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Higher education student and staff mobility project
Start date: Jun 1, 2014, End date: Sep 30, 2015 PROJECT  FINISHED 

One of the main objectives of Vilnius Academy of Arts (VAA) is to strengthen the standing of the Academy as an international school of Arts. With the help and realization of the Erasmus+ project VAA seeks to fortify a systematic aim for a harmony of being an international and at the same time unique institution by preserving its identity and to have a stable system for student and staff mobilities. Academic exchange of students and staff help in developing the personality, increasing the receptivity of other cultures and languages, broadening the scope of view and gaining new knowledge. Main objectives of the project are: ? To improve the main level of academic and artistic competences and skills by the means of student and staff mobility, while having the main focus on the most progressive and environmentally aware artistic tendencies and their relevance to the job market. ? To improve the quality of studies, promote innovation, artistic excellence, internationality and cooperation on the level of educational institutions, enterprises and stakeholders. ? To improve the learning of languages and promote the variety of EU languages and the understanding of various cultures. ? To encourage students' mobilities for traineeship which help in gaining specific skills, broadening the understanding of the economic and social culture of a specific country, getting to know the features of the job market in Europe. ? To create the possibilities for the staff of VAA to learn while sharing the knowledge and skills in a partner institutions as well as gain new qualities suitable for the current professional academic work. With the support from the National Lithuanian Budget, EU Structural funds and 20% budget transfer from the OM funds to the student and staff mobilities we were able to exceed the number of planned mobilities. Instead of the planned 91 outbound mobilities (55 SMS, 17 SMP, 11 STA, 8 STT), we were able to organize 107 (54 SMS, 25 SMP, 10 STA, 18 STT). During the project time 27 inbound student mobilities (26SMS, 1 SMP) and 38 inbound staff mobilities (30 STA, 8 STT) took place. Out of the total of 54 outbound SMS 2 students have extended their studies abroad for another semester, 2 of the participants were from a disadvantaged background. Out of the total of 25 SMP (outbound) 9 were recent graduates. Out of the total of 10 STA mobilities (outbound)1 was an invited teacher from an enterprise. Without any decline in the number of students who want to take part in SMS, there is a steady increase in the number of students and recent graduates who want to take part in SMP. Trying to overview the broad geographical range of mobilities (from Iceland to Cyprus) it becomes clear that Italy, France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands are the most popular destinations and it fits in accordingly to the strategic plans of VAA to develop the relations with the best institutions for higher education of art, design and architecture, which are situated in these countries. It is also important to notice that 91.14% of the 79 students who have taken part in the SMS and SMP programmes (outbound) were very satisfied with their mobility experience in general. 80% of 10 inbound students that submitted a final participant report were very satisfied or rather satisfied with their experience in general. 100% of 28 outbound staff and 100% of 16 inbound staff members were very satisfied with their experience in general. The average duration of SMP was 2 months and 7 days (average number of recognized ECTS was 13,13). The average duration of SMS was 4 months and 20 days (average number of recognized ECTS 30,96). Taking part in the Erasmus+ programme has greatly benefited both the students and the staff as well VAA as an institution.The outbound students who have taken part in the project stated that through their stay abraod they learned to develop an idea and put it into practice better, find solutions in difficult or challenging context, plan and carry out their learning independently, see the value of different cultures. It is important to notice that students who have taken part in SMS and SMP are more able to adapt to and act in new situations, are more able to cooperate with people from other backgrounds and cultures, are more confident and convinced of their abilities, are more open-minded and curious about new challenges, they have know their strengths and weaknesses better.The outbound staff members who have taken part in STA and the STT mobilities have enhanced their organizational and leadership skills, have developed new learning practices or teaching methods, have gained practical skills relevant for their professional development, improved their foreign language skills, their social, linguistic and cultural competences, have reinforced and extended their professional network, build up new contacts, have reinforced the cooperation with the partner institutions.
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