EQuIP

International partnerships are increasingly central to higher education, particularly within the Erasmus+ programme, where universities across Europe collaborate to offer students and academics meaningful international experiences. Over the years, the number of partnerships has grown significantly, but this expansion has highlighted the need to focus on the quality and effectiveness of these collaborations rather than simply their quantity. 

Building on the successful eQuATIC project, which introduced a data-driven approach to evaluating Erasmus+ partnerships, the EQuIP (Enhancing Quality Assessment in International Partnerships) project aims to modernise and enhance these tools to meet current and emerging needs in European higher education.

The project is developing a user-friendly digital platform that enables universities to assess, monitor, and improve the quality of their international partnerships. By combining information from learning agreements, external data sources, and the European Erasmus Without Paper (EWP) network, the platform will generate actionable insights that help institutions make informed, evidence-based decisions. The project also addresses challenges such as unequal contributions among partners, inconsistencies in academic standards, and difficulties in credit recognition, ensuring that partnerships are both efficient and equitable.

In addition to the platform, EQuIP will support capacity building through training activities and peer-to-peer learning, helping staff at higher education institutions develop the skills needed to analyse and interpret partnership data effectively. The project will also foster the exchange of best practices through workshops and international conferences, enabling universities to learn from each other’s experiences and optimise their international strategies.

By providing a comprehensive and modern approach to partnership evaluation, EQuIP aims to empower universities, policymakers, and stakeholders to make better decisions, improve collaboration outcomes, and maximise the benefits of international partnerships for students, academics, and institutions alike.

Project consortium: Université De Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (Coordinator), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Ghent University, HAN University of Applied Sciences, University of Padova, University of Porto, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, and European University Foundation.