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Higher education student and staff mobility projec..
Higher education student and staff mobility project
Start date: Jun 1, 2014,
End date: Sep 30, 2015
PROJECT
FINISHED
University of Dubrovnik (UNIDU) joined the Erasmus program in the academic year 2010/2011. In that academic year UNIDU could only send its students and staff. In the first year UNIDU sent 8 students on SMS activity (studies mobility) and 6 staff members for the purpose of training (STT) or teaching (STA). In 2011/2012 (Croatia becomes a full member of the Erasmus program) UNIDU accepts incoming students and non-teaching staff. That year, UNIDU sent 16 students and 12 staff members, and received 14 students and a total of 24 people in staff training activities or teaching from its Erasmus partner institutions. In the past four academic years UNIDU gradually increased the number of incoming and outgoing mobility, and in 2014/2015 it send the total of 20 students (17 students for SMS and 3 students for SMP), 25 University staff members for STA and STT activities, while receiving 53 students (51 for SMS and 2 for SMP) and 39 people in the STT or STA activities. When comparing the first and last years of the program, UNIDU?s outgoing mobility of students has increased by 150%, outgoing mobility of non?teaching staff by 316.17%, incoming student mobility by 278.57% and incoming non-teaching staff by 62 , 50%. These results are not surprising given that the mobility of students and non- teaching staff has been recognized as an important strategic objective of the University of Dubrovnik (UNIDUs International Development Strategy 2009-2015). The following activities, undertaken by the offices and departments of the University certainly contributed to achieve a bow mentioned goal:- The introduction of the ECTS credit system and modes of study based on the Bologna Declaration, implemented by UNIDU in the academic 2004 /2005 year;- The improvement of infrastructure, opening of central building of the campus in 2012;- The introduction of courses in foreign language (mainly English) for incoming students - in 2014/2015 academic year University of Dubrovnik's foreign students were offered 69 courses in foreign languages;- The organisation of information events ?Office for International Relations every year actively promotes mobility opportunities for students, faculty and staff of the University;- The organisation of orientation week for new incoming students before the start of each semester;- The organisation of first STA and STT weeks in May and June 2015;- The extension of cooperation with universities within or outside the European Union (Turkey, Macedonia) - in 2014/2015UNIDU had a total of 74 Erasmus agreements in 24 countries.As noted, in the academic 2014/2015 UNIDU sent 17 students for SMS activity, of which one student had to give up after 50 days of mobility for reasons of force majeure, and 3 student were sent on SMP, of which one student dropped out after 4 days of mobility also for reasons of force majeure. If we exclude students who had to drop their mobility due to force majeure, the average duration of mobility for studies was 131.75 days, or 4.40 months for the purpose of professional practice 143.5 days, or 4.78 months. 23 students applied for SMS in 2014/2015, however, due to the limited resources only 17 students received financial support. Due to the new amounts of financial support along with the additional financial support for students of lower socioeconomic status (200 Eur per month) UNIDU had to seek additional funds from National Agency to cover all months of SMS. Of the total 35,327.81 EUR for SMS activity, UNIDU allocated a total of ? 34,827.00 (98.58%). During Erasmus + Information days, in March 2015, the IRO office conducted a survey to investigate the interest of student for mobility (pros and cons). 28 students completed the questionnaire. As a major obstacle to the mobility students cited the fact that the "scholarship does not cover all living costs", as a second obstacle they see "finding accommodation in another country", after that "insufficient knowledge of languages" and the "fear of the unknown". 25 students indicated that they are planning to apply for the next mobility Call. 3 students took part in SMP activity. One student returned earlier due to a force majeure, and from ? 6,120.00 UNIDU allocated to its students ? 4,702.00 or 76.83%. 1,418.00 remains unused in this activity. ? 15,708.00 UNIDU received to send 6 employees to the STA activity for total of 84 days, same for STT activity. 11 professors took part in STA activity for a total of 81 days. Surplus from this activity (? 3,333.00) was transferred to the STT activity. 14 staff members took part in STT activity, and the total duration of their mobility amounted 129 days. To close financial structure in this activity a transfer from the OS in the amount of 246.00 was made. The mobility of students, (non)teaching staff contribute to the better recognition of the University of Dubrovnik at the international level.