Expanding academic and cultural horizons across CHARM-EU universities.
Semester mobility is a key initiative within the CHARM-EU Mobility Network, designed to foster international collaboration and enhance academic experiences. By allowing students to spend a term or a full academic year at a partner university, this initiative strengthens institutional ties, enriches classroom discussions, and broadens students’ academic and cultural perspectives. Even if the general Erasmus-rules always apply, CHARM-EU mobility offers greater flexibility in course selection and enhances advisory support through close collaboration between partner institutions. This initiative is an essential part of CHARM-EU’s commitment to internationalization, benefiting students, academic staff, and universities alike.
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The CHARM-EU semester mobility program is part of a broader effort to enhance international learning and institutional collaboration across the alliance. This program is built on a Multilateral inter-institutional agreement (MIIA), allowing students to study at partner institutions without the typical subject-area limitations of Erasmus+ agreements. The program is designed to increase accessibility across a wide range of disciplines. It is based on the Erasmus+ Key Action 131, meaning that the standard Erasmus rules apply as implemented at the respective home institution of the students.
For institutions, semester mobility strengthens international networks and enriches the academic environment by integrating diverse perspectives into the classroom. Increased student mobility also enhances the visibility and reputation of CHARM-EU partner universities. Academic staff benefit from stronger cross-institutional collaborations, fostering knowledge exchange and the potential for joint research opportunities.
To improve student mobility experiences, CHARM-EU is actively working on key initiatives, including the development of standardized course packages for easier credit recognition, simplified application processes, and enhanced support systems. To achieve these goals, a special staff training format has been designed for central or faculty-based administrative units in charge of advising students on mobility options.
For students who are unable to participate in physical semester mobility, CHARM-EU offers a selection of courses in its Transnational Online Learning (TOL) Catalogue. This initiative provides students with access to hybrid and online courses from CHARM-EU partner institutions, allowing them to engage with international academic content, collaborate with peers across Europe, and enhance their academic portfolios without the need for travel. For more information, visit the Transnational Online Learning webpage.
SOMETHING FOR YOU TOO? EXPLORE THE OPPORTUNITIES!
If you are looking to engage students in this dynamic mobility initiative, several resources and guides are available to help you through the process. For international coordinators, student advisors, and academic staff interested in supporting or contributing to this initiative, a range of supporting materials and a handbook are accessible on the CHARM-EU website.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO CARRY OUT A SIMILAR PROCESS YOURSELF? SEE OUR GUIDES!
| Step | Action | Who Should Be Involved? | Resources / Support |
| Step 1 | Understand the semester mobility framework. Familiarize yourself with the details of the CHARM-EU semester mobility program, including eligibility criteria, and the requirements set by the partners. Review the documents connected to the Multilateral Inter-institutional Agreement (MIIA) and the pre-defined quotas for student exchanges. | International coordinators, academic staff | CHARM-EU Mobility Handbook Bilateral or Multilateral Agreement Guide Multilateral IIA template instructions Multilateral IIA template Endorsement letter template Multilateral IIA factsheet template |
| Step 2 | Ensure that the Multilateral Inter-Institutional Agreement (MIIA) is included in your university’s system for managing Erasmus agreements. Some universities operate the Erasmus program through a central Erasmus or International Office. Other universities use a decentralised approach, where each faculty is responsible for their own specific agreements. Make sure that the MIIA is integrated into the regular central or decentral processes at your institution, such as calls, databases etc. | ERASMUS coordinators, EWP-coordinators at your institution, International Office staff | According to the conditions and requirements outlined by the partners in common fact sheet. |
| Step 3 | Promote the semester mobility program to students. Share information about the semester mobility program with potential participants. Highlight the opportunities available at partner universities, the benefits of international exchange, and the steps for applying. Provide guidance on selecting courses and preparing for the mobility experience. Internal tool: centrally collect promotional materials from all partners in order to support mutual promotion among members. Promotional material could be flyers, photos or videos your partners provide for promoting their university. It could also include short testimonials from students who have studied at your partner- institution or links to their specific websites for incoming students. | Student Advisors, Outgoing Coordinators, Central and / or decentral International Office Staff, faculty | CHARM-EU Mobility Portal Support Contacts |
| Step 4 | Follow your institution’s standard internal Erasmus+ regulations and procedures for student mobility. Every HEI institution participating in the Erasmus+ student mobility scheme has established processes to facilitate student exchange in accordance with EU guidelines and regulations. The semester mobility program of the CHARM-EU Alliance is subject to the same regulations and is integrated into the standard procedures of each participating university. Accordingly, students on a semester mobility to a CHARM-EU partner university must follow the same application procedures as any other Erasmus student. All other Erasmus rules also apply, i.e. those relating to credit recognition, monthly grants, and the support provided to the students. This ensures that all students from our institution participating in an Erasmus mobility scheme are treated equally. It also allows each of the CHARM-EU partners to maintain their own processes and to make use of the flexibility granted by the Erasmus program to participating universities. | International/Erasmus Office Staff | Mapping Erasmus+ top-ups in CHARM-EU |
| Step 5 | Evaluate and gather feedback. After the mobility period, collect feedback from students and academic staff to evaluate the success of the exchange. Use this feedback to refine and improve the semester mobility program for future participants. | International coordinators, academic staff, students |
