Proposals for Pathway Programmes
- Internationally enriched study routes inside an existing accredited degree, now in four types: Full, Modular, Window and Dual+. No new accreditation and no new degree — your institution remains the degree-awarding authority throughout. You indicate a preferred type and develop the design with your partners and the task team.
IN ONE MINUTE
- Pathways are internationally enriched routes inside existing degrees. No new accreditation, no new programme.
- The rigid model is gone. A Pathway is now a concept with three configurations, and you say at application stage which one you are aiming for.
- Doctoral collaborations cover co-tutelles, co-supervision arrangements and joint doctoral training within the five Doctoral Ecosystems.
- General call only. Expression of interest by 13 November, application by 18 December 2026. The design work happens with the task team afterwards, so form follows function.
- Every partner without a Pathway is asked to establish two, in any configuration.
AT A GLANCE
| Who can apply | Programme directors, prospective Pathway Coordinators and academic staff at any partner university, at bachelor or master level. |
| Minimum | At least two INGENIUM partner universities, and an existing accredited degree for the Pathway to sit in. |
| Four types | Full, Modular, Window and Dual+. You indicate a preferred type at expression of interest stage and confirm it in the Full Proposal. |
| Route and dates | General call. Expression of interest 14 September – 13 November 2026; Full Proposal 18 December 2026. |
| Institutional endorsement | Not required for the expression of interest. Required for the Full Proposal, signed by the Dean, Head of Department, Vice-Rector or another authorised representative. |
| When it starts | Design and preparation with partner institutions and the task team from February 2027. Student enrolment between June and October 2027, for the 2027/2028 intake. |
| Funding | Assembled from Erasmus+ mobility funding, INGENIUM project funds for shorter formats, and institutional co-funding. The Alliance commits to a minimum level of support for each Pathway type. |
| Assessment | Relevance 3 + Quality 4 + Impact 3 = 10. |
| Who decides | Pre-assessment by the Technical Pre-assessment Group with the Secretariat, then validation and final selection by the Education Council, with student representation. |
The four Pathway types
All four types share the same purpose: an integrated international learning experience embedded in a degree that is already accredited. They differ in how much of the curriculum is internationalised, how mobility and international learning are balanced, and how much institutional collaboration is required. Start from your institutional starting point rather than from your level of ambition. A Pathway can move up a type later as the collaboration matures, and the type recorded in an expression of interest can still change before the Full Proposal.
Full Pathway
At least 25% of the degree’s total ECTS completed through physical mobility at one or more partner universities, and at least a further 25% through other international learning. Recognition arrangements and transversal competences are agreed up front, and mobility is designed for automatic recognition wherever possible. For a 180 ECTS bachelor’s degree that is roughly 45 ECTS in each component; for a 120 ECTS master’s, 30 ECTS in each. There is no prescribed combination — what matters is that the components genuinely add up and are each recognised.
Suitable for programmes with enough curriculum flexibility to carry substantial international components, and with partners able to offer complementary semester-based study.
Highest complexity · 50% international curriculum
Modular Pathway
Physical mobility and international learning combined, with no prescribed distribution of ECTS between them. As a minimum: one period of physical mobility, normally funded through Erasmus+, and at least two international learning activities — Challenge-Based Mobility, a Blended Intensive Programme, international courses, guest teaching through staff mobility, a micro-credential or virtual mobility. The volume, sequence and combination are set by the programme team and agreed at proposal stage.
Suitable for programmes with significant international ambition but limited space for curriculum redesign, and for institutions taking a first step. Modular Pathways can grow into Full Pathways.
Moderate complexity · No fixed ECTS split
Dual+ Pathway
An established double or dual degree between two or more partner universities, enriched with INGENIUM educational components — Blended Intensive Programmes, micro-credentials, collaborative teaching, Challenge-Based Mobility, virtual mobility or guest lectures — that contribute to the programme’s learning outcomes. Unlike the other three types, a Dual+ Pathway enriches a degree structure that already exists rather than building towards one.
For programmes that already run a dual degree and want to connect it to the Alliance offer. The existing cooperation agreement between the institutions usually needs reviewing so that the new components are properly covered.
Moderate complexity · For existing dual degrees
Window Pathway
A predefined INGENIUM Window inside the degree, containing at least one clearly identified international learning activity with pre-agreed recognition and transparent information for students. The Window can be a physical mobility window — a recognised period of study at one or more partner universities — or an international learning window built on Alliance activities, for students who cannot travel long-term.
The most accessible entry point, requiring very little curriculum adaptation. Window Pathways can evolve into Modular or Full Pathways.
Lowest complexity · Semester-based
From idea to Pathway
- 14 September – 13 November 2026
Submit an expression of interest
Name a prospective Pathway Coordinator, the accredited degree the Pathway would sit in, your preferred Pathway type, and the partners you already have or are looking for. It commits you to nothing and needs no institutional support.
- September – November 2026
Develop the partnership
Matchmaking events, thematic workshops, individual support on curriculum and Pathway design, and guidance on choosing the right type. This is also when institutions consult internally and connect with the Knowledge Ecosystems and existing academic networks.
- Late November 2026
Portfolio checkpoint
The emerging Pathway portfolio is presented to the Education Council and the Academic Assembly, giving the Alliance’s academic bodies visibility of what is coming before Full Proposals are submitted.
- By 18 December 2026
Submit the Full Proposal
The complete design: academic structure and curriculum integration, the chosen Pathway type with its justification, recognition mechanisms, implementation timeline and student support arrangements — with formal institutional endorsement.
- January 2027
Pre-assessment, selection and feedback
Pre-assessment against the criteria, then validation and final selection by the Education Council with student representation. Results and feedback by the end of January.
- February – July 2027
Design and prepare for delivery
Finalise the design with partner institutions and the task team, complete the Pathway Factsheet, establish recognition arrangements and prepare student information. Coordinators join the Pathway Community of Practice.
- June – October 2027
Student enrolment
Students join the Pathway through the institutional admission procedures and the timetable set by the Annual Education Cycle, for the 2027/2028 intake.
How your proposal is assessed
Relevance, Quality and Impact, scored out of ten in total. The evaluation is developmental: alongside the score, the Education Council provides feedback that highlights strengths, identifies areas for improvement and, where useful, recommends changes that would strengthen the Pathway before implementation. What is assessed is the coherence of the Pathway’s own components and how well they fit within, and add to, a degree that is already accredited.
3
Relevance
Does it advance what the alliance has committed to?
- Contribution to the European Campus and to collaborative education across the Alliance
- Suitability of the Pathway type selected
- Alignment of the international components with the learning outcomes of the existing degree
- Educational, societal and, where relevant, labour-market relevance
- For Dual+ Pathways, how far the INGENIUM activities complement and strengthen the existing dual degree
4
Quality
Is it well designed, and can it actually be delivered?
- Coherence and academic quality of the learning experience, and of the student journey through it
- Feasibility of the mobility and recognition arrangements
- Strength of the partnership and of the collaboration already established between the institutions
- Realism of the implementation plan
- Level of institutional commitment demonstrated in the application
- Inclusive, accessible and student-centred design
3
Impact
What will change, and will it last?
- Number of participating institutions, and of students the Pathway can carry
- Contribution to expanding educational collaboration within INGENIUM
- Engagement of new academic areas, faculties or institutional partners
- Prospects for sustainability and continued delivery beyond the initial funding period
- Knowledge the Pathway generates
- Contribution to the Alliance’s strategic objectives and to the growth of the Pathway portfolio
The three dimensions are common to the whole call. The points listed under each are the version that applies to Pathway Programmes.
Funding
Pathway funding is assembled from existing sources rather than paid as a single grant. Three streams combine: Erasmus+ mobility funding, including KA131, for long-term physical mobility; INGENIUM project funds, for shorter formats such as Challenge-Based Mobility, Blended Intensive Programmes and micro-credentials; and institutional co-funding, committed as part of the endorsement given at Full Proposal stage.
What the Alliance commits to
The commitments below are the minimum the Alliance aims to provide for each Pathway type, subject to the availability of project resources and Erasmus+ mobility funding. The level of support reflects the ambition of each type and what it is expected to deliver. Institutions are encouraged to add to them.
| Pathway type | Minimum Alliance support |
|---|---|
| Full Pathway | Support for at least one student per Pathway to take part in one Challenge-Based Mobility or equivalent; one Blended Intensive Programme; one semester of physical mobility, normally through Erasmus+; and one thesis mobility at a partner institution |
| Modular Pathway | Support for at least one student per Pathway to take part in one Challenge-Based Mobility or equivalent activity; one period of physical mobility, normally funded through Erasmus+; and one staff mobility |
| Window Pathway | Support for the mobility window embedded in the programme, normally through Erasmus+ long-term student mobility — or, where the Window is built on Alliance activities rather than semester mobility, through the INGENIUM instrument funding those activities |
| Dual+ Pathway | Support for at least one short-term mobility linked to the INGENIUM component: a Blended Intensive Programme, a Challenge-Based Mobility, or another short activity complementing the existing dual degree |
Who runs a Pathway
Every Pathway names a Pathway Coordinator, who leads the design, delivery and improvement of the programme, acts as the main academic contact for students, partner universities and the Alliance, and coordinates curriculum, mobility planning, recognition arrangements and annual reporting. Around the coordinator sit a small number of defined roles.
- Academic Advisor. Guides students through study planning, course selection, mobility preparation, recognition and academic progression.
- Career Advisor. Advises on internships, employability, entrepreneurship and career planning, including opportunities with INGENIUM partners and associate organisations.
- Partner University Supervisor. Supervises delivery at each partner institution, makes sure mobility, teaching and recognition happen as agreed, and keeps in regular contact with the home coordinator. For a Dual+ Pathway, this is the person responsible for the existing dual-degree agreement.
- Pathway Committee. For Full Pathways, a group of at least three: the Coordinator, at least one Partner University Supervisor, and a third member drawn from the Academic Advisor, the Career Advisor or a further Partner University Supervisor. It is a practical coordination mechanism, not a formal governance body.
The home institution recognises the Pathway’s mobility and international learning components within its own academic regulations and issues the diploma. Pathways require no new accreditation, and no Alliance-level accrediting body is involved.
After selection
Selection is the start of implementation, not the end of the process. Between February and July 2027 the Pathway team confirms what each partner institution is responsible for, agrees the international learning activities to be included, fixes dates and mobility periods, finalises any agreements needed between the institutions, secures recognition arrangements, sets up the communication channels between partners, prepares student information and promotional material, and coordinates with International Relations Offices and academic administration. Where an existing institutional agreement does not cover what the Pathway needs, it is reviewed or updated.
The Pathway Factsheet
Each approved Pathway completes a Pathway Factsheet: participating institutions and contacts, the Pathway type, the programme structure, the international learning and mobility components, recognition arrangements, academic and career advising arrangements, and student application and admission information. It is the common reference for students, partner universities and institutional services, and the source used to promote the Pathway.
What a Pathway can draw on
Approved Pathways become part of the wider INGENIUM educational ecosystem and can build their international learning components from it: Challenge-Based Mobility, Blended Intensive Programmes, micro-credentials, virtual mobility through the online Course Catalogue, guest lectures and collaborative teaching, international internships, and thesis or final-project mobility. Coordinators are encouraged to work with the relevant INGENIUM teams to find the activities that fit their learning outcomes.
The Pathway Community of Practice
Pathway Coordinators join the INGENIUM Pathway Community of Practice, the Alliance forum where coordinators and academic staff exchange experience, work through shared problems such as mobility, recognition and curriculum development, and find opportunities to collaborate between Pathways. Participation is part of running a Pathway rather than an optional extra. At the end of delivery the INGENIUM Community Questionnaire goes to students, staff and stakeholders, and what it shows feeds both the next edition of the Pathway and the Alliance’s Flexible Learning Pathways Manual.
Submit an Expression of interest
The expression of interest is short by design. You are not expected to have a finished curriculum, a confirmed partner or an implementation plan. What it should show is a prospective Pathway Coordinator, the accredited degree the Pathway would sit in, and an initial educational concept with the added value for students. Submitting it commits you to nothing.
Airtable form · open 14 September – 13 November 2026
Questions
No. Indicate a preference in the expression of interest, and say if you are unsure. The design, including a possible change of type, is worked out during the partnership development phase and confirmed in the Full Proposal.
Start from your institutional starting point rather than your level of ambition. Look at where international elements would actually fall into place in your curriculum, and how much international content you can genuinely include as an option or a substitute. If you already run a dual degree with a partner, Dual+ is almost certainly the right fit.
Each partner without a Pathway is asked to establish two, in any of the four types. A Window Pathway is usually the most straightforward first step: one defined window, one partner programme, one agreed set of courses and recognition arrangements.
Not for the expression of interest — academic enthusiasm is enough at that stage. The Full Proposal does require it, normally from the Dean, Head of Department, Vice-Rector or another authorised representative, confirming that the institution accepts the academic, administrative and resource commitments involved.
No. A Pathway is built inside a degree that is already accredited, so each partner institution remains the accrediting authority for its own degree and no Alliance-level accreditation is needed.
An existing dual degree is the starting condition, not the whole requirement. A Dual+ Pathway also needs one or more INGENIUM educational components — a Blended Intensive Programme, a micro-credential, collaborative teaching — genuinely integrated into the curriculum and contributing to its learning outcomes.
Mainly from the INGENIUM Course Catalogue, which is why catalogue contributions matter to Pathway students first. Collaborative teaching initiatives, Blended Intensive Programmes, micro-credentials and Challenge-Based Mobility all add components too.
For students enrolled in a Pathway it is an embedded entitlement rather than a separate application. The Pathway design says how many challenges are available and where in the route they fall.
For Full, Modular and Window Pathways it is possible over time, but it would be a separate proposal once the partnership has matured. Dual+ Pathways are different: they enrich a dual degree that already exists rather than building towards one.
You receive feedback summarising the strengths of the application and, where appropriate, recommendations for a future resubmission. Non-selection is treated as a developmental outcome rather than a final rejection. A proposal can be resubmitted in a later Annual Education Cycle, incorporating the feedback; resubmission is not automatic and carries over no prior score.
Useful Documents
Everything you need to prepare a Pathway proposal is available here. Read the guidelines alongside the Annual Education Call guide, which sets out the cycle these Pathways sit inside.
Talk to us
| UNIVERSITY | COORDINATOR | |
|---|---|---|
| UNIOVI | Jesús Daniel Santos | ingenium@uniovi.es |
| TUIASI | Irina Lungu | irina.lungu@academic.tuiasi.ro |
| UdA | Marcello Costantini | marcello.costantini@unich.it |
| Xamk | Eeva Kuoppala | eeva.kuoppala@xamk.fi |
| Skövde | Mikael Ejdebäck | mikael.ejdeback@his.se |
| HKA | Melissa Gruber | melissa.gruber@h-ka.de |
| MTU | Michael Hall | michael.hall@mtu.ie |
| Rouen | Ligia Livanu | ligia.livanu@univ-rouen.fr |
| UoC | Georgios Kossioris | kosioris@uoc.gr |
| MUS | Magdalena Kasnakova | m.kasnakova@mu-sofia.bg |
