From 24 to 26 November 2025, the European University Alliance UNINOVIS held an international workshop hosted at the Technische Hochschule Würzburg-Schweinfurt (THWS), Germany. Sixteen experts from our eight partner institutions came together in Würzburg to work intensively on the further development of joint educational offerings within the alliance.
The workshop focused on micro credentials as innovative learning formats, the associated UNINOVIS Diplomas, and comprehensive support structures for learners.
Micro credentials: A Key Topic within UNINOVIS and the European Union (EU)
Micro credentials are compact, topic-specific and market-oriented learning units that can be flexibly combined. They are designed for professionals, students and lifelong learners who wish to acquire targeted professional and societal skills and to continuously update their competences in a rapidly changing labour market.
Within our alliance, the work package "Lifelong Learning" addresses the European Union's strategy for lifelong learning and employability, with a focus on the development and implementation of joint micro credentials.
UNINOVIS Workshop Shapes the Future of European Education
Hosted by our partner Technische Hochschule Würzburg-Schweinfurt (THWS), the UNINOVIS workshop in Würzburg, Germany, brought together experts from all eight partner institutions as well as our associated partner IT:U Interdisciplinary Transformation University Austria. During three highly productive days, we finalized concept papers for the joint development of innovative learning offers, the UNINOVIS Diplomas, and an alliance-wide learner support system.
We also discussed key issues related to quality assurance and accreditation, laying a clear foundation for uniform alliance-wide standards, which will be overseen by a dedicated Accreditation Board.
Workshop Foundation and Input
The workshop was based on the results of a Europe-wide, cross-sectoral survey on the demand for flexible continuing education opportunities, which forms the foundation for the planned UNINOVIS micro credentials program.
In addition, insightful input was provided through presentations on online degree programs and teaching quality assurance at THWS as well as the implementation strategy for micro credentials at Tampere University of Applied Sciences in Finland (TAMK).
The workshop in Würzburg demonstrated how essential close and personal exchange within the alliance is. All partners in the work package jointly developed concepts that lay the foundation for flexible, internationally compatible and innovative learning pathways, opening up new opportunities for the European higher education landscape and economy. Micro credentials are a key instrument for making education more flexible, practice-oriented and target-group specific. We have also made an important step forward in the area of joint degree programs.
Looking ahead, we plan to bundle several micro credentials into cross-institutional, modular certificates - the UNINOVIS Diplomas. In parallel, we will establish a comprehensive support system to accompany learners along their individual UNINOVIS learning pathways. During the workshop, participants jointly developed an implementation guide to support the alliance-wide rollout of these offers.
From Concept to Implementation: The Next Steps for UNINOVIS Lifelong Learning
The outcomes of the workshop will feed directly into our ongoing collaborative work across the UNINOVIS partner institutions. An initial pilot phase for a European, cross-institutional micro credentials program, featuring modules identified during the workshop, is scheduled to start in early 2026.
Our next UNINOVIS workshop dedicated to joint educational offerings within the alliance is planned for summer 2026.