On the second day of the GA, the committee on CULT proposed their resolution, which contains the European Degree.
This committee has worked towards their European Degree, a new type of degree awarded after transnational Bachelor, Master, or Doctoral programmes delivered at national, regional, or institutional level. The degree is automatically recognized everywhere in the EU, it’s awarded jointly and on a voluntary basis by a group of universities across Europe and it’s based on a common set of criteria agreed at European level.
Its goal is to contribute to Europe’s competitiveness by equipping students and graduates with future-proof skills to master the green and digital transitions, it creates a symbol of our European identity and sense of European belonging.
This European Degree offers value to students, higher education institutions and employers.
It will offer opportunities to study at various universities all over Europe and graduate with one universal diploma, it will give access to learning opportunities and future-proof skills that everyone needs. It will also make it easier for universities to have a joint degree programme with several universities and it will increase the competitiveness and attractiveness of those universities. The graduates would also be highly skilled and qualified.
The committee CULT e.g. urges that the participating member states allocate the received funding equitably across various fields, such as but not limited to infrastructure development, faculty development and access to digital resources. They propose that an annual award should be granted to the participating universities and that there should be communication between small businesses and the participating universities.
They talk about a Code of Honor, composed of a board of educational experts, which shall develop a comprehensive set of regulations to prevent violations of the code, and to construct a framework for gathering feedback from individuals of various backgrounds.
Cult also authorizes the creation of an intergovernmental committee that will ensure each member state’s educational standards are incorporated into the European Degree curriculum, while upholding European Educational objectives.
The committee CULT also calls upon the increase of investment in The Digital Action plan and the AI Act.
However, not everyone thinks that the European Degree is beneficial. For instance, a delegate of Germany prepared an against speech, because they think that the EU forces the European Degree on the EU member states. Instead of bettering the quality, the degree would decrease the value of various universities. The degree risks damaging the valuable diversity of education in the European Union.
This resolution passed.
Myrre de Nies, Reuters