Erasmus Plus Programme

2.1Credit Mobility (KA107)

Erasmus+ opens  opportunities to students and staff from other parts of the world.

 

Under international credit mobility, a HEI in a Partner Country can send its students, doctoral candidates or staff to a partner HEI in a Programme Country, and vice versa. Students or doctoral candidates are able to study abroad for a limited period of 3 to 12 months for which credits are obtained. After the mobility phase, the students return to their sending institution to complete their studies. Similarly, staff can spend a teaching and/or training period abroad between 5 days and 2 months. 

 

Programme Countries are those countries participating fully in the Erasmus+ programme. To do so, they have set up a National Agency and contribute financially to the programme. The 33 Programme Countries are: The 28 EU Member States, and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey.

 

Partner Countries are all the other countries in the world, grouped together in different regions. Not all Partner Countries are eligible for international credit mobility. Switzerland, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, the Vatican City State, as well as Iran, Iraq, Yemen and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates) are not eligible for international credit mobility.

 

For a list of eligible Partner Countries, please refer to pp.23-24 of the Erasmus+ Programme Guide.

The budget available for mobility between Programme and Partner Countries is divided between different regions. The different regions of the world are prioritised, meaning that some regions benefit from larger budget envelopes, funding more mobilities.

 

The regions with the biggest budgets include the EU's neighbouring countries (East and South), Asia and Central Asia, and the Western Balkans. The regions with smaller budgets include Latin America, African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, the industrialised Americas and industrialised Asia, and South Africa.  South Africa is in Region 10.

 

Further information on the amounts available under each budgetary envelope will be published on the National Agency's website.

http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/contact_en

 

HEIs are encouraged to work with partners in the poorest and least developed Partner Countries. Outgoing mobility of European students to  South Africa and other African, Caribbean and Pacific countries cannot be funded by the EU's external cooperation budget. Outgoing mobility from Europe can therefore only be at doctoral level and for staff. There will however be a few exceptions for students. and staff from certain Programme Countries. Please check your National Agency's website.

http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/contact_en#tab-1-0

 

International credit mobility is only possible between a HEI or a consortium established in a Programme Country and a HEI established in a Partner Country.

 

International credit mobility is open to participants from HEIs established in Programme and Partner Countries. The application form, however, can only be filled in and submitted by a HEI from a Programme Country on behalf of the partners.

 

The applicant Programme Country HEI will need to hold an Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE)  

https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-plus/funding/erasmus-charter-for-higher-education-2014-2020_en

 

See p.35 of the Erasmus+ Programme Guide

http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/resources_en

for more information on eligibility criteria. A HEI from a Programme Country can only submit one application form for international credit mobility as an individual institution, covering all the Partner Country HEIs it intends to work with.

Agreements for international credit mobility can only be signed between institutions in two countries, one Programme Country and one Partner Country.

 

HEIs can apply every year, regardless of whether they have already secured funding for a given project, and each year the application will be evaluated strictly on its merits. In principle, there will only be one round of applications per year for international credit mobility.

 

If, however, funds are left over from the first round of applications, another round of applications may be organised under the same call for proposals. Applications will be limited to those regions for which funds are still available after the first round of applications. Potential applicants will have to consult their National Agency's website to find out whether or not their country will participate in this second round, and with which regions of the world they can apply for mobility projects.

 

The applicant will be asked to enter the name(s) of the partner higher education institutions it intends to work with for each Partner Country. The applicant will have to explain why the planned mobility project is relevant to the internationalisation strategy of both higher education institutions (from the Programme and Partner Country), detail previous cooperation with that and other higher education institutions in the Partner Country, and describe the impact of the project on the partner institution.

 

The application form will be attached to the grant agreement between the higher education institution from the Programme Country and the National Agency, and will therefore become legally binding.

 

The inter-institutional agreement does not need to be signed at application stage. However, the agreement must be signed at the latest before the start of the mobility period. The partner institutions are nevertheless encouraged to discuss the content of the agreement while preparing the project application.

 

For reporting purposes, the Partner Country HEI will need a 9-digit Participant Identification Code (PIC) unique to their institution. The Partner Country HEI will need a PIC as soon as they have been selected, and in any case before the start of the mobility. This PIC will then have to be communicated to the Programme Country HEI before they can start reporting on the mobility. Please note that no PIC will be required at application stage for the Partner Country institution. The University of Pretoria’s PIC number is 999861645.

Recommendation: Erasmus Plus Credit Mobility agreements are normally negotiated in advance by specific disciplines due to the limited nature of scholarships. Before you attempt to apply please contact the Manager: Erasmus Plus programmes at UP  Ms Louise Euthimiou, email: [email protected] or telnr 012 420 3237  or arrange an appointment to further discuss the available options.