FilmEU and IADT Celebrate Landmark QQI Evaluation of Pathfinder Joint Degree
FilmEU and the Institute of Art, Design + Technology [IADT] is proud to announce a landmark achievement: the external evaluation of Pathfinder – the Joint International BA in Film using the European Approach is complete.
Conducted by Ireland’s national quality assurance agency, Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), the programme was evaluated by an international panel of experts who found the programme to be compliant with the standards of the European Approach. The programme will now be validated by IADT, and will be delivered by partner institutions from September 2025.
The QQI panel praised Pathfinder for its “strong cooperative foundations,” “relevant curriculum and learning outcomes,” and “robust mobility structure”.
It concluded that the programme “meets all relevant standards” of the European Approach and positions students “as globally oriented filmmakers with a keen sense of both craft and innovation”.
Crucially, the panel acknowledged Pathfinder’s design as a stepping stone toward the European Degree.
The consortium has already mapped the programme to the emerging European Degree label criteria and intends to award a fully joint diploma as soon as remaining accreditation procedures are complete.
“This programme is the result of deep and sustained collaboration between educators across Europe,” said Dr Deirdre O’Toole, Academic Lead for Pathfinder.
“Our teaching teams didn’t just align content — they co-designed the curriculum, co-lead modules, and built a shared pedagogy that reflects the collective spirit of FilmEU”.
“As Ireland’s Campus for the Creative Industries, IADT is proud to lead this innovative and collaborative programme,” said David Smith, President of IADT. “Pathfinder reflects not only the strength of our European partnerships but our deep commitment to shaping the future of screen education. This validation is a powerful endorsement of our vision — one where creativity, mobility, and industry relevance come together to equip the next generation of European storytellers”.
Barry Dignam, Vice Dean for European University at IADT said that “Pathfinder is not just a joint degree — it’s a prototype for the future European Degree”.
“We’re aligning our structure and governance with the European Degree label criteria, ensuring that what we build is scalable, inclusive, and deeply rooted in artistic and educational excellence”.
Pathfinder brings together five leading institutions – Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (Ireland), Universidade Lusófona – Centro Universitário Lisboa (Portugal), LUCA School of Arts (Belgium), and National Academy of Theatre and Film Arts “Kr. Sarafov” (Bulgaria) – with the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava (VŠMU) set to become a full partner in 2027 and the LMTA Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre(LMTA) as an Erasmus Partner.
With embedded mobility, sustainability, and digital innovation at its core, the programme embodies the European Commission’s ambitions for a connected, future-proofed Higher Education Area.
FilmEU sincerely thanks Dr. Eva Fernández de Labastida, the expert panel, and QQI for supporting this landmark validation and their commitment to excellence in European higher education.
FilmEU is the European University for Film and the Creative Industries, co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.
