Europeanizing Universities: Expanding and Consolidating Networks of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree Programme (2004–2017)

Abstract

The Europeanization of higher education has gained considerable scope and momentum over the past quarter century. Whereas the coordinative Bologna process, with soft governance mechanisms, has facilitated standardization across countries, European Commission funding programs target universities more directly. The Erasmus Mundus Joint Degree Programme, as an incentive-based program, epitomizes the dynamics of such European funding management. Notably, it has established expanding university networks across Europe and unique new tertiary degrees that facilitate international student mobility. Applying social network analysis to 561 participating universities through several program cycles, we longitudinally examine three key patterns in the program's development: the expansion of the program, the consolidation of pan-European networks, and the participation of and coordination by central universities in these Europeanization processes. Program participation increased considerably across cycles, even as established networks were consolidated, largely through re-accreditation of established programs. Moreover, we identify those universities that assume a central position in the inter-organizational structure of this international program. These universities actively facilitate the evolving Europeanization of higher education by strengthening inter-university networks via a signature EU program. Higher Education Policy (2020).

The European master of science in nuclear fusion and engineering physics (FUSION-EP): 15 years of experience

“…The EMJMDs like FUSION-EP promote promote the visibility and attractiveness of European higher education in non-member countries [3]. Top-ranked Russian Universities such as the National Research Nuclear University (MEPhI), the National Research University "Moscow Power Engineering Institute" (MPEI) or the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University are associate partners of FUSION-EP.…”

“…Another such undertaking was a non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) in the Balkans named FOM 3 . The NGO was founded and run by five FUSION-EP alumni from Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina.…”

“…The keyword in EMJMDs is the notion jointness to describe the process of cooperation in the programme design and implementation in all stages : from devising an integrated course, through the development of joint and integrated management structures, the achievement of impact in terms of interinstitutional transfer of knowledge, the harmonization and recognition of awarded degrees and finally, to the integration of EM students in the local environment. Until 2013, the EM also included joint doctoral programmes (such as the doctoral college FUSION-DC), which then became integrated into the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions [3].…”

“…Funding programmes facilitate the EC's objectives of fostering pan-European networks in teaching across diverse academic fields, and impact and target universities more directly as they facilitate international networks, drive cross-border exchange, and establish novel transnational joint degrees that are jointly recognized, as a novel European feature in higher education. This new logic involves the creation of European university networks as a distinct layer in an increasingly interconnected, and nested, global higher education field, and undergirds European ideals of exchange and mobility and facilitates the construction of European identity in and through higher education [3].…”

Europeanization Through Education: Promoting European Studies In Eastern Partnership Countries

“…Education is one of them, particularly in qualitative-based analyses. There is an extensive literature focused on the Europeanisation of higher education, that argues that for more than three decades EU's Erasmus programme contributes to deepening European integration (Huisman, Luijten-Lub and van der Wende, 2005;Curaj et al 2015;Marques, Zapp and Powell, 2020). Beyond the student mobilities, there are now other EU-led programs, such as the Jean Monnet Actions or Academic Networks aimed at increasing cooperation between the educational systems of member states and third countries in order to modernize curricula and promote EU studies in non-EU countries.…”