The project aimed to involve mobile students in high-quality international education and to institutionalize structures that support mobility and joint teaching, but also digital learning and the development of inclusive mobility options for international study experiences both at home and abroad. Another objective was to build sustainable institutional structures by integrating physical, blended, and online exchange into existing master programs and, by this, also enhance teaching quality through jointly developed curricula and innovative blended-mobility learning formats that include those students unable to study abroad for longer periods of time. These experiences help students build networks and develop academic and professional skills. Finally, we wanted to foster intercultural and critical thinking capacities of migration students, empowering them to engage in public debates and contribute to more open and inclusive societies. Together, these goals align with EU priorities in higher education and transnational cooperation.
The EuMIGS network is a collaborative effort of migration-focused master programs across Europe to facilitate students’ access to other migration realities and research specialisations. Seven partners in the network also offer the possibility of a double degree obtained at two partner universities respectively. After the successful cooperation over five years and the launch of the double degree program — all without external funding — we wished to increase the quality of the exchange for the students and enhance the cooperation among our higher education institutions (HEIs) through creating and integrating innovative teaching practices. This especially requires resources for bringing students physically together in international training and cohort-building activities, and for partners to engage in the development of regular online and hybrid learning formats aimed not only at mobile students but also the wider student population at our master programs.