Robson dragged the Magpies from 11th place at the end of the 2000-01 campaign into fourth place 12 months later.
The club's last flirtation with Europe's elite was after they lost on penalties to Partizan Belgrade in the final qualifying round the following season, having finished third.
Robson, of course, was able to call upon the likes of Alan Shearer, Shay Given, Rob Lee and Gary Speed as he strode towards the Champions League.
It is a measure of how far the Magpies have come in recent times, and for that reason, Pardew is confident a top-four repeat 11 years on would be even more remarkable.
Alan Pardew: "You are going from a different set of circumstances there, with all due respect to Sir Bobby Robson.
"He had some fantastic players and players who were Premier League icons. We have got a lot of new players who are making a little niche for themselves.
"It's a different kind of scenario. I am not under-estimating that achievement but if we get in there, it would be astonishing.
"Of course, it would be far and away the most significant thing I have done as a manager."