Background Accademia Italiana, Arte, Moda, Design was established in 1984 as a private design institution with campuses in Florence and Rome, Italy. As part of the Italian Higher Education in Art, Music and Dance Education (AFAM) system, the institution is authorized by the Ministry of Education to issue higher education qualifications in the fields of art, music, and dance. In 2013, Accademia Italiana received authorization from the Ministry of Education and University (MUR) to award both First Level and Second Level Academic Diplomas. Internationalization has been a cornerstone of Accademia Italiana's identity since its foundation. The institution offers all courses bilingually in Italian and English, supported by a fully bilingual faculty and staff. This international focus is reflected in our diverse student body, with approximately 30% of enrolled students being international learners from over 40 countries worldwide. Since 2004, Accademia Italiana has successfully hosted on-campus US Study Abroad Semester Programmes in partnership with numerous American universities. Building on this foundation of international engagement, Accademia Italiana applied for the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE) Certificate in 2022. The 2023-25 grant represents our first KA131 mobility grant following accreditation in 2023, marking a significant milestone in the institution's formal participation in Erasmus mobility activities. While we had extensive experience welcoming international students to our campuses, this grant enabled us to expand our scope by sending our own students abroad and participating in structured short-term mobility programmes. Project Objectives The primary objectives of this grant, aligned with our ECHE Certification and KA131 proposal, were threefold: 1. Enhancing Educational Quality Through Internationalization Our first objective was to improve the quality and relevance of our educational offerings by strengthening internationalization through student and staff mobility and cross-border collaboration. While Accademia Italiana had a well-established tradition of hosting foreign students, we had not previously facilitated outbound student mobility or participated in short-term exchange programmes. Developing this capacity was therefore identified as a strategic priority for institutional growth. 2. Promoting Equity and Inclusion in Higher Education The second objective focused on improving equity and inclusion by increasing participation and accessibility through enhanced outreach programmes, more inclusive admission policies, and financial assistance to minimize entry barriers. The Erasmus programme provided a valuable opportunity to welcome students from diverse backgrounds and institutions without requiring them to pay standard admission fees, thereby expanding access to our educational offerings for students who might not otherwise have such opportunities. 3. Strengthening Student Employability Our third objective aimed to enhance the employability of higher education students by establishing stronger connections with relevant labor markets and increasing partnerships with companies and strategic stakeholders. This initiative was designed to improve students' key competences while creating meaningful links between academic learning and professional practice in the creative industries.