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Description
The EEA mobility project is part of University " Alexandru Ioan Cuza" of Iasi (UAIC) internationalization strategy by extending cooperation with higher education institutions in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The project aims to continue and strengthen the academic mobility network between "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University of Iași and universities in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein in order to achieve excellence in the field of education and research, by identifying the key themes for cooperation, capitalizing on complementary competencies and offering synergies essential for the progress and mutual benefit of the universities involved. The project will facilitate partner cooperation and the exchange of expertise, good practices and methodologies, resulting courses and educational materials of high-quality sensitive to European social and cultural diversity. This will enhance the positive impact and the transferability in Europe.The objectives of the academic cooperation project with the three countries are: active promotion of Iasi higher education in Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein, improving and increasing the chances of employability of students and graduates, integrating research elements in doctoral and master exchanges, opening and expanding the scope of cooperation of UAIC with universities in these countries, contribution to the development of human resources for academic cooperation and the capacity of international cooperation of partner universities, etc. The EEA mobility program is expected to increase visibility of universities at international level. Academic exchanges within this program are essential for the internationalization strategy of UAIC and partner universities, as they offer valuable opportunities in choosing partners for future educational, research and institutional development projects.The target groups are represented by students and staff.
Summary of project results
The main objective of this project has been to develop the cooperation with institutions from the European Economic Area through the academic mobility of students, as well as of teaching and administrative staff in order to exchange good practices, acquire new knowledge and valuable information on a large scale, and thus balance the disparities between Romania and the EEA countries. The project has aimed to continue and strengthen the academic mobility network between "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University of Iași and universities in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein in order to achieve excellence in the field of education, by identifying the key themes for cooperation, capitalizing on complementary competencies and offering synergies essential for the progress and mutual benefit of the universities involved. The project has also aimed to increase the number of beneficiaries, while ensuring the best conditions for study / practice / teaching / training as well as living at partner universities and institutions, to ensure transparency and equality of chances in all EEA actions and to increase the quality and volume of multilateral cooperation with academic institutions in the EEA, with the business, cultural and social environment of these three countries, to improve relevant procedures and services for the development of international relations at UAIC by implementing the good practices shared by the partner institutions, to promote the Romanian language and culture in general, and the higher education provided in Iasi in particular, worldwide.
Even though cooperation between UAIC and EEA HEIs is not something new, the project was needed to further expand the scope, both domain-wise and geographically, of UAIC academic international cooperation mainly by attracting EEA students and staff to UAIC as their exchange destination. In addition, this project has been a great opportunity to extend the collaboration with more HEIs in the EEA and also identify new institutions for student placement. The project is considered rather successful among all the categories of participants, even if the number of grantees was not bigger than the one reached in the previous project, but the quality of the mobilities increased, fact reflected in the positive feedback received from incoming staff and students regarding our university and our city and in the number of proposals for improving the university services.
The medium and long-term institutional impact of the EEA programme includes:
-increasing the employability of EEA students, through the acquisition of transversal skills and practical experience;
-increasing the quality of services following the implementation of training periods (STT);
-increasing over time the number of courses and specializations taught in an international language, following the implementation of teaching periods (STA), which has the effect of attracting more and more EEA or full-study international students.
At the international level, the impact is reflected in academic cooperation with universities and employers in the European economic and social environment, implicitly through the possibility of integrating into the European labor market competent and prepared young people with a high degree of tolerance, flexibility and adaptability.
The impact of the project at various levels (local, regional, national, European and/or international) can be measured by the promotion of EEA institutions among the other international students present at UAIC, as well as the promotion of UAIC among other international participants at partner.
Summary of bilateral results
During the previous EEA projects, UAIC has witnessed a great desire for students to have academic experiences in the EEA outside the EU. This desire can be illustrated by the large number of applications and mobilities in the former EEA Programmes. Donor partners are higher education institutions and private institutions (mainly hotels, where students can carry out placement mobilities) in EEA countries. Both HEIs and private institutions played the role of host institutions for UAIC students and staff. Many of the Donor partners shared their knowledge and experience regarding procedures and work methods within the project, they proposed and initiated activities within the project, they were available as experts to provide advice when needed and they facilitated contacts between different institutions, even if these institutions were not directly involved in the project. Our staff learned from the donor partners’ expertise and they improved their practices thanks to the cooperation with donor partners. For example, one of the most fruitful partnerships was with Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)