The first European graduates of the Una Europa Alliance: the graduation ceremony for the joint degree takes place in Madrid

The graduation ceremony for the first graduates of the Bachelor of Arts in European Studies (BAES), the first joint undergraduate degree awarded by a European alliance, took place today at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

Created within the framework of Una Europa, the BAES is the result of collaboration among ten partner universities, including the University of Bologna.

The degree is jointly awarded by four universities – the University of Bologna, KU Leuven, Universidad Complutense de Madrid and the Jagiellonian University in Kraków – with the participation of Freie Universität Berlin, University College Dublin, University of Helsinki, University of Edinburgh, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and the University of Zurich as mobility partners.

“This milestone highlights the essential role of alliances in today’s higher education landscape,” said the Rector of the University of Bologna, Giovanni Molari, “and reaffirms Una Europa’s commitment to shaping the future of academic education”.

The BAES, the result of the considerable joint effort of all the universities involved in integrating their educational systems, is an innovative and highly international programme. It combines academic, linguistic and cultural perspectives from across Europe, focusing on the core characteristics and fundamental values of the European Union, its member countries and societies, as well as Europe’s role in the world.

Students can complete their studies at two or three different universities, chosen among the participating institutions.

“Participation in this project confirms the international vocation of the University of Bologna, which ranks first in Italy for the number of international students, who represent over 10% of total enrolments, and first in Europe for Erasmus+ mobility, both incoming and outgoing,” concluded Rector Molari.

To date, the programme has over 800 enrolled students from more than 40 countries. In 2025, 160 students who enrolled in the 2022/2023 academic year will graduate, 52 of whom began their studies at the Alma Mater.

The graduation ceremony for the first cohort of Bachelor of Arts in European Studies graduates was attended by the Rectors of the Universities of Complutense and Bologna, along with representatives of the European Commission and Spanish authorities, as well as members of the university governance and academic coordinators from all the institutions involved in the programme.

The Una Europa Alliance brings together eleven of Europe’s most prestigious universities. Alongside the University of Bologna, its partners include: Freie Universität Berlin (Germany), University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom), Helsingin yliopisto / Helsingfors universitet (Finland), Uniwersytet Jagielloński w Krakowie (Poland), Universiteit Leiden (Netherlands), KU Leuven (Belgium), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain), Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (France), University College Dublin (Ireland) and Universität Zürich (Switzerland).