Student years are the time when most of all you want to travel and discover distant unexplored countries, and not pore over dusty textbooks. On the other hand, if you do not study, it will be difficult to find an interesting and well-paid job in the future. Therefore, for many years there has been an academic mobility program for students wishing to visit overseas countries. What it is? Let's find out!
What is Academic Mobility (AM)?
This phrase refers to the temporary movement of students (or teachers) of universities to other educational or scientific institutions. Moreover, such a “temporary relocation” can be carried out not only within the country, but also abroad. The concept in question is sometimes referred to as student exchange.
Within the framework of the Bologna process, which today has already covered most of the countries of Europe, students almostof all states that were previously part of the USSR can become participants in various academic mobility programs. It is worth noting that they provide an opportunity to study not only at European universities, but also on other continents.
In addition to students and teachers, representatives of the administrative and managerial staff of universities can also participate in such programs. However, preference is generally given to the first two categories.
It is worth remembering that academic mobility of students has nothing to do with emigration. After the end of the agreed period of study or teaching, the program participant will safely return to their university. However, particularly promising individuals may be invited to stay and continue their studies or teaching. As a rule, this is done within the framework of other educational projects.
Her goals
One of the main tasks of AM is the formation of the European Higher Education Area. That is, to make sure that a student or teacher from any European university has the opportunity to freely find a job in their speci alty, not only in their homeland, but also abroad.
Experience and knowledge sharing is another important goal. International academic mobility allows representatives of the intellectual elite of different countries to share theoretical and practical information about their achievements. And joint research is also being carried out, which in the future can bring greater benefit to humanity.
No less important isculture Exchange. In addition to knowledge, participants in academic mobility programs have the opportunity to get acquainted with the living conditions in other countries, learn their culture and language. Thus, choosing a job after receiving a diploma, a graduate will already know what awaits him if he decides to leave to work in another country.
Forms of academic mobility
Some twenty or thirty years ago, AM could only exist in real form. That is, in order to gain knowledge, the program participant had to go to another educational institution. However, thanks to progress, academic mobility today takes several forms:
- Remote AM. The participant of the program receives new knowledge without leaving home. Using a computer, he can attend online lectures and even participate in seminars.
- Stationary academic mobility. To gain knowledge, a student goes to study at another university.
Depending on the area of implementation of the AM program, the stationary form is divided into regional, interregional, international and intercontinental.
By the way, regardless of the form of AM, its participant still needs to confirm their knowledge by passing the appropriate tests.
Views
Academic mobility is divided into several types according to different criteria:
- By subjects: teaching and student.
- By objects: academic, research, exchangeexperience, advanced training.
Also, in the Bologna process, horizontal (training for a short period of time: several months, a semester, a year) and vertical AM (full education of a student to obtain a scientific degree) stand out.
Long-term and short-term AM
Depending on the period of stay in another university, there are two types of academic mobility.
Long-term AM lasts more than three months. It could be a whole semester or even a course. With such an exchange, the program of the native university from which the student came is always taken into account, so that upon returning he does not lag behind it and can safely join the educational process.
It is worth noting that some foreign educational institutions are ready to host talented students and for a longer period. At the same time, in many sending universities, the charter does not allow students to participate in exchange programs for longer than a certain period (semester or year).
Short-term AM lasts three months or less. With such a short period of time, there can be no talk of full-fledged training. Instead, program participants attend various seminars, workshops, symposiums and similar projects. According to the results of the participation of students, they are given the appropriate certificates.
Source of funding
Speaking of academic mobility, many people immediately think about who will pay for the transfer, accommodation, meals and directly the education of participantssuch programs. After all, they do not belong to charitable projects.
All students who wish to study for some time in other universities within the AM are divided into two categories:
- Free movers. This is the name of those who are ready to pay for all the costs associated with temporary education in foreign educational institutions. Also included in this category are those who applied for free participation in the academic mobility program, but did not receive a scholarship, but they were invited to participate at their own expense.
- Program students. These are exchange participants who are sent to another university by a department, faculty or educational institution. In this regard, either the sender or the receiving party is responsible for paying the costs.
Sometimes there is a third category of participants in AM programs. We are talking about those students who participate in them at the expense of a third party. Usually it is a company in which the future graduate undertakes to work for several years after receiving a diploma. An appropriate contract is drawn up about this in advance, which also indicates the terms, amount of funds and pen alties.
Requirements for participants
To be able to study for some time at a foreign university, a student must meet certain criteria:
- Have good grades and be an active participant in student life outside of class.
- It is desirable to have some achievements in the chosen speci alty. For example, havepublications in serious scientific periodicals, to be the winner of some university competitions.
- Speak fluent English or the language of the host country. Ideally, both. By the way, in some academic mobility programs at the host university, the student is first taught in English, and later in the language of the country.
- Individual requirements. Depending on the program, the educational institutions conducting it may put forward their own requirements for participants. This may be, for example, copyright on the results of the student's intellectual work.
Requirements for universities participating in the AM program
Universities participating in academic mobility programs must also meet certain criteria:
- The academic level must be high so that students from other countries want to study here, and the universities that send them are willing to pay for such education.
- The host country must have a carefully thought out and organized program for nailed students. In other words, such an institution is obliged to provide guests not only with accommodation and meals, but also to organize acceptable learning conditions for them and the possibility of conducting practical classes.
- Since a student exchange is also an acquaintance with the culture of a new country, the host country is obliged to provide guests with the opportunity to do this. Most often, this is conducting various excursions around the city of residence or tours around the country.
- As with participating students, host universities canprovide personalized service to your guests or take on more responsibility. All this is agreed in advance.
- If teachers are participants in the AM program, then the host must immediately specify the terms of payment for their work, as well as who will own the authorship of the results of their work.
The most famous international academic mobility programs
For developed countries, AM provides an opportunity to find future talented scientists in less we althy countries. Therefore, most countries of the European Union, the USA, Canada, etc. have their own “wisdom exchange” programs.
In Sweden it's Visby, in Finland it's FIRST, in Germany it's Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, in Norway it's Quota program, and others. There is also a pan-European program TEMPUS.
It is worth noting that many modern universities hold a week of academic mobility. Throughout it, students are told about the features of such projects. In addition, coordinators of various AM programs can speak and report on their features.
