UNIBO has large expertise in the organization and implementation of academic mobility, students and staff, and management of mobility schemes. UNIBO has participated in the Erasmus program since its very beginning gaining 30 years’ experience of managing mobility flows in Europe and tackling the challenges the Bologna process proposed in terms of harmonization of HE systems, credits systems, recognition, etc. UNIBO has a central International Relations Office of around 40 people (permanent and non-permanent staff). Among other tasks and responsibilities, the IRO takes care of management aspects of mobility flows. The office has developed on the experience gained in the contexts described below high-level services to manage incoming and outgoing mobility, including pre-departure preparation, welcome services, etc. Moreover, UNIBO has been a very active institution under the Erasmus Mundus Action 2 programme gaining strong capacity in the design and management of mobility schemes realized by multilateral consortia and through big budgets (4mln €). UNIBO was a very active institution in former Lifelong Learning Programme, ALFA and TEMPUS programmes and is currently active within the Erasmus+ programme, including KA2 Capacity Building in the Field of Higher Education, (https://www.unibo.it/en/international/european-projects-of-education-and-training) developing strong experience in the management of EU projects.

In 2018 UNIBO has been first in Europe in terms of mobility flows under the Erasmus+ program (2.776 outgoing students; 2.231 incoming students). UNIBO has more than 200 general bilateral agreements with partner universities outside the EU and has its own flagship program to send out its students to spend an academic mobility abroad through which around 400 students are sent every academic year and more than 800 incoming students are received. UNIBO actively participated since its beginning to the Erasmus Mundus Action 2 programme and previous External Cooperation Window programme. In this framework UNIBO has joined, as a partner, 49 projects and has coordinated 4 projects that have been successfully implemented. Since 2019 UNIBO is the EU technical partner of the Education in Laser based Manufacturing Intra-Africa project.

The Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences has long-standing experience on management of research and educational projects both on a national and international level as supported by the participation to several projects and international cooperation programs which include collaboration with international universities within the Erasmus program or other exchange and research programs involving students and staff members. The Department is involved in Europlanet RI2024 (a research infrastructure for planetary scientists), Erasmus+ (e.g., UNIBO-UNIMekelle), as courses in Astrobiology and Planetary Sciences, and active Lab. in Astrobiology and Geomicrobiology.

Local coordinator:

Prof. Barbara Cavalazzi
BiGeA Department, Università di Bologna
Via Zamboni 97, Bologna
Italy
Email Address: barbara.cavalazzi@unibo.it