The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 1 Enhancing Quality Through Internationalisation Conference discussion groups Lisbon Hans Vossensteyn 6-7 October 2011

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 2 TWO STUDIES ON ERASMUS  A study for the European Commission: THE IMPACT OF THE ERASMUS PROGRAMME ON EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION: QUALITY, OPENNESS AND INTERNATIONALISATION  A study for the European Parliament: IMPROVING THE PARTICIPATION IN THE ERASMUS PROGRAMME

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 3 Impact of ERASMUS on European Higher Education Quality, Openness and Internationalisation

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 4 Main focus: Quality Improvement ERASMUS’ contribution to Quality Improvement To what extent do institutions use their potential to fully contribute to academic, economic and social development based on their own specific characteristics and qualities

Conceptual Framework Impact levels and areas of ERASMUS 5

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 6 Activity areas & Indicators System level

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 7 Activity areas & Indicators Central institutional management level

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 8 Activity areas & Indicators Academic department level

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 9 Activity areas & Indicators Academic department level

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 10 1.Literature review 2.Surveys in 30 countries 2283 Central ERASMUS coordinators, 951 responses (42%) 2157 Institutional leaders, 752 responses (35%) 6000 Decentral ERASMUS coordinators at 547 institutions 903 responses from 328 institutions (15% resp. 60%) 903 responses from 328 institutions (15% resp. 60%) 3.20 Case studies (extent of progress in quality improvement, geographical spread, types of activities, types of institutions, …) Study design

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 11 ERASMUS’ impact System level N o Bologna without ERASMUS ! 1.Bologna process: 5 out of 6 action lines direct from ERASMUS: DS, ECTS, mobility, QA and European Dimension; Stocktaking exercises, Ministerial Conferences, EUA & ESU activities, … 1.Quality assurance: pilot projects, ENQA, QA Standards & Guidelines, EQAR, Qrossroads database, EQF (Sectoral QFs), Tuning, AHELO, … 2.Wider impact: Classification, Lisbon Strategy, Modernisation Agenda, Erasmus Belgica, Asian counterpart programme, …

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 12 ERASMUS’ impact Institutional management level E RASMUS high impact on institutional development: 1.Internationalisation: Over 50% indicate a (strong) role in internationalisation strategy, international profile, international networks, tendering, … 2.Professionalisation: 40% address important role in professionalisation of institutional management: regular reflection and evaluation of institutional strategies, career development 3.University – Enterprise relationships: starting to intensify, networks, research partnerships, LLL, …

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 13 ERASMUS’ impact Academic department level 1.Teaching and Learning: 1.90% strong effect on internationalisation & modernisation of curricula 2.Development of “soft skills” of students 3.English/foreign language programs 4.Teaching methods inspired by internationalisation 5.Driver of transparency

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 14 ERASMUS’ impact Academic department level 2.Research: 1.40%: high impact on participation in international projects 2.particularly at small institutions 3.increased international conference attendance 4.excellence & competition 5.benchmark & learn from other institutions (QA) 6.strengthen joint publications 7.international networks & development of research agenda

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 15 ERASMUS’ impact Academic department level 3.Student services: 1.largest area of quality improvement 2.counselling and facilities for mobile students & staff 3.international offices 4.improved information provision & in English 5.language training 6.improved services to domestic students

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 16 ERASMUS’ impact strong But … areas for improvement 1.Bureaucratic costs: time and administrative procedures to tender for centralised actions 2.Decentral units lack interest & capacity to apply for centralised actions But … overall expectation: Impact of ERASMUS will increase (75%)

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 17 Main Recommendations System level 1.European level: 1.Better promote ERASMUS 2.Stimulate “internationalisation at home” 3.Further push the internationalisation policy agenda 2.National authorities: 1.Push & support internationalisation & Erasmus 2.Remove barriers (mobstacles, like visa, portability, recognition, …) 3.Uniform implementation of ECTS / DS 4.Stimulate internationalisation and language education in secondary education

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 18 Main Recommendations Institutional level 1.Central Management Level: 1.Policy emphasis on internationalisation and recognition 2.Leadership committment 3.Internationalisation at home with international staff 4.Reward active staff 2.Academic department level: 1.Positively inform students on mobility in an early stage 2.Remove mobstacles: recognition, language, calendars, … 3.Involve more staff in internationalisation 4.Use international staff & student experiences 5.Stimulate “soft skills” / intercultural skills in curricula

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 19 EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESEARCH PROJECT IMPROVING THE PARTICIPATION IN ERASMUS

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 20 AIM OF THE STUDY IMPROVING THE PARTICIPATION IN ERASMUS  Are there financial and other barriers that hinder ERASMUS participation?

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 21 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY  Desk research: literature review and existing statistics  Student survey: in 7 countries (CZ, FI, D, PL, ES, SE, UK) with greatest variety in perceived financial barriers and in ERASMUS participation  21,145 respondents (8,697 non-ERASMUS)  Case studies: in 4 countries (FI, NL, PL, ES) site visit interviews with many stakeholders (individual and in focus groups)

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 22 KEY FINDINGS: participation in ERASMUS  Continuous increase in ERASMUS participation  Proportion of students active in ERASMUS is about 4% (but strong variation per country)  ERASMUS participation lower in New Member states but grows fastest there  Reasons for mobility: personal development (‘soft skills’), financial and career benefits less important  ERASMUS students mostly from higher SES groups, traditional research universities and larger city areas

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 23 KEY FINDINGS: financial barriers  Financial constraints most important obstacle to mobility: 57% of non-E students find study abroad too expensive 29% reject E-grant because it does not cover costs  Main barrier is balance between expected costs and benefits  In countries with high mobility the labour market effect declines  less mobility (mobility is a luxury)

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 24 KEY FINDINGS: financial barriers  Willingness to participate influenced by gross level of grant and uncertainties about costs, new environment, payment schedule, …  Potential number of students that do not study abroad for financial constraints varies between 980,000 and 1.5 million  Independent student support stimulates mobility (universal grants)  Extra mobility grants signal importance of internationalisation

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 25 KEY FINDINGS: other potential barriers  Four other sets of other barriers to ERASMUS participation  Conditions of the ERASMUS programme  Compatibility of HE systems  Non-awareness about the ERASMUS programme  Personal factors  Only 24% of students not interested to study abroad  34% of students not mobile because they fear their ‘foreign’ credits will not be recognised

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 26 KEY FINDINGS: other potential barriers  62% of students want to choose hosting institutions outside the listed ERASMUS partners  41% of students fear to have too little language skills  46% not mobile for reasons of personal relationships & family  53% of students wishes more and better information  35% of ERASMUS-students  administrative burden too high

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 27 KEY FINDINGS: other potential barriers  ERASMUS image is more ‘social’ than ‘academic’  33% of ERASMUS students faced uncertainties about education system abroad, lack of education compatibility, and concerns about quality abroad  Factors regarded unimportant:  Length of study visit & length of programmes  Work responsibilities at home  Lack of programmes in English  Lack of support in form of student services

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 28 RECOMMENDATIONS on financial barriers  Serious need for more ERASMUS grants (unmet demand)  Strong variation in importance of mobility barriers between countries  mobility policies should be nationally targeted Also need for national studies on ERASMUS participation  Countries with high participation suffer from fixed budgets:  They disappoint large groups of students  Or lower ERASMUS grants  Or add national funding Call for more central coordination to reallocate budgets among higher and lower participation countries

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 29 NOT EFFICIENT ALLOCATION OF ERASMUS BUDGETS

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 30 AVERAGE SURPLUS/DEFICIT COMPARED TO NATIONAL ERASMUS BUDGETS (in %)

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 31 RECOMMENDATIONS on financial barriers  Encourage contributions from hosting enterprises (internships)  Promote the long-term benefits of intercultural ‘soft skills’  Address SES differences at national level (prevent extra ERASMUS bureaucracy)  Promote mobility in less developed regions (structural funds)

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 32 RECOMMENDATIONS on financial barriers  Improve and promote general information on costs related to mobility (per destination country)  More transparency about grant levels  Pay (part) ERASMUS grants up-front (cover high starting costs)  More transparency about co-funding opportunities and portability of national student support

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 33 RECOMMENDATIONS on other barriers  Serious attention should be paid to recognition issues (2 nd ranked mobility barrier)  ERASMUS grants more in context of joint/double degrees: obligatory stay abroad, better recognition, more integrated curricula, more efficient stay abroad (less costly)  Room for short intensive programmes involving students/teachers from multiple countries  Open ERASMUS for longer stays abroad

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 34 RECOMMENDATIONS on other barriers  Further promote the placements programmes: Broaden the success!  Enhance mobility opportunities in secondary education: that seriously increases interest in HE student mobility  Strengthen ERASMUS promotion, through:  A European-wide ERASMUS info-portal, also uniform ‘ERASMUS introduction courses’ for all students, or …  Variety of national and institutional images, but using best practices of alumni, buddy’s, experience sharing, “do’s & don’t’s”, professionalise ERASMUS Student Networks, etc. …

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 35 THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION ! Contact information: Prof. dr. Hans (J.J.) Vossensteyn University of Twente Center for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS) PO Box AE ENSCHEDE The Netherlands tel:+31 - (0) inet:

The impact of ERASMUS on quality in European HE 36 YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE ERASMUS?  What would be your recommendations as internationalisation experts to further improve ERASMUS programme? EU policies  … National policies  … Institutional policies  …