This year, with the help of the Erasmus+ KA1 programme, students of Lviv Polytechnic National University studied in different countries, including: Poland, Estonia, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, Italy, Sweden, Finland, the Republic of Cyprus, France and Spain.
We have interviewed Lesia Brych, a leading specialist at the Center for International Education, who is responsible for the Erasmus+ KA1 programme at Lviv Polytechnic. She told about the importance of academic mobility, the specifics for boys going abroad under this programme, and who can take part in it to try their own strength and, perhaps, finally realize their dream.
– Thanks to inter-institutional agreements under the Erasmus+ KA1 programme concluded by the Center for International Education and the University Departments, students and postgraduate students of Lviv Polytechnic completed one semester studying at partner universities; and academics held lectures and participated in trainings under this programme. We cannot yet specify the exact number of academic mobility participants for 2023, but according to my calculations, it is about 60 students and more than 100 academics, said Lesia Brych.
According to the specialist of the Center for International Education, our University has more than 80 agreements under the Erasmus+ KA1 programme. Among the new educational institutions with which Lviv Polytechnic has recently began to cooperate under this programme there are partner universities in Greece (Panteion University Greece), Austria (Internationale Hochschule GmbH (Insbruk)), the Netherlands (Inholland University of Applied Sciences), Estonia (Tallinn University of Technology), Turkey (Yıldız Technical University), Cyprus (Open University of Cyprus, University of Nicosia), Italy (Università Politecnica delle Marche, University of Trento), Slovenia (Alma Mater Europaea European center Maribor) and Slovakia (Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra).
Participation in the academic mobility programme Erasmus+ KA1 is very important for students, because they have the opportunity to see how the educational process takes place in partner universities in different European countries, as well as to practice their foreign language (not only English, but also the language of the country where they study). Also, studying in another country helps to expand the worldview, find new friends, live in an international environment, and get acquainted with the culture of other countries. Participation in an academic mobility programme is often an added advantage in the job search. But the Erasmus+ KA1 programme for university faculty is no less important.
– For scientific and pedagogical workers, this is an opportunity to gain experience in a new educational environment, to master new innovative pedagogical skills, as well as curriculum development skills and digital skills, to communicate with their colleagues abroad to conduct joint activities in order to achieve the goals of the programme. This is an invaluable exchange of experience and deepening of cooperation between institutions of higher education, – concluded Lesya Brych.
