Transnational online learning: Call for students | 2024/2025 Autumn

CHARM-EU is a European University alliance, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme, between the University of Barcelona (coordinator), Trinity College Dublin, Utrecht University, the University of Montpellier,  Eötvös Loránd University Budapest, Åbo Akademi University, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences and the University of Bergen. At CHARM-EU we work together to design and create a new university model to become a world example of good practice to increase the quality, international competitiveness, and attractiveness of the European Higher Education landscape.

CHARM-EU represents a Challenge-Driven, Accessible, Research-based and Mobile model for the co-creation of a European University aligned with the European Values, the European Green Deal and the sustainable development goals (SDGs). This international programme employs innovative pedagogical approaches and mechanisms to engage staff and students of diverse backgrounds and disciplines to facilitate, foster and enhance the links between education, research, and innovation. Furthermore, active engagement with CHARM-EU’s extended network of academic experts and extra-academic actors increases the potential development and employability of our graduates.

By joining the transnational courses offered by CHARM-EU partner universities, you can

• take part in an international learning experience by studying with peers from other countries, backgrounds and disciplines.
• gain experience in international collaboration and connect with other students from around Europe.
• participate in online courses which gives you flexibility to attend from your own home or university.
• earn credits and enhance your academic portfolio in exciting and innovative courses.
• get access to courses that are not available at your home institution.
• increase your future career opportunities by improving your skills and competencies in key areas of employment need.
• learn from acknowledged professors and lecturers from prestigious universities of the CHARM-EU Alliance.
• experience learning online at a CHARM-EU alliance university as a potential stepping stone to future physical mobility.

The majority of the courses in this call are accredited as a core or as an elective course in a Bachelors / Master’s / Doctoral programme at the advertising university.  For most of the courses, students can earn ECTS. Credit recognition will be managed in line with the standard procedures of your home university. Furthermore, the courses:

• are delivered in English or German
• give access to the course materials online in an LMS (Moodle, Teams, Canvas)
• are either fully online (all students are online) or hybrid (regular students are offline, virtual exchange students are online at the same time)
• are delivered either synchronously or asynchronously
• are interactive (students have an opportunity to interact with the course materials, the instructor, and the other students in the class, for example during international group projects, Moodle forums or breakout rooms)
• are in broad study fields but some of them may be related to one of the areas of Sustainability and Climate Change; Transversal skills; Technology and STEM; Entrepreneurship, innovation, and business; as well as European values, culture, and language. 

You can apply for the offered courses if:

• you are a Bachelors, Masters or Doctoral student in one of the following CHARM-EU universities: Åbo Akademi University, Eötvös Loránd University Budapest, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, University of Barcelona, University of Bergen, University of Montpellier, Utrecht University or a CHARM-EU MSc student
• your study advisor/course coordinator agrees that the course is suitable for your study programme
• your background and experience (e.g. language level where relevant) alligns with the requirements of the module.

The deadline to apply for the courses is 1 September 2024, but at least 2 weeks earlier than the start of the course in question. It is suggested to submit the application as soon as possible as the application process for a course will be closed as soon as the number of registrations have reached the set quota.

1. First, take a look at our transnational online catalogue displayed below in this page.

The course catalogue contains the most important data about the courses:

• University / Faculty or Department holding the course
• study level
• language of instruction
• course title
• course code
• name of instructor
• description of the course
• mode of delivery
• learning outcomes
• course requirements
• state and end dates of the course
• contact hours / week
• planned educational activities
• course literature
• assessment methods
• number of places available for CHARM students
• number of credit points.

2. Scan the catalogue and identify any courses that fit your study programme or are of interest to you.

3. Contact your study advisor (i.e. the person responsible for the programme you are currently doing at your university), discuss whether the course is suitable for your programme and clarify whether the course could be taken as a core subject or as an elective one.

4. If your study advisor approves, please complete the Learning Agreement (available for download here) and have it signed by the Erasmus+ coordinator at your faculty / department  (both digital signature and scanned copies of the signed document are acceptable)

If you are a student at Utrecht University, your Learning Agreement does not require a signature from your study advisor. Instead, Mirne van der Cammen (details below) can sign it.

Please note that this Learning Agreement does not yet give you a guarantee for credit transfer towards your own study programme. Credit recognition will be managed in line with the standard procedures of your home university. For details, please turn to the contact person of your university (see details below).

Please note that in case you are in the final semester of your current study programme, the credits obtained may not be counted towards the overall credits of your programme, as credit transfer takes place (in most cases) retrospectively, after the end of the semester / at the beginning of the next semester. In case you are hesitant in this regard, please contact your local registrar’s office.

5. To apply for one of the courses, please fill in the online application form which is available here.

6. At some host universities a selection might apply.  

7. Students whose applications are approved must send the signed Learning Agreement to the contact person of their own university.

After the deadline for applications, we will check all documents and allocate the available places. You can expect to have a final answer by 4 September at the latest, but at least 10 days before the start of the course. Notifications will be sent earlier in those cases where the application process is closed earlier.

After you are admitted, your host institution will onboard you and give you access to the course materials and other things you may need.