Progress on plans for transatlantic degree

Date: 06/06/1996

By Elizabeth Wise

A STUDENT at the Sorbonne and another at the University of Arkansas may be able to graduate with the same degree in a few years' time, if the current phase of EU-US cooperation continues at full pace.

Plans for the world's first transatlantic masters degree are expected to form part of the bilateral progress report announced by Commission President Jacques Santer, Italian Premier Romano Prodi and US President Bill Clinton when they meet next week in Washington for the first EU-US summit since the Transatlantic Agenda was signed last year.

The initiative stems from a meeting held last December between Education and Training Commissioner Edith Cresson and US Education Secretary Robert Reilly. After inviting universities to submit ideas, they have since settled on a short-list of eight projects involving 60 universities, technical colleges and foundations from 12 EU nations and 24 US states.

Under the plan, universities on either side of the Atlantic could confer the first transatlantic masters degree, a sort of political science diploma for graduate students seeking careers as policy-makers.

The masters curriculum would also be available on the information highway, with students on both sides tuning in to long-distance, interactive courses taught by faculties from nine universities on both continents. Joint study programmes and ensuing job placements or internships are envisioned in other fields such as international business, engineering and health care.

Participating European universities include those of Dresden and Paris. On the US side, schools from Seattle to Miami are taking part.

The intention is for the Commission and the US government to be the courses' main sponsors, but industry has also offered

to pitch in - car manufacturers BMW, Volkswagen and General Motors have all expressed an interest in the project.

Commission officials say it could take up to four years to launch the first courses. But with a little luck and some political will, there could be a Euromasters Class of 2000.