Dawid Kostecki, director of Poland’s National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA), wrote in the publication that this type of education “has gained interest in the Polish academic community in recent years”, partly due to the “complexity of the labor market”. “.
“Flexibility is a key value that increases a graduate’s employability not only at home, but also abroad,” he added. “A double degree is an important step in building a candidate’s career, not only because of the opportunity to broaden their horizons, but also in terms of supporting their openness to the world.”
However, the report points out that joint studies are “complex”, with several variations, including double degrees, joint degrees, joint degree programs and dual degree programs.
Dorota Piotrowska, a researcher at the Technical University of Lodz, said the “terminological confusion” was the result of a “lack of clear definitions”.
“It’s a confusion that has somewhat blocked universities in Europe for many years,” she said. “The lack of regulation causes universities to use some terms interchangeably, which sometimes leads to misunderstandings.”
According to Tabe Kaiser, Head of Teaching Internationalization at the DAAD, in Germany the double degree study, defined in the report as leading to the issuance of two separate accreditation documents, plays a “key role” in university internationalization strategies..
“The value of dual degree programs often does not go hand in hand with their visibility”
However, Kaiser believes that more information should be available about these degree programs.
“The value of dual degree programs often does not go hand in hand with their visibility,” she wrote. “Multiple double degree majors’ websites are difficult to find on university websites. They also lack basic information.”
According to Vidar Pedersen, director of European programs at the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills, joint courses are a priority for the government. A former Norwegian minister of education called them the “gold standard of international cooperation” because they require far-reaching interaction between universities.
Pedersen emphasizes that funding is one of the main challenges when it comes to expanding these programs. “It’s quite expensive to run joint degree programs,” he said. “The distribution of funds within the consortium can also be a problem.”
Arrangements for students to begin their studies at home and then continue in the US are “an important part of the internationalization plan of American universities,” according to Clare Overmann, head of higher education initiatives at the Institute of International Education.
But since there is no central institution responsible for accreditation in the US, it is “difficult” to recognize these degrees.
Piotrowska claims that for Poland and Europe, legal restrictions need to be adjusted to support the implementation of joint and double degrees.
“Green” enabling certain solutions, clearly presented by the Ministry, could significantly encourage Polish universities to develop this form of cooperation,” she said.
Piotrowska concludes that the development of educational pathways that lead to qualifications identified and recognized by many universities could become “revolutionary” for the European higher education system.
