Student years are the time when most of all I want to travel and discover distant uncharted countries, rather than pore over dusty textbooks. On the other hand, if you do not study, in the future it will be difficult to find an interesting and well-paid job. Therefore, for students who want to see overseas countries, for many years there is a program of academic mobility. What it is? Let's find out!
What is academic mobility (AM)?
By this phrase is meant the temporary movement of students (or teachers) of universities in 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 called student exchange.
As part of the Bologna process, which has already covered most of the countries of Europe today, students from almost all the states that were formerly part of the USSR can become participants in various programs of academic mobility. 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 participate in such programs. However, preference is usually given to the first two categories.
It is worth remembering that the 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 his university. However, particularly promising individuals may be invited to stay and continue their studies or teaching. As a rule, this is done as part 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 a specialty not only in his homeland, but also abroad.
Sharing experience and knowledge 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 also joint research is being carried out, which in the future can bring more benefit to humanity.
Cultural exchange is equally important . In addition to knowledge, participants in academic mobility programs have the opportunity to get acquainted with living conditions in other countries, to study their culture and language. Thus, choosing a job after graduation, the graduate will already know what awaits him if he decides to leave to work in another country.
Forms of Academic Mobility
Some twenty to thirty years ago, AM could exist only in real form. That is, in order to gain knowledge, a program participant had to go to another educational institution. However, thanks to progress, academic mobility today takes several forms:
- Remote AM. A program participant gains 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 space for the 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.
Kinds
Academic mobility is divided into several types according to different criteria:
- By subjects: teaching and student.
- By objects: academic, research, exchange of experience, advanced training.
Also in the Bologna process, there is still horizontal (short-term training: several months, semester, year) and vertical AM (full student training for a scientific degree).
Long-term and short-term AM
Depending on the period of stay in another university, two types of academic mobility are distinguished.
Long-term AM lasts more than three months. It can be a whole semester or even a course. Such an exchange always takes into account the program of the native university from which the student arrived, so that when he returns, 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 for a longer period. Moreover, in many sending universities, the charter does not allow students to participate in exchange programs longer than a certain period (semester or year).
Short-term AM lasts three months or less. With such a short time, there can be no talk of full-fledged training. Instead, program participants attend various seminars, workshops, symposia, and similar projects. According to the results of students' participation, they are issued the appropriate certificates.
Source of financing
Speaking of academic mobility, many immediately think about who will pay for the move, accommodation, meals and the training itself for the participants in such programs. After all, they do not belong to charity projects.
All students who want to study for some time at other universities within the framework of AM are divided into two categories:
- Freemovers (Free movers). This is the name of those who are willing to pay all the costs associated with temporary training in foreign educational institutions. Also in this category are those who applied for free participation in the academic mobility program, but did not receive a scholarship, but he was invited to participate at his own expense.
- Program students. These are exchange participants who are sent to another university by a department, faculty or educational institution. In this regard, the payment of the costs shall be borne by either the sender or the receiving party.
Sometimes a third category of participants in AM programs stands out. We are talking about those students who participate in them at the expense of a third party. Usually it is a company in which a future graduate agrees to work for several years after receiving a diploma. An appropriate contract is drawn up about this in advance, which also indicates the time, amount of funds and forfeits.
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 advisable to have any achievements in the chosen specialty. For example, to have publications in serious scientific periodicals, to be a laureate of some university competitions.
- Fluent in English or in the language of the host country. Ideally, both. By the way, in some academic mobility programs in a host university, students are 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 AM Universities
Universities participating in academic mobility programs must also meet certain criteria:
- The academic level should be high so that students from other countries would like to study here, and sending universities would be willing to pay for such training.
- The host should 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 housing and meals, but also to arrange acceptable learning conditions for them and the possibility of conducting practical classes.
- Since student exchange is also an acquaintance with the culture of a new country, the host must provide the opportunity for guests to do this. Most often this is the conduct of various city tours or tours of the country.
- As is the case with participating students, host universities can provide personalized services to their guests or take on greater responsibility. All this is agreed in advance.
- If the AM program participants are teachers, then the host should immediately stipulate the terms of payment for their work, as well as who will be 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 affluent states. Therefore, in most countries of the European Union, the USA, Canada, etc., there are own programs for “exchanging wisdom”.
In Sweden, this is Visby, in Finland - FIRST, in Germany - Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, in Norway - Quota program, and others. There is also a pan-European TEMPUS program.
It is worth noting that in many modern universities a week of academic mobility is held. 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.