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Higher Education Policy

, Volume 27, Issue 1, pp 43–64 | Cite as

Policy Goals of European Integration and Competitiveness in Academic Collaborations: An Examination of Joint Master's and Erasmus Mundus Programmes

  • Vassiliki Papatsiba
Article
First Online:

Abstract

This study examines policy goals pertaining to joint Master's in Europe as presented in Bologna-related and Erasmus Mundus (EM) policy texts. The profile of joint programmes has risen in the aftermath of the Bologna Process (BP), together with the launch of the EU EM. Despite a European policy tradition of cooperation in higher education (HE), degree developments were usually left outside the scope of policy declarations and did not have an explicit ‘agenda status’. If so, what makes these degree developments ‘worthy’ of political attention in recent years? The paper shows that joint Master's developments have been represented as appropriate action for furthering integration and convergence, as well as for improving competitiveness. It examines the ways in which joint Master's developments have been framed within and by these policy goals. It finally questions drivers of competitiveness and considers their deeper implications for the aims of and practice in HE.

Keywords

joint Master's programmes European integration competitiveness internationalisation convergence 
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Notes

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my sincere gratitude and thanks to Ian Bache, David Hyatt, Gareth Parry, Mark Pulsford, Pat Sikes, Hans de Wit and Nigel Wright for their insightful and constructive comments on earlier versions of this paper. I would also like to acknowledge the support of an EU Marie Curie fellowship on the topic of European Universities in the Area of Knowledge: Networks and Collaboration in Teaching and Research (EUKnow - FP7-People-2007-2-2 ERG).

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© International Association of Universities 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  • Vassiliki Papatsiba
    • 1
  1. 1.University of SheffieldSheffieldUK

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