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Higher education student and staff mobility project
Start date: Jun 1, 2014, End date: May 31, 2016 PROJECT  FINISHED 

One of the main goals of MONTPELLIER SUPAGRO INTERNATIONAL STRATEGY is to provide the students with opportunities at an international scale; their mobility projects in a foreign country definitely contributes to this objective. Our international policy permitted to double Montpellier SupAgro international mobility figures (70% of Students) from 2005. Within the Service of International Relation and Language (SRIL), the INTERNATIONAL MOBILITY TEAM (composed by 4 people), manages mobility, which also concerns the Erasmus + project. These projects are established in close collaboration with the Service of Studies and Student Life (SEVE), but also with teachers interested by the international development of the institute. OBJECTIVES During the 2014-2015 academic year, THE PROJECT PERMITTED TO REACH CONCRETE objectives regarding the student and staff mobility in Europe. 61 students on academic mobility were financed during their stay (with a complement of the Regional or Institute Scholarship concerning social criteria scholars), as well as 14 internships and 15 training or teaching mobility ACTIVITIES The mobility concerns 89 EXCHANGE AGREEMENTS which strategic importance is analyzed by the Partnership commission. This mobility takes place within a MOBILITY WINDOW DURING THE M.Sc : Study mobility (during the 8th or 9th semester) - Internship mobility (2- 3 months at the 8th semester or 5-6 months during the 10th semester). This international mobility is encouraged by an accurate training in 2 foreign languages, and by the multicultural aspect of Montpellier SupAgro (25% of students are foreigners). The updating and the clarity of the INFORMATION PROVIDED TO OUR PARTNERS or to potential OUTGOING STUDENTS concerning: the training offer at SupAgro and in our partner institutes, the students‘ eligibility and selection criteria, as well as the computer tools available to help the students and the strengths of our institute, stand as a key issue (ex. remaking of our Website). Moreover, the MOBILITY FORUM permits our outgoing candidates to meet incoming students as well as the students who realized an international exchange, in order to exchange about academic and practical aspects of mobility. A teacher researcher (tutor) validates the study contract and its possible modifications. Academic Mobility applications are analyzed during the INCOMING/ OUTGOING COMMISSIONS; students are selected regarding to their academic records, their language skills and their motivation. INTERNSHIP MOBILITY is encouraged thanks to network of partner enterprises and a database of the internships which were done by the students; this mobility is validated by a teaching manager. The Mobility team GUIDES and FOLLOWS UP THE OUTGOING AND INCOMING STUDENTS from the beginning and all over their mobility and remains their main contact. The mobility team also helps the students to find an internship. During this period, the student is followed by both a tutor from Montpellier SupAgro and a tutor from his internship’ institute. Moreover, INCOMING STUDENTS are guided by Montpellier SupAgro students (buddies) that welcome and help them during their installation. Free courses of French are offered (intensive courses and weekly ones), as well as a fee-based Summer Campus. Incoming students are considered as regular students, although the Institute agrees to help them at some point. (ex. the exams can be taken in their mother tongue, if possible). The STT and STA missions are organized in close collaboration with the SRIL, thus enhancing the “partnership” aspect of mobility activities. IMPACT The international mobility allows students to discover new teaching methods and impacts on their language skills, autonomy, self-confidence and mind opening; it permits to create a professional network and stands as a determining factor concerning their future employment. As our partners are really interested by our students‘ skills, these exchanges help to make Montpellier SupAgro more attractive and promote the French agro food training at an international scale. Staff mobility, as well as the internships realized by foreign students in our joint research units permit to implement new partnerships, to develop joint research projects and to set up more accurate relations such as the double-degrees. Finally, our involvement in the Erasmus + program and the comparison of our practice with our partners lead us to reconsider and improve our policy. PERSPECTIVES Regarding the numerous advantages of international mobility, Montpellier SupAgro made it compulsory for students, through an academic or internship mobility of at least 3 months. A particular effort is made regarding the internationalization of the training offer (courses provided in English), in order to balance the exchanges with our English speaking partner universities, which are often chose by our students.
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