Tuning and EASEC: Certifying the Generic Competences That Higher Education Defines as Essential
About this framework
Tuning Educational Structures is the methodology developed by European universities to design, describe and deliver degree programmes in terms of learning outcomes and competences. Originating from the Bologna Process in 2000, Tuning has expanded to Latin America, Africa, Russia, China, the Middle East and North America — making it the most widely adopted competence-based curriculum design framework in global higher education.
The Evidence Base Behind Tuning
Tuning was created to solve a specific problem: how can universities in different countries design degree programmes that are comparable, transparent and relevant to the labour market, while respecting institutional autonomy and disciplinary diversity?
The answer Tuning proposed — and that has since been adopted by universities on every continent — is to define programmes in terms of what graduates can do (competences and learning outcomes) rather than what they were taught (content and syllabi). This competence-based approach has become the backbone of the European Higher Education Area and the foundation of curriculum design in the Bologna Process.
What makes Tuning distinctive is its evidence base. Across eight major regional studies covering more than 100 countries, over 71,000 graduates, employers, students and academics have been surveyed on which generic competences they consider most important and how well universities develop them. This empirical foundation — the largest consultation of its kind in higher education history — gives Tuning's competence lists a legitimacy that purely theoretical frameworks lack.
For any organisation that certifies competencies used in higher education, Tuning is the reference that universities recognise as their own. It was built by academics, for academics, through a process of peer consultation and disciplinary dialogue. Alignment with Tuning means speaking the language that higher education institutions already use.
How Tuning Works
Tuning defines degree programmes in terms of what graduates can do — not what they were taught. Its generic competences are structured into two dimensions and rated empirically by thousands of stakeholders worldwide.
The Two Types of Competences
The Consultation Process
For each regional Tuning project, Subject Area Groups define a list of approximately 30 competences (generic and subject-specific). These are then rated by four stakeholder groups on a 1-to-4 scale for both importance and degree of achievement during university study.
The resulting data reveals not only which competences matter most but where the gap exists between what stakeholders expect and what universities deliver. This consultation has been replicated across Europe, Latin America, Africa, Russia, Central Asia, the Middle East and North America, generating a uniquely rich comparative dataset on what the world expects from higher education graduates.
Where Tuning Is Used
From the Bologna Process to universities across five continents, Tuning has become the most widely adopted competence-based curriculum design framework in global higher education.
Europe
Tuning was developed at the University of Deusto (Spain) and the University of Groningen (Netherlands) as a direct response to the Bologna Declaration. It has been used across the European Higher Education Area to design and reform degree programmes, with the European Commission funding multiple phases through the Socrates and Erasmus+ programmes.
Latin America
One of the most extensive expansions. Universities across 18 Latin American countries have used Tuning to harmonise curricula in fields ranging from education to engineering, medicine to law. This is particularly relevant for EASEC, given its active presence in the region.
Africa
Covering 57 universities in over 40 African countries, Tuning Africa adapted the methodology to the continent's diverse higher education landscape, identifying generic competences valued across the region.
Russia & Central Asia
Applied to curriculum reform across Russian and Central Asian universities through Tuning Russia and TuCAHEA.
Middle East & China
Extended to the MENA region through Tuning MEDA, and adapted for Chinese higher education institutions through Tuning China.
Tuning Academy
The Tuning Academy at the University of Deusto serves as the permanent repository and knowledge centre for all Tuning projects worldwide, maintaining the competence lists, subject area reference points and research publications.
How EASEC Aligns with Tuning
EASEC certifies the generic competences that Tuning identifies as essential for higher education graduates — providing the verified, independent assessment that Tuning's consultation data shows is needed but that universities typically do not deliver through their own assessment systems.
Direct Correspondence with Tuning Generic Competences
EASEC's 32 transversal competencies map directly onto Tuning's three categories of generic competences:
| Tuning Category | Tuning Generic Competences | EASEC Corresponding Competencies |
|---|---|---|
| Instrumental | Capacity for analysis and synthesis | Strategic Thinking, Problem Solving |
| Capacity for organising and planning | Planning and Organisation | |
| Problem-solving, Decision-making | Problem Solving, Decision Making | |
| Computing skills | Use of Digital Tools, Digital Citizenship | |
| Oral and written communication | Oral Communication, Written Communication, Effective Communication | |
| Interpersonal | Critical and self-critical abilities | Assertiveness |
| Teamwork | Collaboration and Teamwork | |
| Interpersonal skills | Relationship Management, Conflict Management | |
| Appreciation of diversity | Diversity and Inclusion | |
| Ethical commitment | Ethics and Integrity | |
| Capacity to work in international context | Organizational Awareness | |
| Systemic | Capacity to apply knowledge in practice | Disciplinary Knowledge |
| Research skills and capacity to learn | Continuous Learning | |
| Capacity to adapt to new situations | Adaptability, Change Management | |
| Creativity | Creativity and Innovation | |
| Leadership | Leadership, Team Management | |
| Concern for quality | Excellence Orientation, Continuous Improvement | |
| Initiative and entrepreneurial spirit | Achievement Orientation |
Closing the Achievement Gap
Tuning's global consultation data consistently reveals a gap between the importance stakeholders assign to generic competences and the degree to which universities develop them.
Graduates, employers and academics all agree that competences like teamwork, communication, ethical commitment and the ability to apply knowledge in practice are critically important — but they also agree that universities do not develop these competences to the level required.
EASEC addresses this gap directly. By providing independent, psychometric assessment of the generic competences that Tuning identifies as essential, EASEC enables universities to verify whether their graduates actually possess these competences at the expected level, identify where their programmes fall short, demonstrate to accreditation bodies and employers that their graduates' transversal competencies have been independently measured, and issue verified credentials (EDC + Open Badge 3.0) that make the achievement visible and portable.
Why This Matters for Universities
When a university says "our graduates develop teamwork and critical thinking," the natural question from employers and accreditors is: how do you know?
Tuning provides the framework for defining which competences matter. EASEC provides the instrument for verifying that graduates have them.
This combination — Tuning for design, EASEC for verification — creates a closed loop: the university designs its programme using Tuning's competence framework, delivers the programme, and then verifies the outcome using EASEC's assessment instruments. The resulting data informs curriculum improvement, satisfies accreditation requirements and produces internationally recognised credentials for graduates.
What This Means for Your Context
For Universities and Business Schools
EASEC certification aligned with Tuning competences gives your institution an external, independent verification mechanism for the generic competences your programmes aim to develop. This is evidence that accreditation bodies, rankings organisations and employers increasingly expect — and that self-assessment or course grades alone cannot provide.
For Employers
When you hire a graduate from a Tuning-aligned programme who also holds EASEC certifications, you receive two complementary signals: the degree confirms disciplinary knowledge and academic achievement, while the EASEC credential confirms that specific generic competences have been independently verified at a defined proficiency level.
For Students and Graduates
An EASEC certification in the generic competences your university programme aims to develop provides you with verified, portable evidence of those competences — evidence that travels with you in your Europass wallet and LinkedIn profile, regardless of whether future employers or institutions are familiar with your specific university.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tuning
Verify the Competences Your Programme Aims to Develop
EASEC provides independent, psychometric assessment of the generic competences that Tuning identifies as essential for higher education graduates. Each certification is issued as a European Digital Credential and Open Badge 3.0, with ESCO, EQF and O*NET references.
Related Frameworks
Discover how EASEC aligns with other international standards: