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Erasmus Mundus Down Under
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Left to right (back): Inês Proença, Jeannet van der Lee (CHEMP), Alicia Betts. Left to right (front): Harry de Boer, Leo Goedegebuure (CHEMP), Sara Diogo, Renata Radvanska |
Recently the Centre for Higher Education Management and Policy (CHEMP) at the University of New England hosted 4 European students and a visiting scholar under the Erasmus Mundus Action 3 European Community Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration. The programme was established to engage the rapidly intensifying global connectedness of the practice of higher education as well as to promote higher education as a field of study. Follow this link for further information.
Ms Inês Maria de Matos Proença (Portugal), Ms Alicia Betts (Spain), Ms Sara Margarida Alpendre Diogo (Portugal), and Ms Renata Radvanska (Slovakia) arrived in a wintery Armidale in early June to further the conceptual work on their respective theses for the Master of Higher Education in which they are enrolled through the University of Oslo.
Ms Betts commented that “As my current interests lie in internationalisation of higher education policies, Australia met my academic interests perfectly with its long tradition in internationalisation and active foreign student recruitment.”
During their one-month visit they were able to further focus their thesis proposals, with the guidance of Associate Professor Leo Goedegebuure and Dr Harry de Boer the Erasmus Mundus visting scholar from the Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS) at the University of Twente in the Netherlands.
“Undoubtedly, this has been the most intensive month of the program, in all senses” said Ms Diogo from Portugal. “First of all, the idea of being in Australia is just extraordinary! Everyday I am surrounded by beautiful nature, animals that I’ve never seen, extremely nice people, a house that made our days in Armidale much more funny and lively, and… of course, the pressure of the assignment.”
Aside from the academic focus of their visit, the students were given the opportunity to experience the beautiful landscapes of the New England with a bushwalk in the World Heritage listed New England National Park followed by a traditional Aussie barbeque at Ebor Falls.
Visits were also arranged with leading higher education researchers at The University of Melbourne, including Professor Lynn Meek, Director of the LH Martin Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Management and Professor Simon Marginson of the Centre for the Study of Higher Education.
Since August last year they have studied at the University of Oslo in Norway and the University of Tampere in Finland in a class of around 30 students from across the globe. They will now travel to the University of Aveiro in Portugal to finish their course work component after a well earned “summer” holiday. They will then each be assigned to one of the 3 European universities in order to complete the thesis component of the Masters programme.
Ms Ines Proença commented that “this programme is very much related to networking and research, and we have the opportunity of adapting to different countries and environments. And of course, even if there is much to study, there's always time for great fun, be it a trip around the Oslo fiords, swimming in a freezing lake in Finland, a nice day of beach in a sunny Portugal (hopefully next semester) or… seeing Kangaroos and Koalas on campus in Australia”.
Erasmus Mundus is a European Commission €230 million ($385 million) co-operation and mobility flagship programme which promotes the EU as a centre of excellence in learning around the world and is intended to rival the USA Fulbright programme by the end of its first phase. Through the promotion of international mobility of scholars and students, Erasmus Mundus prepares European and non-European participants for life in a global, knowledge-based society.
“Thanks to the Erasmus Mundus scholarship I have been able to profit academically from high profile professors and administration staff both at the University of New England and the University of Melbourne with its newly founded Martin Institute. As the slogan goes, the UNE (and Australian) experience stays with you for life!” said Miss Betts.
Some personal reflections on Erasmus Mundus and a month in Australia
Sara Diogo
Almost one year passed since I arrived to Norway, in August 2008. By that time I was far from imagining everything that was waiting for me. After the beautiful city of Oslo, the peaceful moments in Tampere, it is time to get to know a little bit of the other side of the world!
I’m in Australia now, with three European colleagues and it is really difficult to find the right words to describe the moments we’ve spent here. Undoubtedly, this has been the most intensive month of the program, in all senses.
First of all, the idea of being in Australia is just extraordinary! Everyday I am surrounded by beautiful nature, animals that I’ve never seen, extremely nice people, a house that made our days in Armidale much more funny and lively, and… of course, the pressure of the assignment. Actually, as the paper we had to prepare was related with our topics, I would say we had extra motivation to work on it.
Professor Leo and Jeannet have been “spoiling” us with all the attention and activities they prepared. They took us to Melbourne, Canberra and Terrigal. During that week, we had the opportunity to see some faces behind the articles we read (Prof. Dr. Lynn Meek and Prof. Dr. Simon Marginson), to reflect upon our thesis topics, and enjoy the splendid Australian landscapes while listening the best music I could ever ask! I feel that, as much as I write, it’s impossible to portray all the kindness and sympathy we were treated throughout our stay here. I could say something like, “Jeannet, I’m so happy!”, but that wouldn’t be new… So, I’ll continue my flight. As an aussie girl sings “I'm going north, up where the answers fall like leaves” (Missy Higgins).ß
Alicia Betts
Sometimes, miraculously, one happens to be in the right place at the right time. I happened to be in the right position where I worked at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain) at the time when the offer of scholarships for European citizens for the Erasmus Mundus European Master in Higher Education (HEEM) arrived. I had previously seen the curriculum of the HEEM programme but without a scholarship I could never afford it. Therefore, when I saw the opportunity of a scholarship I immediately applied and… received a positive answer soon after!
I packed my bags a few months later leaving behind a job that I enjoyed, my friends, family, my partner… to begin a new life as a European “nomad”. The HEEM programme is structured so students spend one semester in each of the partner institutions: University of Oslo (Norway), University of Tampere (Finland) and University of Aveiro (Portugal).
The European Commission awards scholarships for European students in Erasmus Mundus programmes to spend a short period in a non-European institution with which the programme has an agreement. In our case we could choose between the University of New England and a university in Tokyo (Japan).
As my current interests lie in internationalisation of higher education policies, Australia met my academic interests perfectly with its long tradition in internationalisation and active foreign student recruitment.
At a personal level (which is also a factor to be considered), I had always wanted to visit Australia with its enormous distances, beautiful nature, breathtaking beaches, big skies… What could be a better way of getting to know this fascinating country than integrating into the university life?
Thanks to the Erasmus Mundus scholarship I have been able to profit academically from high profile professors and administration staff both at the University of New England and the University of Melbourne with its newly founded Martin Institute. As the slogan goes, the UNE (and Australian) experience stays with you for life!
Inês Proença
One year ago I was far from knowing what an amazing experience was waiting for me. When I was accepted in the Erasmus Mundus Master I was awarded with an opportunity to study, travel, and get to know friends from all over the world. The multi-cultural environment in class is very interesting and the diversity in terms of opinions, different perspectives and different cultures has broadened my own way of seeing the world and the issues related to Higher Education.
Our professors also come from different parts of the planet and it is very usual for us to have seminars with visiting scholars. This programme is very much related to networking and research, and we have the opportunity of adapting to different countries and environments. And of course, even if there is much to study, there's always time for great fun, be it a trip around the Oslo fiords, swimming in a frozen lake in Finland, a nice day of beach in a sunny Portugal (hopefully next semester) or… seeing Kangaroos and Koalas on campus in Australia! As a European student I got this great chance of coming and studying for one month in Australia, which is the "trip of my life". Academically it has been a wonderful experience because we could develop work related to our thesis topics and this has helped me a lot clarifying my ideas. The work environment is excellent and people are very nice and helpful. Our "Aussie" experience has been amazing, studying near all the nature, those animals that usually I can only see on documentaries or in a zoo, visiting Melbourne and Canberra… sometimes words are just not enough.
This experience has allowed me to discover new worlds I have never imagined before and has been a very important step in my life.
Renata Radvanska
To talk about my study trip at UNE I have to first describe circumstances that led me to Armidale where UNE is seated. It all happened thanks to a study programme – Erasmus Mundus which I take part on. It is an action of European Union offering students to study at three different higher education institutions (at least) while they are pursuing their master degree. There is a wide range of majors one can study and countries that students visit. In my case, with Higher Education as major, I spent the first semester in Oslo, Norway, the second one in Tampere, Finland, and the third one I am about to be in Aveiro, Portugal. Moreover, I have been also offered a possibility to participate on a one-month study trip in Armidale, at UNE. And that is simply how got here.
During this month I had an excellent opportunity to work on the topic of my diploma thesis, which deals with sustainable development in relation with higher education. The concept of sustainable development was elaborated by UNESCO. It represents development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It involves economic, environmental, social and cultural dimension of development. Some of significant actors within society responsible for an application of these principles are higher education institutions. It is of my particular interest to investigate how this application is processed at institutions of higher education. Of course, there is still long way to go, but at least I was able to grasp a concept of sustainable development during my stay at UNE.
But my account would not be complete if I did not mention other aspects of my study trip. Indeed, it was not only an academic experience that is worthy mentioning. It was thanks to an effort of our professor Leo Goedegebuure and administrator Jeannet van der Lee that my adaptation to new surroundings passed so smoothly. And together with my friends – other classmates we have made up something like a family. It made me feel very homelike and comfortable. So, thank you Leo and Jeannet for this wonderful experience.
Erasmus Mundus - Action 3 Partnership Program 2005
CHEMP and the University of New England are participants in a successful bid to establish a partnership under the Erasmus Mundus Action 3 European Community Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration. The partnership is with three European universities and one Japanese university and is for three years commencing the second half of 2005. This initiative follows the selection earlier in the year of Professor Lynn Meek, the Director of UNE’s Centre for Higher Education Management and Policy, for a three month Erasmus Mundus Action 2 Scholarship to conduct teaching and research at selected European universities. UNE is one of only four Australian universities participating in the nine world-wide consortium partnerships selected by the European Commission in 2005. Other partnerships include Adapted Physical Activity; Media, Communication and Cultural Studies; Water and Coastal Management; Global Studies; and International Health.
Erasmus Mundus is a European Commission €230 million ($385 million) co-operation and mobility flagship programme in the field of higher education which promotes the EU as a centre of excellence in leaning around the world and is intended to rival the USA Fulbright programme by the end of its first phase. Through the promotion of international mobility of scholars and students, Erasmus Mundus prepares European and non-European participants for life in a global, knowledge-based society.
The programme strengthens European co-operation and international links in higher education through the support of European Masters Courses (high-quality integrated courses at masters level offered by a consortium of at least three universities in at least three different European countries); by enabling students and visiting scholars from around the world to engage in these Masters Courses; and by supporting the outgoing mobility of European students and scholars towards third countries through the Action 3 Partnership Programme.
The Action 3 Partnership in which UNE is a participant is the Erasmus Mundus International Network for Higher Education Studies (INHES). The partnership has been established to engage the rapidly intensifying global connectedness of the practice of higher education as well as to promote higher education as a field of studies. In 2005, Ms Ragnfrid Lie and Mari Elken (pictured) from the University of Oslo were the first participants to visit CHEMP as part of the Action 3 Program. Click here to find out more about their Australian experience.
The main objectives of the partnership are first to offer European students the possibility to gain first-hand knowledge on latest developments in Asian and Australian higher education, and second to further develop a well established research cooperation with the two universities involved by including a teacher / student mobility dimension. The partnership involves the Universities of Aveiro (Portugal), Oslo (Norway), and Tampere (Finland) in Europe, the University of New England (UNE, Armidale) in Australia, and Obirin University (OU, Tokyo) in Japan.
The main partnership activities are: offering courses to European students on specific aspects of Asian/Japanese and Australian higher education; offering courses to Japanese and Australian students on specific aspects of European higher education; further developing the cooperation between the participating institutions by institutionalizing the teaching cooperation and strengthening the research cooperation; and making higher education studies more visible and better established as a field of studies in its own right. The selected European Masters Degree in Higher Education students (approximately 15 students per year) will spend a period of 4 to 6 weeks at either UNE or OU or both. In addition, three European scholars per annum will visit UNE or OU for a period of between 2 to 6 weeks. The students are selected on the basis of their academic record and motivation. The European scholars visiting UNE or OU will teach courses; offer seminars to students, academic staff, as well as external stakeholders; assist in supervising students; and be involved in actual research projects, or assist in setting up new research projects.
For further information on Erasmus Mundus visit:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/mundus/index_en.html