• Diana Jabłońska, Director for Youth, Education and Erasmus+, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC), European Commission TBC 
• Stephan Geifes, Vice-President, Academic Cooperation Association (ACA) and Director, Erasmus+ National Agency Higher Education within the German Academic Exchange Service - DAAD, Germany 

This session brings together EU policy makers for a series of concise inputs offering strategic insights into both long-standing and emerging priorities shaping the European higher education policy agenda. Their contributions will set the scene for discussions on the future of intra-European and international cooperation under the next Erasmus+ programme. Participants will be invited to share reflections and feedback, while speakers highlight recent innovations piloted in the final calls of the current programme—building a bridge towards its next generation. 

Moderator: Stephan Geifes, Vice-President, Academic Cooperation Association (ACA), and Director, Erasmus+ National Agency Higher Education within the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Germany 

Impulse talks 

• Susanne Conze, Head of Unit, Higher Education, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC), European Commission 
• Filip Van Depoele, Head of Unit, International Cooperation, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC), European Commission 

Stakeholder reactions 

• Simone Lepore, President, Erasmus Student Network (ESN) 
• Joanne Pagèze, Director, ENLIGHT, University of Bordeaux, France
• Arno Schrooyen, Vice-President, European Students’ Union (ESU)  

Q&A  

Four parallel sessions will offer an in-depth look at the key horizontal priorities and flagship initiatives of the current Erasmus+ programme and their evolution in the upcoming programme cycle. Discussions will focus on interoperable and digitally enhanced mobility, the pathway towards the European Degree, and cooperation with neighbouring countries. Designed to be highly interactive, the sessions will encourage active participation and exchange throughout. Each round of parallel sessions will be repeated, allowing participants to engage with two topics of their choice. 

Session 1: Progress towards a European degree and related funding instruments  

The Council Resolution on a joint European degree label and the next steps towards a possible joint European degree of May 2026 proposed a timeline for a roll-out of the degree over three phases and the next steps until 2029. It also established a Policy Lab to steer the practical operationalisation of the European degree criteria based on the forthcoming guidelines. The recent developments towards the roll out of the degree label represent important steps at policy level but raise questions about the funding implications in the next Erasmus+ programme and beyond. This session will take stock of these developments, zooming in on the current state of play at policy, alliance and institutional level. It will also address the key challenges and next steps for the European degree label through a forward-looking discussion with the audience

Moderator: Courtney Hartzell, Policy and Project Coordinator, Academic Cooperation Association (ACA)

Speakers:

• Yann-Maël Bideau, Policy Officer, Higher Education, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC), European Commission  
• Andries Verspeeten, Team Leader and Senior Policy Advisor, Ghent University, Belgium  
• Fernando Galán, Executive Director, EU-CONEXUS Alliance and Advisor, European Degree Label Policy Lab 

Session 2: Cooperation with the South Mediterranean region 

This session will provide an update on the evolving priorities, participation patterns, and funding opportunities for higher education cooperation with the South Mediterranean region under Erasmus+ and the Pact for the Mediterranean, with special emphasis on the Erasmus+ 2026 call. The session will feature specific examples of long-standing cooperation and project work pursued by the Mediterranean Universities Union (UNIMED) and the Autonomous University of Madrid by using a diversified set of support schemes. The session will close with a discussion on the key lessons learnt from the cooperation with the region and implications for the next programming period.

Moderator: Cristina Perdigão, Director, Erasmus + Portuguese National Agency, Education and Training (A.N E+EF) 

• Georgiana Plesu, International Relations Officer, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC), European Commission 
• Marcello Scalisi, Director, Mediterranean Universities Union (UNIMED)  
• Irene Isabel Martín Cortés, Professor at the Department of Political Science and International Relations, Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain

Session 3: Building interoperable digital campuses for universities alliances  

This session will explore how interoperable digital systems enable European universities alliances and other types of strategic partnerships to develop shared learning opportunities and support smoother and more effective Erasmus+ mobilities. It will highlight key EU initiatives on interoperability, alongside early implementation experiences. The session will then turn to Finland’s national approach to coordinating interoperability through joint recommendations and a shared roadmap and conclude with a panel discussion on how interoperability enables cross-campus learning activities, portable learning components, and the development of digital campuses and common educational offerings by university partnerships, while addressing key lessons learnt for the future.

Moderator: Colin Tück, Senior expert for innovation and digitalisation, Knowledge and Innovation Centre, Brussels

Speakers:

• Karen Triquet, Senior Central Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
• Jukka Kohtanen, Director, CSC - It Center for Science, Finland 

Session 4: Opportunities for cooperation with EU Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood countries 

This session will provide an update on the evolving priorities and funding opportunities for higher education cooperation with the EU Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood region under Erasmus+, with special emphasis on the Erasmus+ 2026 call. The session will feature specific examples of long-standing cooperation and project work pursued by the EM Strasbourg Business School and EPICUR Alliance by using a diversified set of support schemes. The session will close with a discussion on the key lessons learnt from the cooperation with the region and implications for the next programming period.

Moderator: Lenka Procházková, Head of Office, Czech Liaison Office for Education and Research (CZELO)

Speakers:

• Adrien Olszak-Olszewski, Policy Officer, International Cooperation, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC), European Commission 
• Simone Rave, Policy Officer, Strategic Programming and Performance, Directorate-General for Enlargement and the Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST), European Commission  
• Sabine Menu, Associate Professor, EM Strasbourg Business School and EPICUR liaison officer in Brussels 

Four parallel sessions will offer an in-depth look at the key horizontal priorities and flagship initiatives of the current Erasmus+ programme and their evolution in the upcoming programme cycle. Discussions will focus on inclusive and digitally enhanced mobility, the pathway towards the European Degree, and cooperation with neighbouring countries. Designed to be highly interactive, the sessions will encourage active participation and exchange throughout. Each round of parallel sessions will be repeated, allowing participants to engage with two topics of their choice. 

See detailed descriptions for each session above; under Parallel sessions Round 1.

Session 1: Progress towards a European degree and related funding instruments  

Session 2: Cooperation with the South Mediterranean region 

Session 3: Building interoperable digital campuses for universities alliances 

Session 4: Opportunities for cooperation with EU Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood countries