Erasmus+: funding for the University of Bologna increases as the number of outgoing students grows
European funding for international mobility reaches 6.4 million euros, a 23% increase compared to last year. The first data on the current academic year show that the number of outgoing students is growing.
Europe has rewarded the great results obtained by the University of Bologna in the Erasmus+ programme with funds worth 6.4 million euros to be spent on international mobility, a 1.2 million euro increase (+23%) compared to last year. The announcement was made by the National Agency Erasmus+ INDIRE, which recently valued very positively the University’s management of the Erasmus+ mobility programme.
In a report published by INDIRE a few months ago, the University of Bologna ranked first in Europe for both the number of students going abroad as part of the Erasmus programme (outgoing students) and the number of international students choosing the University as their study destination (incoming students). The success of the programme is the result of the focus that over the years the University of Bologna has put on internationalisation, which has led to partnerships with 700 universities and 500 companies.
The first data on the current academic year show that numbers are still growing: at least 2,955 Unibo students have taken part, or are about to take part, in an international experience (last year they were 2,781), of which 2,403 to study and 596 to carry out internship activities. The most popular study destinations are Spain, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Portugal, while favourite internship destinations are Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium and France.
Data collected by the University of Bologna show that the Erasmus programme has a positive impact on students in more ways than one. Starting from academic results, with an average of 5 credits for every month of international experience. But also in terms of transversal competencies, essential to succeed in today's global world: from language skills to the ability to adapt and cooperate with people coming from different cultures.
These results have recently been confirmed on a large scale by a report from the European Commission. According to a study, 72% of students who have taken part in the Erasmus programme described the experience as useful or very useful to find their first job, while 90% said that they now use the experiences and skills learned abroad at work.