Are there specific policies to encourage joint degrees programmes, collaborative research and knowledge exchange between agriculture universities across Europe?

European agricultural universities greatly benefit from European policies and academic networks that actively promote joint degrees, collaborative research, and international knowledge exchange. A cornerstone initiative is the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's Degrees (EMJMD) programme under Erasmus+, which finances integrated master’s programmes administered collaboratively by at least three universities from different countries, including a minimum of two from EU or associated nations. EMJMD programmes require students to study in at least two different countries and offer either a single joint degree or multiple national degrees, supported by EU-funded scholarships covering tuition, travel, and living expenses.  

Several flagship EMJMD programmes focus specifically on agriculture and sustainability. For instance, the Agricultural, Food and Environmental Policy Analysis (AFEPA) programme is a two-year, 120 ECTS joint master's degree delivered by UCSC Milan (Italy), University of Bonn (Germany), SLU Uppsala (Sweden), and UCLouvain (Belgium). Similarly, SUSTAGRI is a joint master's in sustainable agriculture coordinated by universities in Spain (UPNA), Greece (AUA), and Portugal (UTAD), awarding an officially recognised joint master's degree across all three institutions. Another prominent example is PlantBreeding, an Erasmus Mundus master's programme specialising in sustainable cropping systems, created by leading universities in crop protection. Plant Breeding students study in countries such as Spain, Italy, France, and Germany, graduating with double diplomas. 

Beyond Erasmus Mundus, the Danube AgriFood Master (DAFM) offers a 120 ECTS joint MSc in sustainable agriculture and food technology, conducted by a consortium in the Danube region: Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE), Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU), BOKU Vienna (Austria), Slovak University of Agriculture Nitra, University of Zagreb (Croatia), University of Novi Sad (Serbia), and University of Life Sciences Timisoara (Romania). 

Another crucial collaborative platform is the Euroleague for Life Sciences (ELLS), established in 2001 as a strategic alliance of leading European universities specialising in agronomy, forestry, food, environmental sciences, and life sciences. Core ELLS members include the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), the University of Hohenheim (Germany), Wageningen University (Netherlands), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), the Czech University of Prague (CZU), and Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW). From the 2023–24 academic year onward, ELLS welcomed additional observer and associate members, such as Institut Agro (France), University of Lleida (Spain), University of Tuscia (Italy), Ghent University (Belgium), Estonian University of Life Sciences, and NMBU (Norway). 

Through ELLS, students can enrol in double-degree MSc programmes, including MSc AgriTropics, MSc Organic Agriculture and Food Systems (EUR-Organic), MSc Environmental Science (EnvEuro), and MSc Safety in the Food Chain (SIFC). These programmes require study at a minimum of two member universities, concluding with degrees awarded by each institution involved. ELLS further enhances academic engagement through summer schools, the Scientific Student Conference (e.g., "Living the ELLSperience," scheduled for November 2025 at SLU), and broader research collaboration and student mobility. 

These educational programmes are underpinned by a comprehensive European higher-education framework: the ECTS credit system, Diploma Supplement, and the Bologna Process ensure recognition and compatibility of academic achievements across EU countries, thus facilitating seamless implementation of joint educational programmes. Erasmus+ offers essential institutional funding (up to €5 million per project for at least four programme cycles) and generous individual scholarships (up to €1,400 per month for up to 24 months). 

In summary, European agricultural universities are interconnected through structured frameworks and dynamic partnerships. Erasmus Mundus EMJMDs provide fully-funded, integrated master's degrees; ELLS delivers structured double-degree master’s programmes along with conferences, summer schools, and cross-institutional collaboration; and targeted programmes like AFEPA, SUSTAGRI, PlantHealth, DAFM, and ELLS MSc courses demonstrate tangible, real-world impact.