The image shows on the left side the title of the article: "Students at the Heart of Europe’s Next Degree", and the subtitle "ESN shaping a more inclusive model". On the right side there is a group picture
Friday, 9 January, 2026 - 12:06

1st European Degree Forum, 20-21 November 2025, Florence

The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) took part in the 1st European Degree Forum held in Florence, Italy, on 20-21 November 2025. The event was hosted by the European Commission together with the European University Institute’s Florence School of Transnational Governance. Bringing together Europe’s higher education community, including higher education institutions, national government representatives, policymakers, employers, industry representatives and student organisations, the Forum offered a key opportunity to reflect on the state of play of the initiative and to set new milestones for its continued development.

Building on the commitments set out in the Council Resolution on a joint European degree label and the next steps towards a possible joint European degree: boosting Europe’s competitiveness and the attractiveness of European higher education and the Council Recommendation on a European quality assurance and recognition system in higher education, the conference provided a productive platform for diverse stakeholders to exchange views on the implementation and broader value of the joint European label and degree in their national contexts. Participants also celebrated the progress achieved so far and reflected on the essential next steps to advance the initiative.

Shaping the future of a joint European label and degree.
Discussions throughout the Forum highlighted teamwork and multi-stakeholder cooperation as essential for turning the European Degree label into a reality. Participants reflected on progress made since the Bologna Declaration, shared national and institutional perspectives on joint programmes and showcased concrete experiences from European University Alliances and beyond. Together, these exchanges underlined both the momentum behind the initiative and the need for continued coordination at European, national and institutional levels.

Contributions of the Erasmus Student Network 
In the afternoon of the first day, participants took part in four thematic breakout sessions addressing key dimensions of the European Degree label. ESN contributed as co-facilitator of Solution Lab 3: “Making the joint European Degree label inclusive and accessible to all”, jointly led by ESN’s Education and Youth Policy Coordinator, Dominika Guzik and the Rector of the University of Barcelona, Joan Guàrdia Olmos.

The session resulted in three core recommendations:

  • Creation of a Skills Center within each consortium, providing cultural and mobility onboarding, language learning and academic and leadership skills support to ensure all students are well prepared for joint programmes.
  • Delivery of tailored student support services at consortium level, covering academic advising, peer support, housing and administrative assistance, as well as coordinated accessibility measures for students with disabilities.
  • Creation of a unified European system for cost compensation, addressing tuition fees, differences in cost of living, mobility grants and inclusion top-ups to reduce financial barriers to participation.

Florence Pledge and looking ahead
The second day of the Forum focused on the road ahead and the development of the Florence Pledge, a collective commitment to advancing the joint European Degree label from concept to reality. Facilitators of the breakout sessions presented the main outcomes of their discussions in plenary, with the results of Solution Lab 3 presented by an ESN representative to ensure that students’ perspectives were clearly reflected.

The final discussions brought together insights from across the higher education community, emphasising the importance of inclusiveness, trust-based quality assurance and automatic recognition as core elements of the future European Degree label. The ideas and recommendations gathered during the Forum will feed into the Florence Pledge, symbolising a shared commitment to cooperation and to building a European Degree label that is ambitious, credible and accessible to all students.

Building on the momentum of the 1st European Degree Forum, the Erasmus Student Network will continue its advocacy to ensure that student needs and perspectives remain central to the development of the European Degree label and a future European Degree.