New IDEAs for Internationalisation within the Knowledge Society

In response to the Bologna declaration and the increasing competition in attracting the best students, four leading European technological universities (the IDEA League) established common educational quality management principles. Mutual recognition of degrees has been established with the key aim of enhancing student mobility as part of the curriculum. Students have the flexibility to move from one IDEA university to another after completing the first three years of study (bachelor level equivalence) in order to complete a master's degree at a partner university. Graduates will receive the degree of the hosting university, and will have a truly international qualification. Implementation of these quality management and mobility features has led to partnerships with international companies. The article will discuss the challenges in establishing this new model of collaboration facing the different national systems and cultural backgrounds of the four universities, situated in Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. By H.G. Büttner