2019 Annual Conference

Colleges and Universities

Shared Concurrent Session (Approx. 12 or 20 minutes)

This presentation shares practical information about ERASMUS+ engagement from the perspective of a U.S. faculty member who has received two such grants for teaching abroad. ERASMUS+ (European Region Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students) is the European Union’s main exchange program for scholarship, education, training, youth, and sport.

The target audience for this session includes higher education administrators, faculty members, and graduate students interested in international education and exchange opportunities for teaching and research. The presentation will include accessible and practical advice for getting started, participating, and follow up within the ERASMUS+ programme, which has recently opened up to U.S. partner institutions.

Participants will be able to explain what the ERASMUS+ program is; participants will be able to identify practical ways of getting started with a European partner; participants will be able to identify three ways of establishing engagement with a European Union partner; participants will be able to identify the main points to strengthen an ERASMUS + application; participants will be able to describe how to make the most of program participation; and participants will be able to explore how best to follow up after program participation.

International faculty exchanges are grounded in efforts to further connections between peoples and nation states. These connections have the potential for advancing understandings of human rights, economic empowerment, and environmental sustainability in diverse contexts. In addition, these interactions may broaden our appreciation of “the other” in important aspects of faculty development, internationalization in higher education, and research and teaching collaborations. The ERASMUS+ (European Region Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students) programme is the European Union’s main exchange program for scholarship, education, training, youth and sport and is an example of such an international faculty exchange. Through a competitive application process, U.S. faculty and institutions are now able to apply for a faculty exchange position in teaching and/or research through a European Union partner institution, which is a recent development.  With the aim of sharing practical information and fostering discussion about processes with others, a faculty member who has been successful in receiving two awards will focus on what the ERASMUS+ programme is, how to begin and sustain engagement with a partner, the application process, program participation, and follow up. Faculty and administrators may utilize this information in their own internationalization efforts.

The presenter will begin by asking participants about experiences regarding international exchanges and what they hope to learn from the session. A visual presentation will be structured in these main parts: what the European Union and the ERASMUS+ programme are; how to begin and sustain engagement with a European Union partner; what the application process looks like; and how to make the most of participation and follow-up. If time allows, participants will be able to follow up with the presenter for additional conversation. Contact information will be shared for further questions if participants would like to contact the presenter.