Mobility Project No.11

Project facts

Project promoter:
West University of Timisoara
Project Number:
RO15-0014
Target groups
Students,
Teachers, trainers, managers, leaders and other staff within higher education institutions
Status:
Completed
Initial project cost:
€65,500
Final project cost:
€31,435
From EEA Grants:
€ 28,292
The project is carried out in:
Romania

More information

Description

West University of Timisoara aims to increase its international cooperation potential in a higher education national and international academic community facing globalization. It aims to focus its efforts for internationalization outside the borders of the Erasmus programme and to develop its human and knowledge capital through establishment of new avenues for cooperation. By organizing and developing the existing mobility flows for students and staff with Donor countries, our institution hope to accomplish this objective going beyond its limits. The target group consists of students and teaching staff at the university. These EEA mobility grants aim to foster stronger academic ties between not institutions, but also between Romania and Donor Countries. The increase in student and staff flows could engender the opening up of an avenue for international collaboration in joint research and teaching projects between our institution and Hogskolen I Ostfold and United World Red Cross College Nordic. This will contribute extensively to filling an existing gap in international cooperation between partnership countries.

Summary of project results

The project was needed in order to ensure the development of cooperation avenues with higher education institutions in the three donor states, as this matter is included in the objectives of West University of Timisoara's strategy for internationalization. This was meant to become the framework for developing future cooperations. The results will be sustained through similar mobility schemes and institutional funding. The objective of the project was to set up a mobility framework for students and staff at West University of Timisoara and its' partner institutions.The objective was reached partially with two out of the envisioned 10 outgoing mobilities not being realized and no incoming mobility taking place.The impact of the mobilities consisted of an increase in interest and applications for mobilities funded through the EEA Grants scheme at both student and staff levels, as well as a development of cooperations between our institution and institutions in donor countries. The outcome of the project consisted of 8 outgoing mobilities (3 student mobilities for studies, 2 student mobilities for placement, 1 teaching mobility and 2 training mobilities). Presentations of the programme and beneficiaries' experiences and acquired expertise, as well as reports. The beneficiaries are involved in assessing the quality and promotion of the programme.It set up the basis for cooperation with HEIs in donor states.

Summary of bilateral results

The partners have contributed towards the mobility project outcome by offering institutional support to their incoming mobilities, as well as promoting the opportunities of this project to their own students and staff. Moreover, they have been open to exchanging information and ideas beyond the specificities of mobilities, in order to set up the cooperation under the EEA Grants framework (from the signing of new agreements to suggestions in regards to services development or understanding in regards to the excessive bureaucracy of the programme). In regards to West University of Timişoara, the partnership with donor countries’ institutions in order to set up mobilities for students and staff- studies, placement, teaching and training- has opened up a new avenue of cooperation with the donor countries and has contributed significantly to a shift in our academic community towards these countries in searches for partners for international educational and research projects. Thus, the partnership has led to a strengthening of bilateral relations from its’ first year of implementation at our institution.