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Description
Mobility of staff and students in higher education (HE)
Summary of project results
The project was needed to increase the university''s potential for building relations in the international arena and to increase internationalization processes. The project was aimed at strengthening relations between partners from the Donor States and the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, as well as increasing the exchange of students and employees with these countries. To this end, cooperation has been established with four higher education institutions from Norway. The initial planned number of mobilities was 15, including 3 student mobilities and 12 staff mobilities. 10 mobility was to be made from Poland to the Donor States, and 5 from the Donor States to Poland.
From one partner - the University of Bergen - we received information that it was not possible to recruit a student for student mobility to Poland, and therefore it was necessary to change the contract and replace this mobility with employee mobility. An annex to the contract with the University of Bergen was also signed. The project budget decreased from EUR 39,375 to EUR 37,500 and the number of mobilities increased to 16.
Thanks to these changes, it was possible to implement all the mobility planned with the University of Bergen: 2 student mobility and 4 staff mobility for training. Participants'' surveys indicate general satisfaction with participation in the program, improvement of language competences and other competences, including those related to personal development.
However, the mobility with the other partners was not possible during the project. The main factor disrupting the possibility of carrying out the tasks was the COVID-19 pandemic and severe restrictions on entry into Norway, as well as the need to undergo a several-day quarantine. The remote work system, which was temporarily present both in partner institutions and at the Nicolaus Copernicus University, also turned out to be a very big inconvenience. In connection with the above, the partners were consulted several times on the possibility of arriving and departing, but in the end it was not possible to implement staff mobility with other partners. Nevertheless, it should be emphasized that contacts with partners were maintained, and the project served both the introduction of new communication methods, a better understanding of the conditions prevailing in all institutions, as well as strengthening the ties and ensuring the implementation of some partnerships in the future.
Summary of bilateral results
The cooperation with institutions from the Donor States has brought a number of benefits to Nicolaus Copernicus University, mainly in the form of increased institutional knowledge on the way and principles of functioning of higher education institutions in Norway. Especially in the context of COVID-19 pandemic occurrence and exchange of experiences between institutions related to applying solutions in this situation. Three out of four institutions from the Donor States declared the continuation of cooperation in further projects, already after the end of the pandemic. Special attention should be paid to the cooperation with the University of Bergen. It is planned to extend the cooperation to faculties that have not participated in the exchange in the Education Program so far, e.g. economics, natural sciences.