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Description
„Charles University, Faculty of Arts - Staff and Student Exchanges with EEA Partners“ is a mobility project initiated by the Faculty of Arts of Charles University, in cooperation with four donor state partners: the University of Bergen, the University of Oslo, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, and the University of Iceland. The project builds upon the previous cooperation between the Faculty of Arts and the partner institutions within the EEA Grants and Erasmus+ program. The primary goal of the project is to enrich the knowledge of students at the Faculty of Arts through mobilities to donor states, as well as to support the professional development of teachers and employees through both active and passive participation in teaching activities in the international context. The project also has the goal of strengthening bilateral relations between the Faculty of Arts and institutions in donor countries, as well as raising awareness about EEA grants.
The project includes mobilities of students and staff. Most of these mobilities are aimed at the strengthening of academic proficiency in the fields of ethnology, sociology, Latin studies, Scandinavian studies, linguistics, and psychology. The project includes semester-long study stays for students and short-term research stays for PhD candidates in pursuit of their diplomas. Teaching mobility and mobility for administrative employees working on the implementation of EEA grants are also included.
The immediate benefit of this project will be the improvement of the research and didactic capacities of all participants, resulting from their exposure to a different cultural and academic context, along with the strengthening of ties between the partner institutions. The long-term goal of the project is to achieve academic success and expand the horizons of students, thanks to ongoing cooperation between the partner institutions.
Summary of project results
This project focused on international mobility was carried out by the Faculty of Arts, Charles University, in cooperation with four institutions in the donor states: the University of Iceland, the University of Bergen, the University of Oslo, and NTNU in Trondheim. The main goal was to increase the number of international exchanges of students and staff from Charles University to institutions in the donor states, to expand their knowledge and understanding of the local academic and cultural milieu and subsequently contribute to positive societal changes in Europe, particularly in the Czech Republic. The priority was for visits abroad by Czech students and university staff, with a particular focus on short-term study stays. The project was extended by a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as a result almost all the planned activities were realized. Four students successfully completed semester-long study stays at the University of Iceland or the University of Bergen. The project further allowed nine MA and PhD students to carry out research stays at partner universities, while one PhD student from Bergen was able to carry out a research stay at Charles University. In terms of staff mobility, a total of 17 teachers and administrative employees successfully participated in exchanges. An important outcome of the project is the improvement of students´ key competences and knowledge, furthering their motivation to continue professionally in the field of education. The project also had a direct impact on the competences of university staff in terms of their professional development, increasing their ability to initiate positive changes in their areas of work. The project resulted in the strengthening and development of bilateral relations and supported closer cooperation between partners, particularly with NTNU, with which the Faculty of Arts, Charles University had not previously had an exchange agreement.
Summary of bilateral results
Having the partners from donor countries enriched the study abroad educational opportunities in a broader range of fields offer of the various types of mobilities opened to our students at all types of study, especially because the project reflects the differences between the living costs in participating countries. The main results are shared experiences, job shadowing, learning processes and working structures on both sides, improvement of knowledge and establishing personal contacts.