CHARM-EU Master’s programme receives first Joint European Degree Label

07/21/2026

At an event hosted by the European Commission on 15 July 2026, the CHARM-EU Master’s in Global Challenges for Sustainability became one of the first two study programmes to be awarded the Joint European Degree Label.

CHARM-EU delegation, Meritxell Chaves (CHARM-EU Secretary General), Joan Guàrdia (UB Rector), Anouk Ritjers and Galang Gibran (graduates from the 4th edition of the Master’s in Global Challenges for Sustainability), Valerie Borell (Chair of the Master’s Programme Board) and Pita Verweij (Master’s Coordinator in Utrecht University). (Image: Cecile Poupart)

The CHARM-EU Master’s in Global Challenges for Sustainability is a 90 ECTS programme academically led by Trinity College Dublin and administratively managed by the University of Barcelona. Alongside the CHARM-EU programme, the EU-CONEXUS Joint Master in Marine Biotechnology also received the new label.

The Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg (JMU) has been a member of CHARM-EU since 2022. In the summer semester of 2026, students on the Master’s programme in Global Challenges for Sustainability completed part of their studies at JMU for the first time.

Celebrating the milestone in Brussels

The award ceremony featured opening remarks from Diana Jablonska, Director at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, and a keynote address by Pia Ahrenkilde, Director-General of DG EAC, who presented the award. Programme directors also handed the Joint European Degree Label certificates to graduates attending the event.

Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, underlined the wider European significance of the programmes recognised with the label:

"Today's award of the first Joint European Degree Labels marks the beginning of a new chapter for European higher education. We are recognising programmes that are designed together, taught together and prepare students to tackle challenges that no country can address alone. And this approach is something truly unique."

Among those attending the ceremony were graduates, academic leaders and representatives of CHARM-EU.

Anouk Ruijters, a graduate of the fourth edition of the CHARM-EU Master’s in Global Challenges for Sustainability, said:

"The Joint European Degree Label demonstrates the value of learning across different countries. CHARM-EU is a unique degree, emphasising transdisciplinarity and challenge-based learning to address global sustainability challenges. The label highlights this value, making it more visible to future employers."

Joan Guàrdia, Rector of the University of Barcelona, highlighted the significance of the recognition:

"The European university system and its stakeholders have long called for an initiative of this kind, which has successfully mapped out the skills and competencies of a new generation of European graduates. These capabilities are far better adapted to the demands of a changing, globalised job market."

He also emphasised how CHARM-EU has strengthened its partner institutions:

"Furthermore, the network has strengthened the position of participating universities as leading global educational destinations. This helps attract and retain top talent, as demonstrated by the prestigious recognition we are so proud to receive."

Coinciding with today's award, the European Commission also announced new funding results supporting the further development of joint European study programmes. CHARM-EU has been awarded €1 million to accredit additional programmes with the Joint European Degree Label.

About the Joint European Degree Label

The Joint European Degree Label is granted to joint programmes delivered through transnational cooperation between higher education institutions in at least two EU Member States or EEA EFTA States. It recognises programmes with strong joint governance, integrated academic cooperation and a clear European dimension, including sustainability, digital integration, multilingualism, mobility and shared European values. As a quality assurance and visibility tool, the label helps students, employers and institutions identify high-quality joint programmes with a strong European profile. It is also an important step towards the future development of a possible Joint European Degree.

About CHARM-EU

CHARM-EU is an alliance of nine European universities co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme and coordinated by the University of Barcelona. The alliance works to create a sustainable, inclusive and challenge-driven higher education model addressing global societal challenges.

The CHARM-EU Master’s in Global Challenges for Sustainability is an international programme based on challenge-driven, research-based and transdisciplinary learning, with student mobility across different European universities.