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Higher education student and staff mobility project
Start date: Jun 1, 2014, End date: May 31, 2016 PROJECT  FINISHED 

The cornerstones of the international strategy of Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen are 1) to prepare all of its students to be able to function well (professionally, socially, and emotionally) in an international or intercultural working environment and 2) to contribute to internationally relevant applied research and innovation, with a demonstrable societal impact. The implementation of this strategy focuses on: a) strengthening the international dimension in all curricula; b) stimulating international mobility of students and staff; c) enhancing the transparency of the institution’s educational profile and study programmes; d) strengthening the international dimension of the applied research activities, esp. in the field of Healthy Ageing, Energy and Entrepreneurship. All study programmes are required to define how its students will be prepared for the international and intercultural professional practice. The international and intercultural competences which a student is expected to develop are expressed in the learning outcomes of each programme, which ensures that the international dimension is structurally embedded in the curriculum. The project is essential for the international incoming and outgoing mobility of students and staff. All students of Hanze UAS are stimulated to do a study period at a partner institution or do a work placement with a company or organisation abroad; in some degree programmes this is a mandatory part of the curriculum. The main target group consists of the full-time students, either at Bachelor or Master level. Hanze UAS staff also forms an important target group for international mobility. International mobility is seen as a means to strengthen the collaboration with our international partners, both in the field of education and applied research. Additionally, it is seen as an opportunity to (further) develop staff competences in an international context. Both teaching and non-teaching members of staff are stimulated and facilitated to undertake mobility periods. Hanze UAS has a large international network of higher education institutions and of companies and organisations which host our students for a work placement. Hanze UAS’s main geographical focus is on Europe, which means that we strive for a strong network of partner institutions spread over all European countries. In addition, Hanze UAS has the ambition to develop activities globally, with an emphasis on North America, Australia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, South-Korea, Russia, and Brazil. Hanze UAS is also active in capacity building projects, mainly in African countries. The quantitative objective of Hanze UAS with regard to student mobility is that at least 20% of all graduates have undertaken a mobility period for study or traineeschip purposes. The annual student mobility objectives within the framework of Erasmus+ are drawn up in consultation with the schools/programmes. Students and staff not only have the possibility to be mobile within Erasmus+; they can also opt for a mobility period outside Europe. The quantitative objectives of the project were met; for all target groups the number of participants exceeded the planned number, with the exception of the number of mobile staff for training purposes. The number of students that did a traineeship abroad in an Erasmus country by far exceeds the number of participants in the Erasmus+ programme. Due to the limited budget, strict selection criteria have been applied for Erasmus+ traineeship grants. In terms of the recognition of credits for students, the project was very satisfactory. Student participants obtained on average 28 ECTS credits for a study or traineeship period of on average 4.5 months. A majority of student participants reported an improvement of competences. The data suggest that students who went abroad for a traineeship were more convinced of improved competences than those who went abroad to study. Staff participants were equally satisfied that they had improved a number of their competences. The collaboration of Hanze UAS with its partner institutions in the project forms the backbone of the university’s internationalisation policy and provides opportunities to collaborate in the field of applied research. Existing Erasmus+ partnerships are extended to include collaboration in the field of applied research, especially on Hanze UAS’s chosen prime topics Healthy Ageing, Energy, and Entrepreneurship. This paves the way for participation in European research programmes, such as Horizon 2020 and other programmes, and enables Hanze UAS to contribute to the European Innovation Agenda.
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