The European University Alliance has been featured in an official EFQM case study, highlighting its approach to building a shared quality culture and strengthening collaboration across European higher education institutions.
EU4Dual has been featured on the official website of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) as a case study showcasing its approach to organisational excellence, quality management and continuous improvement.
Entitled “Building one organisation out of nine universities”, the case study explores how EU4Dual has developed a common organisational framework, bringing together nine founding universities with different institutional structures, management systems and working cultures under a shared vision.
The publication also reflects the alliance’s progress in organisational excellence, following its achievement of the four-star “Recognised by EFQM” level in March 2026, with an overall score of 422 points.
Building a shared culture of excellence
Since its establishment in 2023, EU4Dual has worked to develop a common approach to quality management while respecting the diversity of its partner institutions.
The alliance adopted the EFQM Model as a framework for continuous improvement, prioritising collaboration, transparency and organisational development over a traditional pass-or-fail certification approach.
This process has been coordinated by Work Package 9 (Quality Management and Impact Monitoring), bringing together representatives from across the alliance to establish shared processes, strategic objectives and improvement measures.
The EFQM case study highlights how this collaborative approach has helped transform a network of independent universities into a more integrated organisation with a shared culture of quality and excellence.
From three to four stars: a journey of continuous improvement
EU4Dual’s commitment to quality management has been reflected in two significant assessments.
In March 2025, the alliance achieved its first EFQM recognition, receiving three stars and a score of 306 points following an assessment conducted by Quality Austria.
Building on this initial achievement, EU4Dual underwent an international EFQM assessment in March 2026, reaching four stars and 422 points.
The assessment highlighted the alliance’s progress in governance, strategic alignment, stakeholder engagement and organisational sustainability.
Beyond the recognition itself, these achievements reflect the collective efforts of EU4Dual partners to develop a sustainable and continuously improving European University Alliance.
Sharing our experience with the wider European community
Being featured as an EFQM case study offers EU4Dual an opportunity to share its experience with other organisations and European University Alliances facing similar challenges in international cooperation and organisational integration.
The publication also highlights the development of EU4Dual’s Excellence Portal, which brings together strategic documents, processes, policies and key performance indicators to support transparency and continuous improvement.
As EU4Dual looks towards its long-term strategy for 2026–2036, the EFQM Model continues to provide a framework for strengthening cooperation, improving performance and supporting the alliance’s mission to advance dual higher education in Europe.
Read the full case study on the official EFQM website:
https://efqm.org/case-studies/eu4dual/