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

Cardiff University is already an international organisation. We attract a geographically diverse range of staff and students; collaborate with institutions, governments and businesses worldwide; and conduct research that is proven to have global significance and impact, host international conferences and have staff that win international prizes. Cardiff University has been involved in the Erasmus+ programme since the Programme was first established in 1987. As an institution we have 280 Inter-Institutional partnerships with universities across 26 countries throughout Europe. Cardiff University's involvement in the Erasmus+ programme contributes to the University's strategic vision to become a consistent world top 100 university, and to be recognised as an international university of benefit to Wales, as laid out in the University's strategic plan, "The Way Forward". The University has identified greater international engagement as crucial to this, with a target of ensuring that by 2017, 17% of our home students will have studied, worked or volunteered abroad for at least a month during their time at Cardiff. A wider aim of Cardiff's International and Engagement strategy is to make a positive contribution to the international development of higher education, working with our partners to play a crucial role in tackling some of the biggest global issues of today and of the future, through research collaboration, exchange of curricula knowledge and ideas and exchange of staff and students. Involvement in the Erasmus+ programme is directly linked to achieving this objective. The University?s Internationalisation Strategy is informed by and supports the Welsh Government?s International Agenda, which aims to help Wales compete on an international stage. There is a growing awareness that we need to enhance international recognition of our excellence in research and education. We need to ensure that our students are suitably equipped with international experiences to succeed in the increasingly globalised environment and to meet the needs of graduate employers; we need to maximise the impact of our research for society throughout the world. Partnerships, such as those forged through the Erasmus+ programme, will be critical to developing our international activities and to enhancing our international reputation. Traditionally we have welcomed to Cardiff University far higher numbers of students than we have sent to partners. Our goal is to address this balance, and to promote outward mobility to students and staff across all academic Schools, and in line with the University's international strategy. During the first year of the Erasmus+ programme, a total of 350 participants have taken part, including Student Mobility for Study, Student Mobility for Traineeships and Staff Mobility for Teaching and Training. During 2014-2015 a total of 330 students have participated on the Erasmus+ programme. 233 students from 14 academic Schools took part in Study placements in 12 countries; 97 students from 10 academic School) took part in Traineeships in 16 countries. 17 academic members of staff took part in Teaching mobility across 10 countries; 3 staff took part in Traineeships in 3 countries. The Global Opportunity Centre was launched in June 2014 to provide services to students, staff and partners, and to implement the University?s international mobility strategy and help attain University and College targets. The Centre represents a source of expertise and knowledge in relation to European Exchange at Cardiff University. Staff have a wealth of experience of working with the Erasmus programme and over recent years resources have been dedicated to increase involvement in the Erasmus+ programme from a wider range of academic Schools, not just those Schools where traditionally students go abroad. This year, more Schools than ever have been involved in the Programme, and the general trend is pleasing. We have seen a shift from students taking part in Study placements to more students taking part in Traineeships. From 2007 the number of students participating in Traineeships has leapt from 3 participants to 97 in 2014/15. This is largely due to support from academic Schools, increased flexibility of degree programmes to allow for periods of mobility abroad, as well as engaging with shorter-term (8 week) Traineeships over the summer holiday. Cardiff University will continue to develop the breadth and depth of our relationships through the Erasmus+ programme. We have recently been successful in securing funds for student and staff mobility between Programme and Partner Countries (KA107 International Credit Mobility). This success demonstrates the University's commitment to both student and staff mobility and the internationalisation of the University community; as well as our continued commitment to develop alongside the Erasmus+ programme.
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