please contact the PATH_ED project coordination at the University of Cologne:

Professor Dr Beatrix Busse
Chief Development Officer, European University for Well-Being
Vice-Rector for Teaching and Studies, University of Cologne
beatrix.busse[at]uni-koeln.de

Dr. Dorothee Groeger
EUniWell Project Coordinator
dorothee.groeger[at]uni-koeln.de