Student Mobility
Definition
Mobility is defined as the ability and willingness to move or change.
International Student Mobility: We define International Student Mobility as any form of international mobility which takes place within a student's programme of study in higher education. The length of absence can range from a short trip to the full duration of a course of study. In addition to studying in a foreign university, mobility can include a period in a workplace or other non-college environment.
It's necessary to split mobility into two different categories:
- Long-term student mobility: changing school between different phases of university education: bachelor, masters, Ph.D.
This kind of mobility can have different reasons: seeking a better school, economic reasons, social-political reasons (migration)
- short-term mobility: spending some time (varying from some weeks to one semester or one year) in another school as guest student, Erasmus student, guest researcher, trainee etc.
The latter has other reasons and other targets: by undertaking a teaching period abroad, one can meet counterparts at his host institution, get to know other ways of teaching and learning, different university systems, another language - personally enriching experiences, which he will be able to integrate in your courses back home.
We will focus on this sort of mobility and we will have a closer look at it in order to understand the conditions under which it arose:
Increased student mobility has been seen as a product of globalisation, both generally (increased global flows of goods, capital, people, ideas) and of higher education (Altbach and Teichler 2001; Kwiek 2001). A subset of this approach relates to "Europeanisation" and the role of mobile, multilingual students/graduates as agents of European integration ? the new Euro-professionals or, as Favell calls them, "Eurostars" (Favell 2004; King 2003). A third interpretative strand places ISM within "youth mobility cultures". Here, "going abroad" (to study, travel, do voluntary work, and so on) is motivated less by traditional economic migration factors (to find a job, better income) and more by experiential goals. At a higher conceptual level this fits with the notion of the "do-it-yourself" biography of the young, post-modern individual (Beck and Beck-Gernsheim 2002).
Resources, sources for further reading:
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2004/04_30/
http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/mobility_en
Other interesting texts about student mobility: http://www.pjb.co.uk/npl/bp2.htm
Benefits and Problems of Student Mobility
Many discussions on benefits and dangers of student mobility have taken place. In today's world of borders getting weaker, especially in economy, industry and technology, mobility is becoming a necessity. The engineer of today must be prepared for an international career, which means working in international and multicultural teams, often changing places and countries of work, adapting to different cultures and ways of thinking. How does student mobility help students of technology prepare for that? There is a growing conviction that one of the most effective means to prepare future graduates for the needs of an increasingly international professional life in a global economy is simply to study and live abroad for some span of time. Studying abroad improves student's communication and social skills, makes him become an independent individual, learn to accept new cultures and generally become more open-minded. Studying in a different university gives an opportunity to discover different learning and exam methods, making thus the student more flexible.
A big problem of student mobility is accessibility. Accessibility is mostly connected to economic and social issues in different parts of Europe, concerning especially the way students are financially supported for studying abroad. Another problem are the student programmes themselves: Old academic structures and outdated curricula act as barriers to students and staff mobility. Therefore, the problem of recognition arises: How is the study period spent abroad recognized in the student's transcription? Another rather obvious obstacle is the language, as few schools offer classes in English, though the number of lessons taught in English and of full programmes offered in English is increasing every year. Finally, some academicians regard mobility as a hazard to the cohesion of the students' curricula.
Report of the BEST Academics and Companies Forum Zagreb 2005
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2004/04_30/
http://www.esib.org/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&Itemid=99999999&gid=271
Mobility Programs
AEGEE (Association des Etats Généraux des Etudiants de l'Europe)
AEGEE is one of the biggest interdisciplinary student associations in Europe; it is represented by 15.000 students, active in 241 academic cities, in 40 countries all around Europe, which presents amazing culture variety. AEGEE is a secular, non-profit organization, not linked to any political party. All projects and activities are based on voluntarily work of its members.
Connect to AEGEE's homepage:
http://www.aegee.org/su
AIESEC (Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences Economiques et Commerciales)
AIESEC is an international, non-political, non-profit, student-run, independent, educational foundation. It is comprised of students and recent graduates of institutions of higher education who are interested in economics and management. AIESEC's exchange programme is administered entirely by their local campus offices on or around some 800 higher education and other tertiary institutions in 84 countries and territories.
Connect to AIESEC's homepage:
http://www.aiesec.org
EESTEC (Electrical Engineering STudents' European association)
EESTEC is an organization of and for electrical engineering students from universities, institutes or schools of technology in Europe that award an engineering degree. The primary aim is to promote and develop international contacts and exchange ideas, as well as improve the technical knowledge of electrical engineering students. The association also aims to introducing students to the industry and the educational system of other countries.
Connect to EESTEC's homepage:
http://www.eestec.org/home
ESTIEM (European Students of Industrial Engineering and Management)
ESTIEM was created to increase communication and cooperation between students and institutions of technology in Europe within the field of Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM). The IEM concept rests on the integration of technological understanding and management skills. The studies provide analytical capacities, engineering knowledge and practical management experiences, which make IEM students valuable since they are able to do business while understanding the underlying technology.
Connect to ESTIEM's homepage:
http://www.estiem.org
IAESTE (International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience)
IAESTE provides students at institutions of higher education the opportunity to gain technical experience abroad related to their studies.
Connect to IAESTE's homepage:
http://www.iaeste.org/network/index.html
TIME (Top Industrial Managers for Europe)
TIME's values include a strong commitment to "long-cycle" engineering studies, high scientific quality based on research, high quality of teaching and active partnership with the industrial sector. The founding Charter (signed in 1989) states the fundamental mission of TIME: "furthering high-level educational programmes for engineers and industrial executives, preparing them to function across national borders in the European Community and in the world" (with a dual cultural background). The main role of TIME as a network is to facilitate bilateral agreements for exchange of students between its members, leading to Double Degrees of the "long cycle" type (i.e. at the Master's level), with a prolongation of study of no more than one academic year.
Connect to TIME's homepage:
https://www.time-association.org/home
Marie Curie
The Marie Curie Fellowship Association is the Association of scientists who have once been awarded a Marie Curie fellowship or other European Community research training grant selected through a selection procedure. A Marie Curie fellowship is a grant within a harmonized scheme under one of the European RTD framework programmes to stimulate the training and mobility of researchers in the European Community.
Connect to Marie Curie homepage:
http://www.mariecurie.org
TEMPUS Programme (trans-European mobility scheme for university studies)
The TEMPUS programme funds projects between the higher educational sector in EU Member States and partner countries to enable mutual learning regions and peoples, TEMPUS projects focus on three levels of cooperation: institutional, structural and individual. Participant organizations include universities, companies, civil society and Ministries of education. Actors within these organizations can be teachers, administrators, students, business people and officials involved in education.
Connect to TEMPUS Programme homepage:
http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/tempus/index_en.html
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci is the European Community's vocational training programme. It encourages collaboration between organisations involved in vocational training, aiming to improve the quality of training provision, develop the skills and mobility of the workforce, stimulate innovation and enhance the competitiveness of European industry.
Connect to Leonardo da Vinci homepage:
http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/leonardo/leonardo_en.html
Socrates - ERASMUS
ERASMUS is the higher education Action of SOCRATES II programme. It seeks to enhance the quality and reinforce the European dimension of higher education by encouraging transnational cooperation between universities, boosting European mobility and improving the transparency and full academic recognition of studies and qualifications throughout the Union. ERASMUS consists of many different activities; student and teacher exchanges, joint development of study programmes (Curriculum Development), international intensive programmes, thematic networks between departments and faculties across Europe, language courses (EILC), European credit transfer system (ECTS). ERASMUS action is targeted at higher education institutions and their students and staff in all 25 Member States of the European Union, the three countries of the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), the three candidate countries (Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey). Currently 2199 higher education institutions in 31 countries are participating in ERASMUS. Since the creation of ERASMUS in 1987, 1.2 million students have benefited of an ERASMUS study period abroad. Overall responsibility for implementing SOCRATES/ERASMUS lies with the European Commission.
Connect to Socrates - ERASMUS homepage:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/socrates_en
ERASMUS MUNDUS
The Erasmus Mundus programme is a co-operation and mobility programme in the field of higher education. It aims to enhance quality in European higher education and to promote intercultural understanding through co-operation with third countries. The programme is intended to strengthen European co-operation and international links in higher education by supporting high-quality European Masters Courses, by enabling students and visiting scholars from around the world to engage in postgraduate study at European universities, as well as by encouraging the outgoing mobility of European students and scholars towards third countries.
Connect to ERASMUS MUNDUS homepage:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/mundus/index_en.html
