• Logo of university of Helsinki
  • Logo of the Pantheon Sorbonne
  • Ku Leuven logo
  • Logo of the Jagiellonian University
  • The University of Edinburgh logo
  • Freie Universitat logo
  • Universitat Zurich logo
  • Universidad Complutense Madrid logo

About the programme

Una Europa Joint Bachelor in Sustainability (BASUS) is an upcoming international interdisciplinary three-year undergraduate programme, organised and coordinated by six leading research-intensive European universities. Being a joint degree means that, upon a successful completion of the programme, a graduate receives a single diploma jointly awarded by all six of these universities – KU Leuven, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Universität Zürich, Helsingin yliopisto/Helsingfors universitet, and Uniwersytet Jagielloński. We are currently awaiting the successful completion of the accreditation procedure of the programme before its official launch.

With mobility, innovation and interdisciplinarity at the forefront of the programme, BASUS is the future of higher education.

BASUS students will have the opportunity to study on-campus at three of Europe’s most prominent universities. Moreover, the mobility of the teaching staff composed of noted experts from all universities associated with the programme ensures the utmost quality of the programme no matter the location of a student. By providing extensive education on sustainability, its various complexities and intersections of divergent disciplines, the programme aims to equip its graduates with necessary tools to forge a better future.

Una Europa

Una Europa is a unique alliance of eleven leading research-intensive European universities, established in 2019 with an aim to draw on our collective strengths to create a truly European 
inter-university environment, a University of the Future. You can learn about the alliance on the dedicated Una Europa website.

Partners

1Uniwersytet Jagielloński w Krakowie
Uniwersytet Jagielloński w Krakowie is a leading Polish higher education institution. It is a comprehensive university, where excellence in research is combined with the highest quality education, innovation and responsible social engagement. It is a place where the rich and creative history of one of the oldest universities in Europe blends with state-of-the-art research infrastructure, innovative technology and future-oriented thinking. The legacy of the Uniwersytet Jagielloński as epitomized by its most famous alumni – Nicolaus Copernicus, Pope John Paul II or the Nobel Prize winner Wisława Szymborska – is best captured by its motto plus ratio quam vis (reason before force). This attitude, immersed in rationality, tolerance and creativity, has formed the history of the Uniwersytet Jagielloński, and continues to shape its future.
Uniwersytet Jagielloński w Krakowie is a degree-awarding partner of the BASUS programme.
2KU Leuven
KU Leuven is one of the world’s great universities, home to leading researchers who have made us Reuters’ highest-ranked European university for innovation. This achievement builds on a 600-year tradition of academic excellence and ethical integrity that serves as the backbone for everything we do. As a comprehensive university, we offer a wide selection of academic programmes, all of which are in the top 100 of the world rankings for their respective fields, half of which are in the top 50. More than 140 different nationalities are represented amongst our 10,000+ international students, with more than 20 international student organisations on campus and a dedicated international student centre, Pangaea. The city of Leuven is a only a stone’s throw from the Brussels, the capital of Europe and home to a wide array of leaders in government and industry. Strong governmental support for higher education allows us to pair our world-class degrees with affordable tuition rates, offering students the best possible value.
KU Leuven is a degree-awarding partner of the BASUS programme.
3Helsingin yliopisto/Helsingfors universitet
Helsingin yliopisto/Helsingfors universitet is the oldest and largest institution of academic education in Finland, an international scientific community of 40,000 students and researchers. In international university rankings, Helsingin yliopisto typically ranks among the top 100. Helsingin yliopisto seeks solutions for global challenges and creates new ways of thinking to better humanity.
Helsingin yliopisto/Helsingfors universitet is a degree-awarding partner of the BASUS programme.
4Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
Founded in 1253, Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne is one of the oldest universities in the world. The policy of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne is to conduct excellent interdisciplinary research and learning. It is organised around 3 main scientific areas: Economics and Management, Humanities, and Law and Political Sciences. Research performed at the University is renowned on both a national and international level. The University is currently host to 43,000 students and offers degrees partially taught in English, double degrees with international partners and off-campus training sessions. It has close and long-standing ties with 400 universities around the world and is a member of international networks. The overall goal is to provide researchers and students with a unique opportunity to interact with a broad and global network.
Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne is a degree-awarding partner of the BASUS programme.
5Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Universidad Complutense de Madrid dates back to the 13th century. The original Ciudad Universitaria campus was founded in 1927 with the goal of merging education, science and culture. The University is home to over 86,000 students and also has institutions in the city of Pozuelo de Alarcón. The University offers summer courses in the world heritage site of San Lorenzo del Escorial and boasts a number of study abroad programmes with universities located in Europe and the US. The University’s alumni include many famous historians, philosophers, poets and Prime Ministers. Its graduates are given ‘lifelong training’ that furnishes them with professional skills allied to their chosen fields of work and alongside their academic studies.
Universidad Complutense de Madrid is a degree-awarding partner of the BASUS programme.
6Universität Zürich
Universität Zürich (UZH) is committed to the free and open pursuit of scholarship and fosters the values of diversity, interdisciplinarity and scientific discourse. With more than 28,000 students, 9,000 staff and more than 800 professors, UZH is Switzerland's largest university. Founded in 1833, UZH was Europe's first university founded by the will of the people. Research, teaching, continued education and services are the key tasks of UZH. Seven faculties with more than 150 subject areas offer a wide variety of Bachelor's, Master and PhD programmes. In addition, UZH's continuing education programme covers all relevant topics allowing for lifelong learning. UZH communicates with its stakeholders and the general public through a wide range of activities, including a Children's University, a Senior Citizen University and a variety of science policy dialogues. In addition, UZH operates 12 museums accessible to the public.
Universität Zürich is a degree-awarding partner of the BASUS programme.
7University of Edinburgh
Founded in 1583, the University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s top universities, consistently ranked in the world top 50, in the Times Higher Education World Rankings, and placed 18th in the 2019 QS World University Rankings. The University’s entrepreneurial and cross-disciplinary culture attracts students and staff from across the globe, creating a unique Edinburgh experience. The University is currently host to 40,000 students from 156 counties. We provide a stimulating working, learning and teaching environment with access to excellent facilities. Previous students include Nobel Prize winning laureates, pioneers and inventors. The University offers a range of ways to study and is the largest provider of online learning in the Russell Group of UK research-intensive universities.
The University of Edinburgh is a mobility partner of the BASUS programme.
8Freie Universität Berlin
An internationally recognised institution, Freie Universität Berlin continues to implement the values behind its founding history to provide students with excellent education and facilitate vital research. A full-spectrum university comprising 12 departments and 3 Central Institutes offers more than 150 different academic programs in a broad range of disciplines to its 40,000 currently enrolled students. As a member of alliance projects and research-oriented networks, the University is involved in a broad variety of global academic and scientific cooperations that facilitate both the research and the teaching conducted by the University.
Freie Universität Berlin is a mobility partner of the BASUS programme.

BASUS structure

BASUS is a three-year undergraduate programme divided into six semesters.

All students will spend the first two semesters at the starting university (currently Uniwersytet Jagielloński w Krakowie), where they will all follow the Common Core curriculum. Then, starting the second year, the students will spread out across Europe to different partner universities to follow their respective tracks.

Available tracks

Icon physics

Sustainable Chemistry & Physics

Helsingin yliopisto/Helsingfors universitet
Icon geography

Economy & Geography

Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
Icon law

Law & Politics of Sustainability

Uniwersytet Jagielloński w Krakowie
Icon chemistry

Environmental & Life Sciences

Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Icon economics

Economics, Management & Engineering

KU Leuven
Icon humanities

Social Sciences & Humanities

Universität Zürich

Following the three semesters of track courses, the students will have the opportunity to spend the last semester at one of the eight universities associated with the programme – however, mobility is entirely optional.

Additionally, we are aiming to facilitate students’ participation in summer schools hosted by one of the partner universities, tackling more generic topics and issues connected with sustainability, as an optional elective during the course of the programme.

Applying for BASUS

Applying for BASUS will be primarily based on the results of a custom-built entrance exam that tests the aptitude of the potential candidates for the programme. The test will be held online to allow all those interested, irrespective of their nationality, to apply. More detailed information on the enrolment process will be announced upon the completion of the accreditation procedure of the programme.

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