Windows for Mobility: Windows of Opportunity? Gent, 6 November 2014 Mobility windows – from concept to practice Irina Ferencz, ACA Policy Officer

Windows for Mobility: Windows of Opportunity? Outline 1.Why discuss ‘mobility windows’? 2.Mobility windows – what are they? 3.Mobility windows – a new phenomenon? 4.Types of mobility windows 5.An example – a Bachelor programme with multiple windows 6.Impact and recommendations

Windows for Mobility: Windows of Opportunity? 1. Why discuss ‘mobility windows’?  Student mobility is high on the European political agenda – push to increase current volumes:  EU and Bologna Process 20% benchmarks  Even more ambitious national or regional goals (50% - AT, DE; 33% Flanders)  ‘Mobility windows’ – one increasingly often quoted solution to overcome mobility obstacles  But, highly unclear what ‘mobility windows’ are – lack of precision, user-driven definition(s) → need for some clarity and for a rational discourse

Windows for Mobility: Windows of Opportunity? 1. Why discuss ‘mobility windows’?  Project: MOWIN Mapping "mobility windows" in European higher education. Examples from selected countries  Duration: October 2011 – September 2013  EU co-funded (ERASMUS Multilateral Projects)  Aimed to:  propose a clear definition of mobility windows;  create a typology of mobility windows that reflects the variety of practices and models in encountered in the European higher education context; and  further investigate how the different types are implemented in five selected countries and institutions (DE, FI, IT, NL, RO), to draw broader lessons about the ‘DOs’ and ‘DON’Ts’ of such models.

Windows for Mobility: Windows of Opportunity? 2. Mobility windows – what are they?  Definition: A mobility window is a period of time reserved for international student mobility that is embedded into the curriculum of a study programme.  ‘Curricular embeddedness’ =  The mobility period is an explicit part of the home curriculum and study plan  The home curriculum and study plan create transparency about the possibility of recognising the stay abroad.

Windows for Mobility: Windows of Opportunity? 2. Mobility windows – what are they?  Beyond the ‘standard ERASMUS mobility’  Physical, international mobility  Length? Looked at windows with min. ‘duration’ of 3 months (15 ECTS)  In total, MOWIN covered 32 study programmes at Bachelor’s and Master’s level, with 42 mobility windows.

Windows for Mobility: Windows of Opportunity? 2. Mobility windows – what are they?

Windows for Mobility: Windows of Opportunity? 3. Mobility windows – a new phenomenon?  Old model (structured, integrated mobility), new label  “Mobility windows” – name traced back to mid-2000s  Linked to the new degree architecture introduced by the Bologna Process  Some examples  CRUS (2004)  DAAD national conference – “Mobiliteit Fenster” (2005)  EU level – Jan Figel (2008) as a “remedy […] for the overloaded study programmes” created through the Bologna reforms.  LERU paper (2013) – windows used to describe „networked mobility“

Windows for Mobility: Windows of Opportunity? 4. Types of mobility windows  Typology generated by crossing 2 main characteristics of mobility windows: (a)the status of a mobility window (mandatory or optional) within the study programme and (b)the degree of curricular standartisation of the mobility experience facilitated through a window (highly-prescribed or loosely-prescribed)  Other characteristics, e.g. purpose of mobility (study vs. internship), number of partners, funding arrangements, etc., deemed of secondary importance for articulating the definition.

Windows for Mobility: Windows of Opportunity? 4. Types of mobility windows

Windows for Mobility: Windows of Opportunity? 4. Types of mobility windows

Windows for Mobility: Windows of Opportunity? 4. Types of mobility windows Dimensions 2. Degree of standardisation of window's (academic) content Loosely-prescribed (Lop)Highly-prescribed (Hip) Ma-LopMa-Hip 1. Status of the window in the study programme Mandatory (Ma) For study 5a, 11a, 11b, 14, 167, 8, 15a, 17, 24, 26a, 27a, 28a For internship 29a Mixed or either/or Op-LopOp-Hip Optional (Op) For study 5b, 6, 9, 10, 23, 25, 26b12, 13, 19, 21, 27b, 28b, 31, 32 For internship 27c, 28c30 Mixed or either/or 1, 2, 3, 4, 15b, 29b, 29c18, 20, 22

Windows for Mobility: Windows of Opportunity? 5. An example – a Bachelor programme with multiple windows Full programme name / field of study Bachelor in Tourism Management (Saxion University of Applied Sciences) Duration of the programme 4 years Number of mobility windows 3 Type and purpose of mobility window 1.‘Mandatory window-Highly prescribed content’ (Ma-Hip) for internship – year 2 2.‘Optional window – Loosely prescribed content’ (Op-Lop) for study and/or internship – year 3 or 4 3.‘Optional window-Loosely prescribed content’ (Op-Lop) for study and/or internship – year 4 Length5 months for each Number of foreign partners About 30 institutions for study abroad and 300 companies for internships abroad

Windows for Mobility: Windows of Opportunity? 6. Impact and recommendations i.Do many programmes and institutions implement mobility windows? – Not as many as expected (not a very frequently-used model so far) ii.Do the windows support the mobility of most or just a minority of students? – 10-20% of all enrolled students in programmes with windows  The benefits not really window-specific  For the programme/institution: multiplication, quality boost, reputation enhancement, internal change, staff mobility, closer impact, better graduates.  For the students: same as for other forms of mobility (but seem essential for students less likely to go abroad)

Windows for Mobility: Windows of Opportunity? 6. Impact and recommendations 1)Discuss the proposed definition and typology of mobility windows. 2)HEIs to develop institutional approaches to and intra-institutional partnerships for window mobility and curricular internationalisation in general. 3)HEIs are encouraged to explore the benefits of different types of mobility windows and develop comprehensive internationalisation policies, of which outbound credit mobility in general, and window mobility in particular, should be key instruments – but by no means the only ones. 4)Ways to ensure sustainability of mobility windows should be explored at the institutional, national and European levels. 5)Continue to work on the removal of obstacles to student mobility, because the quantitative contribution of window mobility might be limited.

Windows for Mobility: Windows of Opportunity? Thank you for your attention! Questions? MOWIN publication download: secretariat.be/fileadmin/aca_docs/images/members/ACA_2013_Mobility_windo ws.pdf