This document discusses the development of a micro-credential in sustainability through the Una Europa collaboration between European universities. The micro-credential would provide flexible upskilling opportunities for learners and respond to labor market demands. It would augment an initial degree with knowledge and methodologies of sustainable development. An initial pilot would involve master's and doctoral students from Una Europa universities taking short-term virtual mobility courses with a common core and courses developed and offered by different partner universities. The collaboration involves academics and clusters of experts from the participating universities working on issues related to defining micro-credentials, quality assurance, recognition, access, and credit transfer between institutions.

1. Developing Micro-
credentials in European
Collaboration
Una Europa Micro-qualification in Sustainability
Maija Urponen
Senior Advisor, PhD
University of Helsinki
maija.urponen@helsinki.fi

2. Una Europa
Collaboration across borders, cultures,
languages and disciplines is the only way to
recover from the crisis and to build
resilience for a potential next one. This
gives us new momentum to deliver our
University of the Future – a challenge we
are ready to take up. Jointly.
https://www.una-europa.eu/stories/rectors-opinion

3. The consolidation of Una Europa as a
European University ecosystem, where
communities of practice are being built
with management and support
services actively serving our common
mission, central to the successful
creation of innovative formats for
courses/programmes and mobility.
The creation of a University of the
Future as an international, value-driven,
innovative community that is open and
inclusive, whose foundation lays within
the large and diverse group of academic
and non-academic experts of Una Europa
universities.
The development of Joint Innovative
Formats for international education
and mobility, to be tested and evaluated
via the implementation of pilots on
which project teams work according to
1Europe workflow and timeline.
The contribution to governmental
and European policies to optimize
regulations, to promote
internationalization and to
strengthen the EHEA, facilitated by
strong links with European
stakeholders and policy makers, as
well as a coherent sustainability
strategy.
Una Europa strategic goals

4. UNA EUROPA MICRO-QUALIFICATION
IN SUSTAINABILITY
Responds to labor market demands and needs of
learners for flexible ways of upskilling
Augments initial degree with knowledge and
methodologies of sustainable development.
Broad audience: anyone with a specific interest in the
subject with a minimum bachelor level prior
education.
➢ At the pilot stage: master’s and doctoral level
students of the Una Europa universities
Collaboration: courses developed & offered by
different partner universities
Mobility: Short-term virtual mobility for students/staff
➢ Open MOOC + scheduled sessions
Common core :
Intro to sustainability
Three pillars & ”baskets”
Economic Environmental Social

5. ACADEMICS
Laura Riuttanen, acad. lead – UH
Maciej Grodzicki - JU
Francesco Spampinato - UNIBO
+ Una Europa SSC in Sustainability
UNA EUROPA
CLUSTERS OF EXPERTS
IT for Education
Teaching & Learning
Continuous Education
Quality Assurance
Student Administration
Mobility
Legal
Diversity Council
COLLABORATION:
PILOT TEAMS
LEAD UNIVERSITY

6. COLLABORATION:
ISSUE LOG & TEMPLATES

7. ISSUE LOG – examples 1:
The notion of micro-credentials
Issue To do Clusters
Definition of micro-
credentials within
1Europe
Ensure that the pilot is in line with the concept note
for micro-credentials developed by WP 3 as well as
the recommendations by the European Comission,
to be published by the end of 2022
T&L, Continuing
Education
Share the notion of
"micro-credential" with
the whole Community
Initial discussion on the pilot based on the Design &
Outlines and the Barriers & Procedures documents
by the relevant clusters
IT for Education, Legal,
Mobility, QA, Student
Admin, T&L,
Continuing Education

8. ISSUE LOG – examples 2:
Quality assurance and recognition
Issue To do Clusters
Quality assurance of
MOOCs
Supporting workshops by Cluster IT for
Education; consider elaborating further into a
formalised approach (quality gates).
IT for Education, QA
Quality assurance of the
MQ as a whole
Share the notion of the UH approach to study
modules and agree on its use for QA
QA
Recognition of the
micro-credential at the
partner universities
Agree on how the micro-credential is recognised
at the partner universities, e.g. as part of a
master's degree or only as a separate certificate
T&L, QA

9. ISSUE LOG – examples 3:
Access and credits/certificates
Issue To do Clusters
Identification and
strong authentication
of learners
*Agree to the use of eduGAIN and the required
steps for its implementation
*Develop an interim solution before the European
Student Card / eduGAIN access is available
*Agree on the scope of access (e.g. library
materials)
Task force for digital
access; IT for
Education, Mobility
Transfer and
portability of credits
betwen partner
universities
*Agree to apply Europass Digital Credentials
Infrastructure (EDCI) to issue sertificates
*Obtain a qualified electronic seal from national trust
providers
*Prepare the certificate data to match Europass
requirements
Student Admin,
Mobility

11. Freie Universität
Berlin
Alma Mater
Studiorum Universitá
di Bologna
The University
of Edinburgh
Helsingin
yliopisto -
Helsijngfors
universitet
Uniwersytet
Jagielloński
w Krakowie
KU Leuven Universidad
Complutense
de Madrid
Université Paris 1
Panthéon-Sorbonne