Based on an analysis of the processes which led to the legal requirement for all Francophone Belgian establishments of higher education to define learning outcomes for each of their programmes as of September 2014, this article proposes connecting two types of interpretations of the university. The first focuses on the european policy of life-long education and formation which defines the role that systems of learning must play (education and professional training) and of validation of attainments through ex­perience in the project of european society, as well as the ways in which they must be­come interrelated. The other interpretation seeks to understand how as a pedagogical concept, the definition of learningoutcomes contributes to transforming the university into an “organisational actor” (Krücken/Meier, 2006) in its teaching mission. These two interpretations are not independent of one another. Defining the role of learning systems and VAE through a political project implies a particular form of organization of universities solicited by various instruments of public action (Lascoumes/Le Galès, 2005). The connection studied is that between political project, instruments of public action, pedagogy and organisation.