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Mobility of higher education students and staff supported by internal policy funds (KA131-HED) - Coordinator: UNIVERZA NA PRIMORSKEM UNIVERSITA DEL LITORALE

2023-1-SI01-KA131-HED-0001357612023Mobility of higher education students and staffongoing
Countries: SI · Grant: €362,741.66

Objectives

In accordance with the Erasmus Policy Statement - EPS statement adopted in 2020 and the Medium-Term Development Strategy of the University of Primorska (UP) for the period 2021-2027, we have shifted our focus at the university from achieving the number of mobile persons to ensuring the quality of mobility implementation. This has resulted in significant development shifts in the field of internationalization. To better integrate foreigners, we have established a "welcome center" and a "mixing space", which brings together Slovenian and foreign students and researchers, both regularly enrolled or employed at the UP, mobile students and visiting staff. By reorganizing individual services at the Rectorate, we have redefined individual responsibilities and included more services in support (we assigned a greater role to the enrollment service, by establishing a project office we separated international content and project activities, strengthened cooperation with the Erasmus Student Network - ESN, etc.). All UP events are international, so the Promotion Group, which brings together all Communication Services, has also become much more involved in the promotion of mobility and the organization of events for mobile students (incoming and outgoing). All university communication is conducted in Slovenian and English at all levels, which increases the possibility of understanding and inclusion. The Erasmus+ program plays a central role in the mobility of students and administrative staff, while other sources of co-financing for participation in mobility are also available to teaching and research staff. In this project, we exceeded the number of mobile people from the previous project, with a greater focus on co-financing the mobility of students for the purpose of studying in blended intensive programs and students on traineeships. In doing so, we awarded to almost half of the students an inclusion allowance, thereby encouraging inclusion in the Erasmus+ program for a wider number of participants, and thus striving to increase the accessibility of the program, maximize and diversify participation, and promote equal opportunities for participants with fewer opportunities. Mobilities are carried out on the basis of bilateral agreements with partner institutions and on the basis of a call for applications prepared by the UP Project Office. The selection of candidates is carried out by appointed committees at each faculty, only the selection of staff for the purpose of training is carried out at the university level, as we want to take a more comprehensive approach to achieving the goals of the UP university's medium-term development strategy, which allows the appointment of one committee at the UP level, and thus select candidates whose mobility goals, in addition to general training in the field of work, strengthening skills and knowledge, also contribute to achieving the goals of the university's medium-term development strategy, which also includes integration into the European University Transform4Europe (T4EU), of which UP became a full member in 2023. All selected participants are informed about the documentation that must be prepared before mobility (study/internship agreement; mobility program) and submitted after completing mobility. Special information days are organized for student mobility, and they are also allowed to test their language skills within the framework of On-Line Language Support (OLS). In this way, UP ensures that outgoing mobility participants are well prepared for mobility in accordance with the principles of the ECHE Charter. Mobility coordinators are also available to all incoming mobility participants by email, telephone and social media. Support for incoming staff primarily concerns the coordination of the mobility program and advice on accommodation and travel to Slovenia or to UP. For incoming students, several different support activities are organized. The most comprehensive are within the framework of the Orientation Days, which UP organizes before each semester. Representatives of the UP Student Organization and the Student Council and the Erasmus Student Network Primorska - ESN are also included in these activities. During mobility, incoming participants are provided with the same academic treatment and services as domestic students, without charging additional costs, in accordance with the ECHE Charter. After mobility, UP issues certificates of completed study obligations to foreign students no later than within five weeks and in accordance with the signed bilateral agreement. For outgoing students, full recognition of agreed obligations completed abroad is ensured in accordance with the signed Study Agreement/Training Agreement. The mobility period is also recorded in the Diploma Supplement.

Project partners (1)