The primary goal of the Erasmus project was to provide PhD students and staff with high-quality mobility experiences in both Programme and Partner countries, fostering personal and professional growth and establishing new professional and scientific connections. This mobility initiative aimed to enhance the participants' academic competencies while also strengthening institutional collaborations and knowledge exchange. More specifically, the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, a public postgraduate school and research institute, aimed to: 1. enhance doctoral students’ and staff competences: the project sought to improve both students' and staff members’ academic and professional skills. For PhD students, this included the development of subject-specific expertise, transversal skills, and forward-thinking competencies that are essential to address global challenges. The mobility provided opportunities for teaching and administrative staff to exchange best practices, enhance teaching methodologies, and acquire new training skills, contributing to overall institutional development. 2. promote personal and professional development: mobility experiences were designed to foster personal growth in participants by providing opportunities to experience new cultures and working environments. For staff, this aimed to improve teaching and training techniques, build leadership skills, and encourage cross-cultural communication. For students, it encouraged independence, adaptability, and the ability to work in diverse, global contexts. 3. boost career prospects and post-doc opportunities: for PhD students, exposure to international research environments and networks aimed to increase their post-doc career prospects by enhancing their professional profiles and providing them with international connections. For staff, mobility experiences contributed to professional growth, opening doors for future collaborations and improving institutional capacity for international projects. 4. establish and consolidate collaborative networks: both student and staff mobility were seen as opportunities to strengthen long-term partnerships between institutions. These collaborations not only benefited participants but also helped to enhance the IMT School’s reputation as a young and dynamic research institution. Staff teaching and training exchanges allowed for consolidating networks with different organizations, cultures, and countries, increasing the impact of the IMT School's research and academic programs. 5. increase participation in democratic life and address global challenges: as Alexander Hasgall, former head of the European Council for Doctoral Education, emphasized, “the sharing of ideas, knowledge, and skills across borders and continents contributes to shaping well-rounded scholars and professionals that can address a multiplicity of emerging global issues.” By providing international exposure to both students and staff, the project aimed to promote active participation in democratic life and cultivate a global outlook, equipping participants to address international challenges and contribute to societal development. 6. Support the IMT School’s mission and reputation: the project also aimed to expand the IMT School’s interdisciplinary research focus on economic, societal, technological, and cultural systems. The mobility experiences for students and staff contributed to the school's mission of advancing knowledge in these fields while positioning the institution as a hub for international collaboration and innovation in postgraduate education and research. By integrating both student and staff mobility into the project, the Erasmus initiative thus aimed to create a holistic development framework that not only advanced participants’ skills and career prospects but also strengthened institutional capacity, fostered innovation, and promoted cross-cultural understanding and collaboration.