Abstract:

In this presentation we introduce the plans and goals of an EU project that focuses on different ways of internationalization. We’ll also discuss how the plans were affected by the lockdown caused by the COVID19 pandemic around Europe.

The project focuses on promoting student and staff mobility, co-operation with stakeholders and increasing students’ social involvement. The aim is to share good practices and build networks of cooperation that the partners are committed to and which endure also beyond the duration of the project. In addition to the traditional ways of internationalization the aim is to create alternative ways such as short-term mobility and virtual mobility. The short-term mobility offers the student a possibility e.g.  to take a weeklong course in another university or to have a 1-2-month internship in another country. On the other hand, for a student who has already had a traditional exchange it gives an opportunity to have another, shorter mobility period. The staff of European higher education institutions have in principle unequal possibilities for mobility: the financing structure for mobility or arranging your work can be difficult. Short-term mobility provides an opportunity also for staff (e.g., study administration and digital services) to acquaint themselves with the processes and tools of other universities.  

International cross-studying is one form of internationalization in the project. Students from all partner universities are offered courses in different languages in the Digital Academy. Students have been involved in selecting the contents and have an opportunity to develop their language skills, network and internationalize - all important skills for the working life. In addition, teachers are offered a training on integrating digital competencies in course design. 

The virtual mobility offered in the form of e-learning has become even more important due to the COVID19 pandemic, as physical mobility stopped in an exceptional situation caused by the corona. All forms of physical mobility already planned and agreed on were cancelled and alternative ways had to be considered.  

International cooperation between several universities offers both opportunities and challenges. For example, the processes of study administration are different. Manual processing of documents is laborious and time-consuming. Another challenge is the mapping and selection of common digital tools which requires consultation to find suitable tools for everyone, and the deployment processes are different and employ different levels of experts. One area which is regulated by common European legislation and should be uniform for all partners, is the accessibility of digital materials and services. However, understanding the concept of accessibility and the ways to implement the legislation vary a lot in the partner universities. 

Finally, there is an ongoing need for negotiations and meetings because of different organizational culture. As the project has evolved, it has been jointly stated that a common digital strategy that permeates the whole project is an absolute prerequisite for the project to progress and achieve its goals.

Keywords:

Staff mobility, student mobility, internationalization, social involvement, networking, digital competences, e-learning.