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Description
The project will address these challenges by supporting student and staff mobilities, for studies, teaching and training, between West University of Timisoara, Romania, and the following Norwegian/Icelandic higher education institutions: Østfold University College, Nord University, University of Oslo, MF Norwegian School of Theology, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
A significant number of mobilities has been allocated to staff mobilities due to the fact that already existing partners (either from the Erasmus+ programme or the former EEA Grants 2009-2014 programme) are ready to support more interaction and cohesion between the two institutions/higher education systems through teaching and training in Norway, respectively Romania; additionally, new partners have preferred staff mobilities for the beginning of our cooperation, in order to develop a solid framework for institutional exchanges focused on students in the future, but also for collaborative educational projects aimed at increasing the quality of the educational process through best practice transfers. Teaching and training mobilities will also increase the coherence of curricula and institutional policy between universities in Romania and Iceland/Norway, which could, in turn, pave the way for more successfull study and placement mobilities between the same institutions. Student mobilities have been included in the project for exchange flows with traditional partners in the EEA in order to support existing interest on the side of students for mobilities at these institutions, both outgoing and incoming.
The preferred subject areas for exchanges (Economics, Computer Science, Social Work and Humanities- including Languages) are also areas in which the Romanian educational system can benefit from input from EEA higher education institutions in order to enhance its qualitative and international dimensions.
Summary of project results
The project has been part of West University of Timisoara''s strategy for internationalization in general, particularly supporting the objective of increasing student and staff mobilities with the European Economic Area countries, but also contributing directly and indirectly to the more general objective of increasing the number of international partners and international educational and research projects. The project responded to a specific situation/need we have had identified in the process of organizing student and staff mobilities (for studies, placement, teaching and/or training) with higher education institutions located in countries from the European Economic Area (EEA). Thus, other mobility programmes (for example, ERASMUS+) offer the possibility of supporting such mobilities with a smaller grant than the grant which could be allocated for the same mobility through this specific project. Given that the living costs in Norway or Iceland, for example, are exponentially higher than the European average, as well as the fact that West University of Timisoara, as many other universities, does not have a budget allocated for additional financial support, many students and members of our staff avoid opting for mobilities taking place in these specific countries, although the interest exists, as well as the opportunity to do so (bilateral/Erasmus/etc agreements in this regard are fully functional). This has led to some partnerships becoming inactive and, subsequently, terminated. Moreover, the academic ties supported, as we all know, through mobilities, have suffered and possible consortia for educational/research projects have been reorganized in order to exclude Norwegian/Romanian partners.
The project addressed these challenges by supporting student and staff mobilities, for studies, teaching and training, between West University of Timisoara, Romania, and the following Norwegian/Icelandic higher education institutions: Østfold University College, Nord University, University of Oslo, MF Norwegian School of Theology, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, University of Iceland.
The initial objective of the project was to organize a total of 13 outgoing mobilities (6 SMS, 4 STA and 3 STT) and 9 incoming mobilities (4 SMS, 4 STA and 1 STT), between West University of Timisoara, Romania and a number of 6 higher education institutions from Norway and Iceland, in the academic years 2020-2021 and 2021-2022.
Summary of bilateral results
A significant number of exchanges has been envisioned due to the fact that already existing partners (either from the Erasmus+ programme or the former EEA Grants 2009-2014 programme) showed interest in ensuring more interaction and cohesion between the two institutions/higher education systems through teaching and training in Norway, respectively Romania. Additionally, new partners have also agreed to organise exchange of mobilities, in order to develop collaborative educational projects aimed at increasing the quality of the educational process through best practice transfers. The partners in the EEA/donor countries were: Østfold University College, Nord University, University of Oslo, MF Norwegian School of Theology, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, University of Iceland. As higher education institutions in Norway and Iceland, these are institutions functioning as regional, European and even global drivers of quality education and internationalization in the field of higher education. Their role in our project was to support outgoing mobilities for students and staff affiliated with West University of Timisoara and their inclusion and immersion in the Norwegian/Icelandic higher education system, society and culture, in order to, further on, contribute to their personal and professional development. An additional role was to support incoming mobilities to West University of Timisoara through the promotion of our university as a possible destination that could fit their specific requirements and needs for studies/teaching mobilities. Through these mobilities it was expected that the donor countries’ partner institutions would contribute to an input of best practices in regards to teaching and learning, from Iceland/Norway to West University of Timisoara, Romania. I