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Mobility of higher education students and staff supported by internal policy funds (KA131-HED) - Coordinator: UNIVERSIDAD INTERNACIONAL DE LA RIOJA SA

2023-1-ES01-KA131-HED-0001150362023Mobility of higher education students and stafffinalized
Countries: ES · Grant: €27,670

Objectives

The International University of La Rioja (UNIR) was founded in the academic year 2008–2009 as a private online university, with the aim of offering an educational solution tailored to the demands of contemporary society. Its core mission is to provide comprehensive, high-quality education to students, while meeting the expectations and needs of its various stakeholders — including teaching and research staff, and administrative and support personnel. Through the implementation of the Erasmus+ KA131 project, UNIR aimed primarily to strengthen and consolidate its internationalisation strategy, with a specific focus on two key types of mobility: mobility for traineeships (SMT) and mobility for teaching assignments (STA). These components are essential to promoting a model of higher education that is more connected to the European and international environment, in line with the strategic priorities of the Erasmus+ Programme and the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE). In the case of mobility for traineeships, our objective was to provide our students — the majority of whom are adult learners over 25 years old, often with professional and family obligations — with real opportunities to gain international professional experience. This contributes to enhancing their employability, their adaptability to multicultural environments, and their digital and language skills. We recognise that this student profile faces more barriers to mobility, but also that the potential benefits are particularly significant. For this reason, our strategy included specific support measures, tailored guidance, and flexible arrangements to encourage and facilitate their participation. Regarding mobility for teaching assignments, our aim was to promote academic exchange and international cooperation between UNIR’s faculty and researchers and their counterparts at other European institutions. These mobilities serve to enrich the academic content, foster innovative teaching methodologies, and establish networks that can lead to future collaborative European projects. Furthermore, for a fully online university such as ours, these physical mobilities represent a key means to strengthen our institutional integration into the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and to promote the exchange of best practices within a framework of quality and excellence. In summary, the project was conceived as a strategic tool to: • Promote students’ employability and practical training. • Reinforce the international dimension of teaching and learning. • Reduce inequalities in access to international experiences (in line with the Erasmus+ inclusion principles). • Strengthen our network of international partners and continue advancing towards a more global, innovative university committed to European values.

Project partners (1)