Joint Declaration of the Third EU4Dual Rector’s Council

During a meeting held on 6-7 November at the John von Neumann University in Kecskemét, Hungary, the EU4Dual Rector's Council took stock of the first ten months of the Alliance's activities and coordinated plans for the second year of operation.

The Rectors noted that the first year has been characterised by a deepening of cooperation between our respective institutions at all levels - governance, operational and academic. Each of our institutions has put in place the necessary structures and strategies to lay the groundwork for future work and to launch new joint initiatives.

We commend the efforts of all partners involved in the first phase, which resulted in the establishment and staffing of the key governing bodies of the Alliance, including the Central Office, the Academic Council and the Student Council. We have approved basic policies on a framework for joint masters and a dual studies model. Our network of teachers and researchers now has over 150 members.

Given the achievements to date, the Alliance is now ready to move from a preparatory phase to an operational phase - offering its first services to students, academics and businesses across Europe. This new phase will be supported by the election of two new positions - Virpi Laukkanen as Academic Director and Brigitte Ilg as Head of Internationalisation.

Over the next 6 months, the Alliance will:
* Announce the structure and composition of a specialised joint dual master, with enrolment opening in Q4 2024.
* Prepare the first steps towards the organisation of a second interdisciplinary Joint Dual Masters.
* Form academic groups to collaborate and seek funding around 4 lighthouse research initiatives in the areas of: (1) Business & Management for Green Transition; (2) Engineering for Sustainable and Digital Industry; (3) Health and Welfare Transition; (4) Interdisciplinarity in Social Sciences: A European Way of Life.
* Launch of the Centre of Excellence on Dual Studies with the mandate to define and establish a quality framework for dual studies.
* Organise its first Winter School at ESTIA in November 2023.
* Organise the first conference on dual study in Malta in April 2024.

We reaffirm our commitment to become the quality reference for dual higher educationand the largest integrated dual education institution in the world. Internally, this will be reflected in a tripling of student and academic mobility between our institutions and programmes. Externally, we are committed to promoting the dual education model globally through the development of a quality label for dual education.

We emphasise the importance of this initiative to the overall strategy of each of our institutions. We thank all those who have made the achievements to date possible. In order to achieve the agreed objectives of the Alliance, we mandate the Academic Council and its respective committees to prioritise the development of the strategies necessary for the functioning of the institution and to increase responsiveness to the needs of the various operational teams in the work packages.

We emphasise the need for all staff to maintain a strong focus on the delivery of our objectives. Bureaucracy should not get in the way of achieving our common goals. We encourage all employees to raise any issues that may be blocking progress promptly with top management to ensure continued rapid progress.

We are also beginning to plan for the long-term future of the Alliance. The vice-chancellors have held initial discussions on a future legal form for the Alliance and have established an Advisory Board, as well as Industry and Regional Advisory Councils, to help with planning.