The FOCI (Future-Proof Criteria for Innovative European Education) project, involving members of three European university alliances: ECIU, YUFE and EPICUR, was selected by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ programme to explore and pilot possible criteria that will form the basis of a future European Degree. The Technical University of Lodz joined the eight universities participating in the project.

The European Research Degree will be an opportunity to innovate in education and deepen the European dimension in science. “In this way, we pledge to be bold, to stay at the forefront, to respond to society’s needs and to go beyond traditional models of learning”, declares the FOCI consortium.

The truly innovative and inclusive vision of education that unites ECIU, YUFE and EPICUR is strongly evident in the FOCI project’s objectives of working with stakeholders, piloting first results and making policy recommendations as concrete tools to develop the concept of the European Degree. 

The project will be implemented over a one-year period (March 2023 to March 2024) and will strengthen the close partnership and co-creation of an alliance with various stakeholders from the higher education sector, including students, labour market representatives, national authorities and quality assurance agencies. 

Bringing all stakeholders together, FOCI will explore the basic needs and expectations of the European Degree, from the perspective of not only the higher education sector but also from a broader societal perspective, as well as the relevant regulatory hurdles that need to be addressed at national and European level to make the European Degree a reality.

Adrian Andrzejewski