1. First things first - read this before anything

What? 

These guidelines are an attempt to help the drafting of agreements on educational cooperation, particularly arrangements where a department/faculty of the University of Helsinki engages in the delivery of a jointly developed educational programme leading to one, two or multiple degrees. Such programmes and degrees are usually referred to as joint programmes, joint educational programmes, joint or dual degree programmes, or just joint degrees. In these guidelines, joint programme is used to cover all of the terms.

These guidelines are intended for master's level joint programmes, NOT for doctoral level arrangements, such as co-tutelle or joint supervision of PhD dissertations.

The guidelines are not definitive or normative. All agreements governing multi-institutional and multi-national cooperation are a combination of and a compromise between the regulations, traditions and similar guidelines of the institutions involved. None of the partners should be allowed to dominate with a set of rules and agreement models.

For whom?

The guidelines are meant for all who are involved in the negotiations on international joint programme agreements, either as coordinators or partners. 

By whom?

The first version of the guidelines was drafted in the University of Helsinki by Esko Koponen, International Education Adviser, Strategic Planning and Development. Hannele Markkanen, Legal Counsel in the same unit, has worked together with Esko on joint programme agreements and on these pages. The guidelines are updated by both Esko and Hannele.

The work on these guidelines was informed and inspired by several sources and persons. Special thanks go to Outi Snellman, Director of Administration and University Relations, University of the Arctic International Secretariat. Recommended reading are the detailed and thorough documents on the governance structure of the UArctic consortium.

The work done at the University of Bergen, Norway, was also observed when these pages were drafted. Please take some time to go through the presentation by Hilde Haaland Kramer, Senior Executive Officer in the Office of Academic Affairs, held at the Nordic Council of Ministers Theme Seminar: Developing Joint Programmes and Degrees in the Nordic and Baltic Countries, 13-14 December, 2007, Tampere, Finland.(NB! The presentation is not available for the time being, on 8 July, 2009. A link will be provided as soon as an adress is available.)

I would also like to thank Dr. Juha Malmisalo, at the time of the Faculty of Theology for his invaluable feedback on the first version of the Guidelines.

This is a wiki project. There is no final or complete version of the guidelines. All readers are encouraged to give feedback.