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Mobility of higher education students and staff supported by internal policy funds (KA131-HED) - Coordinator: Tartu Tervishoiu Kõrgkool

2023-1-EE01-KA131-HED-0001362782023Mobility of higher education students and stafffinalized
Countries: EE|AT|BE|CA|HR|CY|CZ|DK|FI|DE|EL|IS|IT|LV|LT|NL|PL|PT|RO|SI|ES|CH|UA|UK|US · Grant: €265,510

Objectives

Background and Objectives Tartu Applied Health Sciences University (former name Tartu Health Care College; hereinafter TARTUH) has been an active participant in the Erasmus+ programme for almost two decades. With the award of the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education, we have committed ourselves to supporting mobility as a central element of our institutional strategy. The Development Plan 2021–2025 emphasises the importance of internationalisation in strengthening the quality of our higher education, research and development activities. This project was planned to advance those objectives and to make international experiences accessible to a broad range of students and staff. The primary aim of the project was to enhance the quality and relevance of our health care education through international mobility. We wanted to ensure that students gain valuable international practice and study experiences, which would strengthen their clinical competences, intercultural skills and competitiveness on the labour market. For staff, the focus was on providing professional development opportunities through training and teaching mobilities, which would contribute to curriculum development, use of new pedagogical methods and the international networking capacity of the institution, including research cooperation. We also planned to develop and implement blended intensive programmes (BIPs). As an applied higher education institution with a strong emphasis on practical training, we see BIPs as an innovative and flexible format that makes participation possible for students who might not be able to go abroad for longer periods. Through these programmes we aimed to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration and integrate digital tools more effectively. BIPs are a good way to expand the variety of international experiences we can offer. In line with Erasmus+ horizontal priorities, our objectives included: - Inclusion and diversity: to ensure equal access to mobility opportunities by promoting the programme to students with fewer opportunities and providing targeted support; - Digital transition: to widen the use of digital tools in mobility management and teaching, including online components of BIPs and the use of Erasmus Without Paper Dashboard / Online Learning Agreement. - Green transition: to encourage sustainable travel options where possible (especially to nearby countries) and to raise awareness about environmentally friendly practices. - Civic engagement: to encourage our students and staff acting as ambassadors of the Erasmus+ programme, to share their experiences, helping to raise awareness of mobility opportunities and the sense of belonging to the European education area. The project was expected to strengthen our long-term partnerships. TARTUH currently collaborates with more than 70 partner institutions, many of them long-term partners in neighbouring countries. Through this project, we wanted to strengthen these relationships but also to diversify destination countries and continue to explore opportunities outside Europe. Overall, the project’s objectives were not only to give students and staff enriching international experiences but also to support the broader development of our institution. We wanted to raise the visibility of TARTUH in the European higher education area and to continue our contribution to the improvement of the quality and sustainability of health care education in Estonia and across Europe.

Project partners (1)