Utrecht University: First European joint degree master’s programme accredited
Over seventy students will jointly start the master’s programme in September 2021 at one of the five universities that jointly form CHARM-EU. At each campus, students work together in hybrid classrooms: alternating between face-to-face and online education. During the one-and-a-half-year programme, it is possible to change universities one or several times for the various study components.
Innovative programme
The international master’s programme focuses on social challenges with themes such as water, food and health. The programme has several innovative aspects, including a flexible course structure, integrated mobility, broad content focus, a transdisciplinary approach, emphasis on inclusiveness, challenge-based education and a programmatic assessment method. The Utrecht education model and the innovative UU-programme Educate-it external linkwere used to develop the programme. Students from the five universities have worked intensively on the programme.
Marjanneke Vijge external link, associate professor at the Faculty of Geosciences, was closely involved in the development. “By tackling sustainability challenges together with social actors – government, organisations, businesses and citizens – students acquire knowledge and skills that are crucial for their future careers.”
Students acquire knowledge and skills that are crucial for their future careers.
Dr. Marjanneke Vijge
Rector magnificus Henk Kummeling external linkis enthusiastic. “I think it’s really great that our students can participate in this master. It is a wonderfully challenging programme and a unique opportunity to gain an international orientation and a joint degree. We had to jump through a lot of hoops to make it happen, because of all the different rules and procedures, but we did it. That’s a compliment to the team that worked very hard on this.”
It is a wonderfully challenging programme and a unique opportunity to gain an international orientation and a joint degree.
Henk Kummeling onderaan trap
Prof. dr. Henk Kummeling
European Universities
The European University Alliance CHARM-EU is one of twelve alliances funded by the European Commission through the Erasmus + European Universities Initiative. CHARM-EU is formed by the University of Barcelona, the University of Montpellier, Trinity College Dublin, Eötvös Loránd University (Budapest) and Utrecht University. CHARM-EU received a multi-million euro grant from the European Commission in 2019. CHARM-EU external linkstands for Challenge driven, Accessible, Research Based and Mobile.
With the European Universities Initiative external link, the European Commission wants to bring together a new generation of creative Europeans who work together across borders and disciplines to address global issues. The aim is to promote European values and identity. In addition, the European Universities increase the quality and competitiveness of European higher education.