Erasmus Policy Statement

The Erasmus Charter awarded to the University of Derby by the European Commission.

Our commitment

The University of Derby is committed to a process of internationalisation of all aspects of its work, recognising the significant benefits of such an approach.

Through the implementation of a comprehensive approach to internationalisation, the University expects:

Student experience

That effective engagement with students from around the world will enrich the curriculum, broaden the learning experience, and bring benefits to all our students.

Profile

That the recruitment of high-calibre students from home, the EU and from countries outside the EU and engagement with high quality partners across the globe will enable the University to further enhance its reputation and further raise its profile.

Relevance

That a deep engagement with internationalisation ensures that the experience of both students and staff is kept relevant to an increasingly globalised but diverse community. Moreover, our commitment to internationalisation will make a positive contribution to employment prospects and, where relevant, employment mobility.

Sustainability

That steady commitment to its work in internationalisation will help the University to maintain its strong position and will support a strategy of continuing investment in the student and staff experience, while at the same time ensuring that in our international work we pay particular regard to the impact on the environment and wider global issues.

Our work with partners

Working in partnership with other organisations/institutions is fundamental to the way in which we meet our strategic aims of promoting participation in higher and further education, contributing to regional economic growth and strengthening the internationalism of the University.

The scope of partnership activity is diverse and ranges from working with partners to increase access to further and higher education, through to collaborative ventures whereby the University enters into a formal partnership with an organisation/institution to meet educational needs.

As part of its Partnership strategy, the University of Derby invests in the research, identification and development of partnerships with counter-part EU and non-EU institutions. In order to filter and prioritise partnership development activity, the University works within the national audit frameworks provided by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA). Derby also uses an internal pathway system which includes quality and audit ‘gateways’. These gateways require the provision and approval of documentation and evidence which is supplementary to the QAA process and which has been developed to comply with internal audit requirements. The process also ensures institutional visibility.

Choice of partners

Partners are chosen using various criteria, including:

• Strategic fit of the partner with the mission of the University and our overarching value that puts students at the heart of everything we do
• Collateral value of the collaboration for both the University and the partner
• Match with faculty academic modules and priorities
• Match with staff mobility priorities
• Match with student learning priorities
• Availability of student support mechanisms, such as language tuition, assistance with accommodation and pastoral care

Geographical focus

University of Derby partnerships are drawn currently from wider Europe, including Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Sweden.

Part of the University focus is to encourage development of partnerships with institutions in countries where academic development and modernisation are priority factors contributing to socio-economic development. Wider development activity currently includes Latin America (in particular Brazil), Middle East (in particular Qatar) and Far East (in particular Vietnam, China and Malaysia).

Objectives and priorities

Staff who participate on Erasmus international mobility activities are expected to:

• Learn from different environmental challenges, such as classroom capacities and resourcing
• Experience the challenge of working with diverse cultures, ethnicities and faith groups
• Research and identify areas of best practice for exchange and development of teaching technique and classroom practice

Students who participate on Erasmus mobility programmes are expected to:

• Learn and benefit from alternative approaches to programme delivery
• Develop a deeper understanding of different cultures and traditions
• Build lasting personal relationships with counter-part students overseas, thereby making a positive contribution to the establishment of a stable civil society