Erasmus Charter and Policy Statement

Erasmus+ code = N VOLDA01

OID = E10108519

Volda University College (VUC) is actively using the Erasmus+ programme also to fund activity and exchange with partner institutions outside Europe. Since the start of the International Credit Mobility (ICM) option in Erasmus+, VUC has offered mobility grants to students and staff for exchanges with partner institutions in Russia, India and Moldova. 

Note! Volda University College has decided to pause institutional cooperation with Russian Universities until further notice due to the invasion of Ukraine.
This also means pausing in- and outbound mobility of students and staff under Erasmus+.

ICM Partner institutions include:

• Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University (Russian Federation)
• St. Petersburg State University (Russian Federation)
• University of Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation)
• Manipal Academy of Higher Education (India)
• University of Balti (Moldova)

Inter-institutional agreement manager (IIAM)

VUC uses the digital tools for administering Erasmus+ exchange and signs new Erasmus+ inter-institutional agreements digitally through the E+ Dashboard solution (IIAM). Current and potantial partner institutions can contact us by e-mail to renew or create new Erasmus+ agreement.

Online Learning Agreement (OLA)

VUC will also implement the Online Learning Agreement (OLA) for student exchange under Erasmus+ from the 2021/2022 academic year. Our outbound students will be asked to create a log-in at www.learning-agreement.eu and start the process for an online Learning Agreement. If the partner insitution abroad does not use OLA, the students will have to sign a doubble set of learning agreements (online and on paper).

Incoming students to VUC who submit an Online Learning Agreement (OLA) will get the document approved digitally by VUC through the Erasmus+ dashboard. VUC will not ask for paper copies in addiiton to the digital learning agreement. For the 2021/2022 academic year, we may still be signing and approving Learning Agreements on paper in a transition phase until all Erasmus+ partner institutions are on board with OLA.

E+ Cooperation Partnership - Tradinnovations 2023-2026
"Building on the best food cultural and heritage practices."

Project partners:

• L'institut Agro Montpellier, France (Coordinating Institution)
• Technological University Dublin, Ireland
• Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
• Univerza v Ljubljani, Slovenia
• Turun Yliopisto, Finland
• Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Spain
   
• Volda University College (Asssociated partner)

E+ Strategic partnership - EASIP COMP - 2019-2022
"Increasing entrepreneurial competences of students through a practical approach".
Project website 

Project partners: 

• Volda University College (Coordinating institution)
• Sunnmøre Kulturnæringshage (Norway)
• Universita degli studi di Genova & Ilmiolavoro (Italy)
• the University of Primorska & Step Institute (Slovenia)
• Haaga-Helia University of Applied Science & Laurea University of Applied Science (Finland)

E+ Strategic partnership - Euro-Anime - 2015-2019 
"Developing the European animation industry by learning from the Japanese Anime industry."
Proejct website 

Project partners:

• Volda University College (Coordinating institution)
• Raindog Studios (Norway)
• Tomas Bata University & Kouzelna Animace (Czech Republic)
• Arts University Bournemouth & Touchwood Animation (United Kingdom)

Erasmus+ Policy Statement 2021-2027 - Volda University College

Strategic Relevance of Erasmus+

Internationalisation is a strategic focus area for Volda University College (VUC) and a key factor in our overall vision: knowledge for the future. VUC aims to be an institution rooted in regional needs and interests, but at the same being internationally oriented and having an impact far beyond our borders. The strategic plan states that VUC shall be a national and international actor within higher education and a leading institution in the fields of practical media education and flexible/online education. Reaching these objectives requires international cooperation and outlook.

VUC has for decades had its own Internationalisation Strategy (Action plan for internationalisation). The current strategy focuses on three pillars; internationalisation through individual learning mobility; internationalisation at home through incoming students, guest lecturers and internationally oriented curriculum; and strengthening international academic cooperation to improve the quality of education and research.

The Erasmus+ programme is the most important instrument for VUC to reach its international ambitions and is therefore mentioned first in VUC’s current Action Plan for Internationalisation. It states that the VUC International Office shall be a dedicated Erasmus+ resource and a competence centre which assists staff and academic departments with identifying and taking part in the appropriate programme areas under Erasmus+. VUC has a long history of involvement with Erasmus+ and will continue to participate actively in a wide variety of programme areas, including European and international credit mobility, partnerships for cooperation and partnerships for innovation.

Erasmus+ accounts for the majority of international exchanges to/from VUC and makes possible several of our international projects and partnerships. VUC aims for an even better use of Erasmus+ over the next programme period; both in terms of increasing the number of mobile participants and projects, but also in terms of strengthening the effect these internationalisation activities have on the institution as a whole.

In order to provide students with knowledge for the future, VUC relies on our international connections to keep abreast of the latest global developments in research and innovation. Erasmus+ allows us to invite incoming guest lecturers from the European industry, thus linking VUC up with the latest developments and needs in the sphere of work. Moreover, it is a strategic priority for VUC is to increase its international research output. A more strategic use of Erasmus+ staff mobility will be key to developing international academic networks and partnerships which again can lead to international research projects and applications to other EU programmes.

Quality assurance and Erasmus+

Internationalisation plays a major role in improving the quality of study programmes at VUC. Student and staff exchange enable us to compare and contrast our own programmes with those of top universities abroad and get new impulses and inspiration. International students and staff/lecturers contribute with new perspectives to class discussions and a global outlook, especially important for students who are not interested or able to study abroad themselves.

In the future, VUC aims to link the opportunities for cooperation and mobility in the Erasmus+ programme even more directly to quality enhancement mechanisms. This will be done through increased focus on internationalisation in quality review of courses/programmes of study, and also through better promotion of international possibilities in the description of study programmes. Annual meetings between the International Office and academic departments will also be used to promote participation in Erasmus+ and to ensure that results from past projects and completed mobility stays are incorporated into future teaching.

VUC’s general strategy places great emphasis on students obtaining the knowledge, skills and competencies required in the world of work. International work experience, and the transversal skills gained from studying/training abroad, increase students’ employability and make them better equipped to perform in and adapt to a rapidly changing professional life. VUC therefore aims to double the use of Erasmus+ student mobility for traineeship by 2027 and to closely integrate traineeship mobility in study programmes with established placement periods.

Commitment to Erasmus+ principles

A strength of being a relatively small institution is VUC’s ability to see and recognize students and staff as individuals and make sure everyone is included, both academically and socially, in our community. We will do our outmost to make sure that all types of students and staff are included in future Erasmus+ activities, especially welcoming participation from persons with fewer opportunities. We will do this by marketing the existing possibilities for inclusion and support in the Erasmus+ programme, but also through promoting new forms of internationalisation activities such as blended- and online-mobility.

VUC has in previous programme periods demonstrated our compliance with the principles of Erasmus+ and we pledge to abide by these important standards also in the future. This include adhering to the ECTS principles for credits and grading system; publish an updated course catalogue on our website, providing accessible information on our grading scale, issuing transcripts which shows grade distribution, and offering automatic full recognition of courses/credits after completed student mobility. In the coming Erasmus+ programme period VUC  will also develop institution-wide guidelines for the recognition of staff mobility and staff contribution in Erasmus+ cooperation projects.

VUC will promote Erasmus+ by developing a section on our website describing the opportunities in the programme for local students and staff, informing international partners and possible guest students/staff, and highlighting results from current and past projects.

Civic engagement and active citizenship

VUC will make use of incoming guest lecturers, international students and students returning from abroad to create an international learning environment at VUC with the aim to provide intercultural competencies and global citizenship skills also for non-mobile students. The international meeting place on campus, Pangaia, is vital in VUC’s effort to integrate international and local students. In addition to being a physical meeting place, Pangaia hosts events that foster interaction and cultural learning, such as the Buddy Week, international cultural nights, language café, etc.

Student clubs and organizations, including nature/environmental groups, religious and charitable clubs, community outreach organisations and local chapters of international NGOs, are important arenas in which to ignite student’s civic engagement. Therefore, VUC greatly encourages its incoming students to join student clubs to add to their study abroad experience and to find arenas where they can discuss important issues. Local students will also benefit from international students joining their clubs and organisations.

In addition, VUC has developed the Certificate of Internationalisation to motivate local students utilize some of the many opportunities to study abroad and to engage with international students on campus. The certificate is awarded to VUC students who have studied or trained abroad, who have presented their international experience to fellow students, and who have been a buddy for an international student for a whole semester.

Erasmus+ Digitalisation Agenda

The increasing emphasis on digitalisation in Erasmus+ fits well with VUC’s own strategies for modernisation and digitalisation. The VUC Digital Strategy 2021 describes the importance of further digitalisation to increase the quality of education, research, communication and innovation; to standardise and make more effective administrative processes; and to improve internal and external communication and cooperation. At VUC, digital innovations related to the Erasmus+ programme can later be used as a case study for other areas of our organisation.

VUC wholeheartedly supports the digitalisation agenda in the Erasmus+ programme and will implement new procedures in order to make the administration of international mobility more modern, effective and user friendly. VUC’s administrative support systems are well placed to incorporate the new standards and data flow in the new Erasmus+ programme.

VUC has participated in a national expert group working on the paperless administration of student mobility and we are planning for further digital solutions such as those provided by the Erasmus Without Papers (EWP) project. VUC has already registered in the Erasmus+ dashboard and we encourage both in- and outgoing students to download the Erasmus+ App. Moreover, VUC plans to sign all new Erasmus+ agreements in the new Inter-institutional Agreement Manager (IAM) system.

One of the main objectives in the VUC general strategy is for VUC to maintain its position as a leading institution in terms of online education and flexible learning. VUC has succeeded in positioning itself in the front line for online-based education in Norway, but has so far not linked this success to international cooperation. A primary target for VUC in the next Erasmus+ programme period will therefore be to extend this national success also internationally through blended mobility and online-cooperation with European partners.

Blended mobility and online cooperation is also important for VUC because it is a sustainable way to increase international mobility without the negative environmental impact of increased travel. Furthermore, blended mobility may be a way to ensure participation in Erasmus+ from students who are not interested in, or able to commit to, long-term mobility abroad. This could be the case for mature students with family or job obligations, or for students with need for particular assistance and adjustments. We therefore see blended mobility and online cooperation as important tools to increase student involvement with Erasmus+ overall.