Abstract:

The EPICS for Virtual Erasmus main objective is to increase student mobility throughout Europe and to support the realization of a European higher Education Area. It has been set up against the background of the European Commission’s LLP-program which has as one of its key-objectives the increasing participation in lifelong learning and international student mobility.
In a consortium of European virtual mobility coordinators we are working towards a Virtual Erasmus program. We are building on former VM-projects like E-MOVE, REVE, VM-BASE, NET-ACTIVE etc. a scheme in which students have the opportunity and benefits of visiting other university programs and courses without the necessity of being mobile. All this within a framework of bilateral or multilateral agreements between universities on accepting visiting students (for the bigger part) on-line.
The EPICS project especially addresses issues like:

• Recognition of degrees / credit transfer
• Student and staff Support
• Course entrees
• Language issues
• Assessment modes
• Fee options

On all of these issues agreement was found within the project consortium. This has been the bases for working out the supporting infrastructure of a European Portal for International Courses and Services (EPICS).
Currently the consortium will further expand the network of universities who like to be involved in EPICS as provider and/or user of virtual mobility courses. Further information can be found under www.eadtu.nl/epics.

Consortium:
EADTU, Europace, UNED, Linkoping university, OUUK, OUNL, EITF, UniNettuno, Universidade Aberta, Anadolu University, Fernstudien Schweiz.

Coordinator: George Ubachs (Managing Director EADTU) george.ubachs@eadtu.nl

Keywords:

mobility, erasmus, on-line learning, e-learning virtual seminar, virtual campus, student mobility.