Staff exchange
Volda University College takes active part in the Erasmus+ programme and can award grants to staff exchanging to and from VUC.
VUC typically can award between 30-40 Erasmus+ grants to staff/faculty per academic year. These are divided into grants for staff training and staff teaching (see underneath).
If you are a staff or faculty member at one of our partner universities abroad, you may contact the International Office to find out if it is possible to visit VUC on Erasmus+ staff/teaching mobility.
Types of Erasmus+ staff mobility grants
Erasmus+ Staff Training Mobility
VUC can award Erasmus+ grants to our own staff/faculty for Staff Training Mobility. The staff member may apply for a grant to train/learn from a host institution abroad and this requires a stay of minimum 2 days at the host institution. Only physical mobility is supported (not online cooperation) and this form for staff mobility is only available for VUC staff/faculty (not incoming guests). Staff Training Mobility does not require an Erasmus+ agreement between VUC and the host institution. Furthermore, the host organisation does not have to be a university, but may also be a business, NGO or public organisation. The aim of Staff Training Mobility is to learn from best practice and to gain new ideas, impulses and insights which will improve our education or service at VUC. The type of activity that can be covered by this scheme is job-shadowing, observation, workshops, seminars, courses, and attending Staff Training Weeks at partner universities abroad. Note that these grants cannot normally be awarded for attending conferences abroad.
VUC staff may apply for an Erasmus+ Staff Training Grant by sending an e-mail to the International Office. The individual staff member is responsible for clearing the mobility with his/her superiors and we appreciate it if this person (Institute Leader, Head of Office, etc.) is copied in on e-mail exchange with the International Office.
The Erasmus+ grant is based on set rates and not the actual costs of travelling and staying abroad (see below).
Erasmus+ Staff Teaching Mobility
VUC can award Erasmus+ grants to our own faculty for Staff Teaching Mobility. The faculty member may apply for a grant to teach at one of VUC's partner institutions under Erasmus+. That is, for this type of mobility there is a requirement that VUC has an active Erasmus+ agreement with the host institution. See a list of VUC's partner universities abroad. Staff Teaching Mobility requires the faculty member to teach for a minimum of 8 hours (per week) at the host institution, and we here consider teaching to include lectures, tutoring, presentations, and other form of student contact at the host institution. Only physical mobility is supported (not online teaching) and only days spent abroad are counted for the grant. It is possible to combine a Staff Teaching and Staff Training Mobility, which will the require a minimum of 4 hours of teaching.
VUC staff may apply for an Erasmus+ Staff Teaching Grant by sending an e-mail to the International Office. The individual staff member is responsible for clearing the mobility with his/her superiors and we appreciate it if this person (Institute Leader, Head of Office, etc.) is copied in on e-mail exchange with the International Office.
The Erasmus+ grant is based on set rates and not the actual costs of travelling and staying abroad (see below).
Erasmus+ Staff Teaching for Incoming Guest Lecturers to VUC
VUC can award Erasmus+ grants to incoming guest lecturers who teaches at VUC and who are not themselves representing an institution with their own Erasmus+ grants. That is, the incoming guest lecturer must represent a non-university organisation, for example a private business, a museum, an NGO, or other organisation. This type of teaching mobility does not require an Erasmus+ agreement between VUC and the sending institution. Incoming staff teaching mobility requires the guest lecturer to teach for a minimum of 8 hours (per week) at VUC. We consider teaching to include lectures, tutoring, presentations, and other form of student contact at the host institution. Only physical mobility is supported (not online teaching) and only days spent at VUC are counted for the grant.
VUC staff may apply for the Erasmus+ grant on behalf of the incoming guest lecturer by sending an e-mail to the International Office. The VUC staff member is responsible for clearing the mobility with his/her superiors and we appreciate it if this person (Institute Leader, Head of Office, etc.) is copied in on e-mail exchange with the International Office.
Since VUC is a relatively small university college, it is difficult for us to accommodate visitors at any time. We therefore encourage guests to visit us during special occasions, such as for example our International Week which is held annually in the first week of February or International Staff Weeks we normally arrange in May and September.
Travel and accommodation in Volda
Read more about how to travel to/from Volda.
International guests may book accommodation either at Volda Turist Hotel, Fruenes B&B, AirBnB or the short term rent at SiVolda (student housing). Note that the guest apartments do not include breakfast, but that there is a shared kitchen in the apartments where guests may make their own food.
The Erasmus+ grant is based on set rates and not the actual costs of travelling and staying abroad (see below).
Erasmus+ grant rates for staff
The Erasmus+ grant is paid out based on set rates for travel and subsistence. Travel rates depend on the aerial distance in KM between Volda and the destination. The subsistence amount is calculated from a daily rate which is awarded for each day of activity abroad plus 2 travel days.
Travel distance | Rate 2024/25 |
100-499 KM | 211 Euro |
500-1999 KM | 309 Euro |
2000-2999 KM | 395 Euro |
3000-3999 KM | 580 Euro |
4000-7999 KM | 1188 Euro |
8000 -> KM | 1735 Euro |
Subsistence rate for countries | Euro |
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Island, Ireland, Italy, Finland, the Netherlands, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Sweden and Norway. | 130 Euro per day |
Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and Spain. | 115 Euro per day |
Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Turkey. | 110 Euro per day |
Example: Thomas receives an Erasmus+ grant for 3 days of staff training at a museum in Germany. The grant will then be based on the rates of 3 days of stay + 2 travel days + travel distance to Germany (ca. 1000 KM). The grant will then be 5 x 130 + 309 = 959 Euro.
Conversion from Euro to Norwegian kroner
From the 2024/25 academic year, the European Commission, and the Norweigan National Agency for Erasmus+ (HK-Dir), has decided that the Erasmus+ grants for staff must be converted into Norwegian kroner based on the average currency rates of the European Central Bank for the mobility period.
That is, if Thomas in the example over is to receive a grant of 959 Euro, this will be calculated into Kroner based on the average Euro-rate of the European Central Bank for the 3 days of his stay in Germany.
Green Travel
The Erasmus+ grants mentioned in the table above show the rates for travel by plane and other non-green modes of transportation. However, if the grant recipient chooses green ways of travel (bus, train, car pooling) for most part of the travel, this will award a higher travel grant and support for up to 6 extra days.
For example if Thomas in the example above travels to Germany for a 3-day stay, using green methods of transportation, he would receive en Erasmus+ grant of 417 Euro (higher travel support) + 130 Euro per day x 9 days (6 travel days) = 1587 Euro.