Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters has been a cornerstone of European higher education, fostering international collaboration and academic excellence since 2004. It offers unique opportunities for students and participating institutions alike. At the heart of these programmes lies the concept of jointness, a powerful tool for enhancing academic excellence and student experiences.
A Deep Dive into Jointness
Jointness, a key aspect of Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters programmes, has been instrumental in their success. To delve deeper into this topic, the Erasmus Mundus Support Initiative (EMSI) held a thematic seminar titled "Planning and delivering jointness in Erasmus Mundus Master’s programmes" on November 7-8, 2024, in Brussels, Belgium. The seminar brought together approximately 70 experienced academics and administrative staff from established and novel Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Programmes.Â
It focused on the critical aspect of jointness in Erasmus Mundus programmes, exploring a wide range of topics from strategies for effective planning and implementation to joint recruitment and admissions, collaborative teaching and learning, and student support services. The Erasmus Mundus Student Alumni Association’s (EMA) Management Board was invited to deliver one of two keynote speeches to recognise the important role students and alumni play in the overall success of Erasmus Mundus Master’s programmes. From a student perspective, EMA was asked to reflect on the topic of jointness in all contexts of Erasmus Mundus programme design and delivery. Raquel Galeano, the Talent Management Unit Director represented EMA.
The seminar commenced with a keynote speech by Mirko Varano, Vice-Rector for Internationalisation, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico. He is an international expert in the internationalisation of higher education in Europe and Erasmus Mundus. His keynote provided an institutional perspective on jointness. Ms Galeano, a graduate of the International Master in Adult Education for Social Change (IMAESC), followed and shared an insightful alum perspective on the value of jointness in student learning experiences.
She emphasized the importance of jointness in Erasmus Mundus programmes, highlighting the need for improved student coordination and support, particularly in areas like student services, mental health and wellbeing, and employability. She drew a parallel between a well-coordinated orchestra and a well-functioning Erasmus Mundus programme, emphasizing the importance of all components working together harmoniously.
Ms Galeano highlighted specific areas where jointness could be improved, such as:
Student Services:Â Enhanced coordination between host universities, improved support for visa applications and accommodation, and better and continuous support for students with disabilities.
Mental Health Support:Â Developing a well-being strategy and culture for the entire Erasmus Mundus community, including students, academic and administrative staff.
Employability Strategies:Â Providing more training in IT, programming languages, soft skills, and career guidance, as well as fostering industry partnerships.
Joint Degree Recognition:Â Ensuring joint degrees are recognized by all national awarding bodies of the consortia.
She also emphasized the role of the Erasmus Mundus Student and Alumni Association in supporting students and alumni, and in collaborating with consortia to improve the Erasmus Mundus experience.
Enhancing Jointness A Deep Dive
The seminar emphasized the multifaceted nature of jointness, encompassing academic, administrative, and promotional aspects of Erasmus Mundus programmes. Renowned experts and alumni shared their experiences and perspectives on the benefits of jointness. Case studies and parallel sessions fostered meaningful exchanges and participants discussed practical strategies for fostering jointness, including joint recruitment, mutual recognition of credits, and collaborative teaching and learning. They highlighted the role jointness played in enhancing student experiences and programme quality.
In addition to the keynote speeches, the first day of the seminar saw parallel sessions on joint recruitment and admissions, mutual recognition and joint accreditation, and joint learning and teaching. Luana Da Costa Monteiro, coordinator of the International Master of Science in Marine Biological Resources (IMBRSea) and Erasmus Mundus alumna, moderated the first parallel session. Jenny Nygard, a project assistant at the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA) and alumna of Master in Research and Innovation in Higher Education (MARIHE), shared her perspective as a student and alumna. Reagan Chidhakwa, EMA’s Country Representative for Zimbabwe and alumnus of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in International Vaccinology (LIVE+), shared his Erasmus Mundus journey and experiences in the second parallel session. Daniel Oliverio Hernandez Verdin, a current Erasmus Mundus Joint Master scholarship holder in Functional Advanced Materials Engineering with Artificial Intelligence for Sustainability (FAME AIS), shared his input in the third session.
The second day started with the latest policy developments from the European Commission presented by Vanessa Debiais-Sainton, Head of Unit, Higher Education at the Directorate-General for Education and Culture European Commission (DG EAC). She provided insights into future directions for the Erasmus Mundus programmes. The day continued with more case studies and parallel sessions on student services and mobility, cooperation with industry and programme sustainability, and enhancing jointness with non-European partners. Nino Popkhadze, alumna of the Master in Research and Innovation in Higher Education (MARIHE), was invited to share the student and alumni points of view related to student services in the fourth parallel. Rajon Bhuiyan, EMA’s Outreach and Capacity Building Unit Director and alumnus of the Erasmus Mundus in Management and Engineering of Environment and Energy (ME3+), participated in the fifth parallel session which covered strategies for fostering innovation and strengthening industry connections for graduate employability and long-term sustainability. Anna Spiessens intervened as a graduate of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (Degree) in Tropical Biodiversity and Ecosystems (TROPIMUNDO) in the final session which explored effective strategies for deepening collaboration with both full and associate partners outside Europe.
Looking Ahead
The seminar offered a valuable platform for academic and administrative staff to exchange ideas, learn from best practices, and strengthen their commitment to jointness. As the Erasmus Mundus program continues to evolve, it needs to prioritize jointness in all aspects of programme design and delivery. By fostering collaboration and innovation, Erasmus Mundus programmes can continue to produce highly skilled graduates and contribute to a more interconnected and knowledge-based society.
Would you like to share your thoughts on the importance of jointness in Erasmus Mundus programs? Please leave a comment below.
This is a great PR article, but how are the education quality of these joint universities assessed? It seems like this Is just a conference for the administrators but lack of student's participation. For example, many of the erasmus mundus students have raised concerned about the no-coordination between the joint universities where each universities have their own curriculum and repeat the materials on top of each other. In the meantime, the administrators abused student's mental health and create an unsafe environment to raise proper concerns regarding the quality of education. Students are put in a vulnerable position due to the nature of the teacher student power dynamics, and left suffering from mental Issues that the Insurance don't cover. The forma…