Alliance 4 Universities continues funding academic mobility with Russian universities

Alianza 4 Universidades (A4U) has secured 59.150,00€ of Erasmus+ funding in 2019 round of awards. These funds will help continue student and staff exchange between 4 universities members of A4U (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona) and 8 Russian partner universities*. Since 2 015 A 4U was able to fund exchanges of 166 staff and students through Erasmus+ programme, with 17 more being planned for 2020-2021 academic year.

As a result of the exchange, students improve their language and inter-cultural skills, increase their confidence and gain international experience that counts towards their qualification. A research stay abroad can help doctoral students jumpstart their career.

Viktoriia Khodyreva, a Bachelor student in Applied Mathematics and Informatics a t Higher School of Economics spent a semester studying at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. She says: “Erasmus de finitely helped me to become more confident academically. I had an opportunity to study in a different environment, to try new courses and to experience life abroad. What is more, I made good contacts useful in my career and while travelling: I have friends all over the world”.

Staff also benefit from exchange as they learn and share best practice and have a chance to have a first-hand experience of a different educational system.

Dr Maxim Anikeev, a Lecturer in Computer Security at Southern Federal University in Rostov-on-Don who visited Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, says: “Delivering classes abroad is a great experience. I would totally recommend it to all university teachers. This is a chance to bring y our teaching materials to an audience with an unfamiliar background. This is also a great insight into the higher education system of another country. I established contacts with several colleagues from UAB and hope we will have a chance to submit a joint grant proposal.”

Through Erasmus+ programme participating universities have opportunities to forge cooperation in teaching and research, attract talent and increase the number of international students and staff, which in turn contributes to their diversity and internationalisation.

Check more Erasmus+ stories of exchange participants with Russia on http://alliance4universities.eu/en/erasmus-stories/

*Russian partner universities include:

  1. Lomonosov Moscow State University
  2. Higher School of Economics
  3. Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA)
  4. Moscow Power Engineering Institute
  5. Russian State University for the Humanities
  6. North-West Institute of Management branch of RANEPA (St. Petersburg)
  7. St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University
  8. Southern Federal University.

Additional information:

  1. About Alianza 4 Universidades:

Alianza 4 Universities (A4U) is a strategic association of four Spanish public universities: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. A4U has been securing funding for Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility programme since 2015. A4U runs Erasmus+ exchanges with leading universities in Russia, South Africa, Iran, India and Indonesia. For more information visit http://alliance4universities.eu/en/mobility-scholarships/ and http://alliance4universities.eu/en/erasmus-grants-for-non-european-mobility/

  1. About Erasmus:

Erasmus+ is the European Union programme for more than 4 million young people to study, gain work experience or volunteer abroad. Erasmus+ is designed to modernise education, training, youth work and sport across Europe, through strategic partnerships and through opportunities for staff and professionals to train or exchange experience. The current programme runs from 2014-2020 with a budget of €14. 7 billion across Europe. The programme is managed in Spain by the Spanish National Agency http://www.sepie.es