Millions of young people take part in the international academic exchange. “They come back more confident and familiar in the world”
Educational mobility is one of the important points at the EU institution agenda. Last year, the EU Council issued a recommendation in this area “Europe in Movement”, in which it indicated a new goal for 2030. The point is that the percentage of graduates in the EU who benefited from foreign educational mobility would be at least 23 percent. As representatives of the National Academic Exchange Agency emphasize, educational mobility is benefits for both students and the academic staff as well as the scientific institution itself or university.
– There is no full quality of education without the real presence of a student elsewhere abroad. The student not only learns new places, new emotions, but also learns himself through the prism of these new experiences. We observe ourselves at the University of Warsaw that students who participate in these programs and leave, have to deal with themselves, attend classes themselves, without their environment, without the help of parents, Completely different, more confident and familiar in the world are coming back – says Newseria agency dr Łukasz Gołota, deputy director of the National Academic Exchange Agency.
In the recommendations of the EU Council “Europe in Movement”, it was emphasized that educational mobility is an extremely valuable experience enabling gaining new competences that contribute to personal, educational and professional development. Cross -border learning experience increases intercultural understanding and help develop a common European identity.
– Such a trip is not only an academic program, but also the acquisition of soft skills, which, contrary to appearances, are less and less. It is even about articulating your needs, for a job in a team, for the fight for your own, of course in a good sense, not to be adversity. It shapes them, harden and really acquire these skills in a visible way – says Dr. Łukasz Gołota.
Participation in the academic exchange can also be a way to stand out among other job candidates.
– Employers also pay attention to these elements. This usually means that such students or graduates know the language well – usually English, as they are in a specific country, they know the second, and this will predestine them to think about better work, a higher position, larger earnings. The chances of this are much higher in this case – says the deputy director of NAWA.
As indicated by the EU Council, Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps are key factors enabling the implementation of the EU strategy for young people by supporting educational mobility, exchanges and volunteering. By 2024, 15 million people took part in the Erasmus+ program, and its budget for 2021-2027 increased. This is to encourage more students to participate in educational mobility at least once during studies, ensuring various forms of mobility. Among them are mixed intensive programs and short -term mixed mobility. The EU Council proposed that by 2030 the percentage of university graduates who participated in educational mobility would be at least 23 percent, and for a group of people studying as part of vocational education and training – 12 percent. until 2030 (previously it was 8 percent).
– When I studied, every such trip was a blessing for a student, there were registration, competitions, fights for the opportunity to go for half a year, for a year. Today, when we celebrate the anniversary of being in the Union and participating in Erasmus programs, there are a lot of these possibilities. This program was becoming universal, but the student's attitude has also changed: from the direction of long trips towards short -term stays. So they would not necessarily want to go for six months, but they would like to go for three or four weeks, two months maximum. This is also due to changes in the labor market, because these students work, they must combine various areas of life, so such programs are disturbed by their rhythm. Hence, there is now such a fashion for creating short -term programs, Winter School and Summer School. After all, there is a concept of micro -experience, i.e. the university can certify the acquisition of some minor skills in a shorter time – explains Dr. Łukasz Gołota.
In its recommendations, the EU Council also emphasizes the need to increase mobility among teachers and scientists, in particular at an early stage of their career: “so that they can develop in a personal and professional dimension for the benefit of the competitiveness of the scientific research system and innovation in Europe.”
– NAWA offers its programs for students, scientists, institutions, for coming and leaving. These are also more mobile programs, but they are also of a scientific nature – says the deputy director of NAWA. – The Prom Program is addressed to students, but also teaching staff, didactics, researchers, on short -term trips that can include whether participation in some scientific events, trainings, or in classes, in didactic programs of foreign universities.
The Prom Program is a program for the institutions of science and higher education created to support the improvement of the competences of doctoral students and academic staff from Poland and abroad, also from outside the EU, through international scholarship exchange. It enables them to participate in short forms of education (lasting 5-30 days) with an international nature. It also facilitates Polish universities and scientific units to establish and strengthen cooperation with institutions from abroad. Until May 8, recruitment in a new edition is underway, which is a continuation of the three previous calls implemented from PO funds Wer and Fers.
– Our programs are becoming more and more popular, their prestige is growing. Pursuing the CV participation in such a program is a signal for the future employer that something succeeded, that there was something that distinguished this student from other candidates – emphasizes Dr. Łukasz Gołota.
The publication of the nave “Prom – short trips, great possibilities” shows that in two recruitment ferry in 2018 and 2019 over 5.1 thousand benefited from trips lasting from 5 to 30 days. scholarship holders, including over 4.2 thousand doctoral students and 778 people from the academic staff. The projects included both Poles' trips abroad and the arrival of doctoral students and academic staff from abroad to Poland. According to the evaluation survey, which the participants were completed, it follows that as a result of trips they strengthened their academic competences. Most often it was indicated: knowledge in a specific field of science, establishing or maintaining cooperation with foreign partners, using a foreign language, ability to work in an international team.
Over half of the respondents declared that during their stay abroad they talked with employees of foreign universities or scientific units about the possibility of undertaking scientific or didactic cooperation in the perspective of the next year, and assessed that the actual undertaking of this cooperation is highly likely. It was for joint scientific publications, applying for research grants or joint implementation of the scientific project that has already obtained financing. Eight out of 10 people assessed their mobility as “very useful” for further professional career. Independent and dissatisfied constituted only about 1 percent.
