Objectives
Project No. 2020-1-BG01-KA103-078434 is funded by the Erasmus+ programme, KA103 of the European Union. The beneficiary of the project is D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics (Svishtov, Bulgaria). The project length was set to 36 months. The implementation period was planned from 01/06/2020 to 31/05/2023. The main quantitative objective of the project was to achieve 80 learning mobilities of students and staff from D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics to higher education institutions and organisations in Programme countries, incl. 30 student mobilities and 50 staff mobilities. Another quantitative objective of the project was to achieve at least 90% of the staff mobilities for training which are dedicated to the development of and/or improvement in pedagogical and/or curriculum design skills. Additional qualitative goals of the project were to provide an environment for improving students’ linguistic, social, cultural and transversal competences (decision making skills, flexibility, etc.), as well as for increasing job satisfaction, language, cultural and social competences, experimenting with new teaching and learning practices, learning from good practices for teaching and content design and delivery, extending the professional network of the staff. On the institutional level, the qualitative goal of the project was to extend the opportunities for international cooperation and collaboration with the partner-universities beyond the framework of the Erasmus+ programme.
Implementation
Project No. 2020-1-BG01-KA103-078434 was implemented from 01/06/2020 to 31/05/2023. Its duration was prolonged from the initially planned 16 months to 36 months, due to the COVID-19 pandemic which blocked the international mobility of students and staff. The total number of the implemented mobility activities was 76, incl. 18 students mobilities and 58 staff mobilities. During the project implementation, two informational events were organised to attract mobility applicants, share mobility experiences, and keep the target audience updated about the opportunities for Erasmus+ mobility abroad. As the project has been implemented during periods of world pandemic, blocked transport, closed borders, full or partial lockdowns in Europe, D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics has organised some calls for applicants under the Erasmus+ programme because many of the initially selected and nominated students and staff have cancelled their mobilities or have not been able to carry out their mobility due to the lost statute and eligibility for participation.
During the period 2020-2023, D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics has updated the conditions and signed (incl. using Erasmus+ Dashboard) inter-institutional agreements under the Erasmus+ programme, KA131 with all the universities it has established a partnership in 2014-2020 Programme period. Its partnership network has been enlarged by including new university-partners from Portugal, Turkiye, Latvia, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy, Greece, Serbia.
During the project implementation, most of the project documents have been digitalised. Application, language diagnostics of the applicants, as well as participants’ reporting have been implemented in a digital form using the functionalities of the MS Forms. E-files of all applicants and participants have been created and uploaded in the OneDrive cloud. All learning mobilities for studies have been designed and administered by OLA and Erasmus+ Dashboard platform. Most the mobilities for traineeships have been designed conventionally on paper, due to technical issues with traineeship functionality of OLA.
From geographic point of view, the mobility flows have been organised between the D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics and partner-universities and organisations from Turkiye (14 exchanges), Italy (7 exchanges), Romania (26 exchanges), Czech Republic (2 обмена), Slovakia (4 exchanges), Portugal (1 exchanges), North Macedonia (3 exchanges), Belgium (1 exchange), Serbia (9 exchanges), Croatia (2 exchanges), Germany (2 exchanges), Spain (5 exchanges).
The gender structure of the mobility participants is relatively balanced. Students’ gender distribution is as follows: 8 females and 10 males. A very positive result of the project is the implementation of 3 mobilities of PhD students. Student traineeships are significantly more than mobilities for studies. 17 of the student mobilities are for traineeships. 33 females and 25 males academic and non-academic staff have taken part in different types of staff mobility activities. 31 of the staff mobilities are for teaching, 27 are for training or job-shadowing.
The project was implemented in the times of COVID-19 pandemic, which totally blocked the international mobility during the autumn of 2020, spring of 2021, caused many cancelations of already organised mobilities (mostly student mobilities for studies), delays in student and staff mobilities from autumn semester of 2021/22 to spring semester of 2021/22, as well as changes in initially approved mobility types (to match the mobility period to the academic calendar of the host university) and mobility flows (due to the differences in the severity of the restrictions and measures for quarantine and/or entering the host country).
Results
Project No. 2020-1-BG01-KA103-078434 consists of 18 outgoing student mobilities, incl. 17 student mobilities for traineeships and 1 student mobility for studies, as well as 58 outgoing staff mobilities, incl. 31 staff mobilities for teaching and 27 staff mobilities for training. All student and staff mobilities have been carried out physically in the host country. 95.00% of the pre-specified quantitative objectives of the project have been achieved. Total number of the implemented mobility activities was 76 out of 80 approved by the National Agency. The quantitative objective regarding staff mobility for training has been almost achieved as well and 89.00% of staff mobilities for training has been aimed to developing pedagogical skills, as well as syllabus and curriculum design skills.
The project was implemented in the times of COVID-19 pandemic, which totally blocked the international mobility, and caused many cancelations of already organised mobilities, delays in student and staff mobilities, as well as changes in initially approved destinations for staff mobility. Due to the pandemic and the entry restrictions imposed by different countries, the mobility flows have been directed to the partner-universities located in the neighbourhood countries of Bulgaria which offered less stringent entry measure for Bulgarians, higher flexibility, and lower risk in planning of the traveling and business trip details, etc. The achieved number of student mobility for traineeships was significantly higher (94.44%) than the number of the participants in student mobility for studies. Mobility for teaching has been preferable (53.45% of the total staff mobility flows) by the faculty similarly to all Erasmus+ projects implemented by the D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics since 2015.
Both student and staff who have taken part in the project reported very high satisfaction levels. 100.00% of the outgoing students and staff, as well as 100.00% of the incoming students and 96.30% of the incoming staff have indicated that they are very satisfied or rather satisfied with their Erasmus+ experience abroad in general.
As a result of the individual mobilities some spin-off effects on individual and institutional level have been reported: reinforcement of the cooperation with partner-universities from Romania by inviting them to take part as associated partners in a project for the modernisation of the higher education in Bulgaria under the Operational programme “Science and Education for Smart Development”; diversification of the cooperation with partner-universities from North Macedonia, Serbia, Romania, Turkiye, Italy, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Portugal by preparing, submitting and implementing projects under the KA2 of the Erasmus+ programme and 2 project proposals under European University calls; strengthening of the cooperation with partner-universities from Poland by joint implementation of a project under the mobility programme NAWA (Poland) and implementing mobilities under the CEEPUS programme; increasement of personal and professional adaptivity; improvement of language, cultural and social competences; higher confidence in the personal abilities; extension of the friendship and professional networks; experiencing with new teaching and learning approaches.
Project No. 2020-1-BG01-KA103-078434 is funded by the Erasmus+ programme, KA103 of the European Union. The beneficiary of the project is D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics (Svishtov, Bulgaria). The project length was set to 36 months. The implementation period was planned from 01/06/2020 to 31/05/2023. The main quantitative objective of the project was to achieve 80 learning mobilities of students and staff from D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics to higher education institutions and organisations in Programme countries, incl. 30 student mobilities and 50 staff mobilities. Another quantitative objective of the project was to achieve at least 90% of the staff mobilities for training which are dedicated to the development of and/or improvement in pedagogical and/or curriculum design skills. Additional qualitative goals of the project were to provide an environment for improving students’ linguistic, social, cultural and transversal competences (decision making skills, flexibility, etc.), as well as for increasing job satisfaction, language, cultural and social competences, experimenting with new teaching and learning practices, learning from good practices for teaching and content design and delivery, extending the professional network of the staff. On the institutional level, the qualitative goal of the project was to extend the opportunities for international cooperation and collaboration with the partner-universities beyond the framework of the Erasmus+ programme.
Implementation
Project No. 2020-1-BG01-KA103-078434 was implemented from 01/06/2020 to 31/05/2023. Its duration was prolonged from the initially planned 16 months to 36 months, due to the COVID-19 pandemic which blocked the international mobility of students and staff. The total number of the implemented mobility activities was 76, incl. 18 students mobilities and 58 staff mobilities. During the project implementation, two informational events were organised to attract mobility applicants, share mobility experiences, and keep the target audience updated about the opportunities for Erasmus+ mobility abroad. As the project has been implemented during periods of world pandemic, blocked transport, closed borders, full or partial lockdowns in Europe, D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics has organised some calls for applicants under the Erasmus+ programme because many of the initially selected and nominated students and staff have cancelled their mobilities or have not been able to carry out their mobility due to the lost statute and eligibility for participation.
During the period 2020-2023, D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics has updated the conditions and signed (incl. using Erasmus+ Dashboard) inter-institutional agreements under the Erasmus+ programme, KA131 with all the universities it has established a partnership in 2014-2020 Programme period. Its partnership network has been enlarged by including new university-partners from Portugal, Turkiye, Latvia, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy, Greece, Serbia.
During the project implementation, most of the project documents have been digitalised. Application, language diagnostics of the applicants, as well as participants’ reporting have been implemented in a digital form using the functionalities of the MS Forms. E-files of all applicants and participants have been created and uploaded in the OneDrive cloud. All learning mobilities for studies have been designed and administered by OLA and Erasmus+ Dashboard platform. Most the mobilities for traineeships have been designed conventionally on paper, due to technical issues with traineeship functionality of OLA.
From geographic point of view, the mobility flows have been organised between the D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics and partner-universities and organisations from Turkiye (14 exchanges), Italy (7 exchanges), Romania (26 exchanges), Czech Republic (2 обмена), Slovakia (4 exchanges), Portugal (1 exchanges), North Macedonia (3 exchanges), Belgium (1 exchange), Serbia (9 exchanges), Croatia (2 exchanges), Germany (2 exchanges), Spain (5 exchanges).
The gender structure of the mobility participants is relatively balanced. Students’ gender distribution is as follows: 8 females and 10 males. A very positive result of the project is the implementation of 3 mobilities of PhD students. Student traineeships are significantly more than mobilities for studies. 17 of the student mobilities are for traineeships. 33 females and 25 males academic and non-academic staff have taken part in different types of staff mobility activities. 31 of the staff mobilities are for teaching, 27 are for training or job-shadowing.
The project was implemented in the times of COVID-19 pandemic, which totally blocked the international mobility during the autumn of 2020, spring of 2021, caused many cancelations of already organised mobilities (mostly student mobilities for studies), delays in student and staff mobilities from autumn semester of 2021/22 to spring semester of 2021/22, as well as changes in initially approved mobility types (to match the mobility period to the academic calendar of the host university) and mobility flows (due to the differences in the severity of the restrictions and measures for quarantine and/or entering the host country).
Results
Project No. 2020-1-BG01-KA103-078434 consists of 18 outgoing student mobilities, incl. 17 student mobilities for traineeships and 1 student mobility for studies, as well as 58 outgoing staff mobilities, incl. 31 staff mobilities for teaching and 27 staff mobilities for training. All student and staff mobilities have been carried out physically in the host country. 95.00% of the pre-specified quantitative objectives of the project have been achieved. Total number of the implemented mobility activities was 76 out of 80 approved by the National Agency. The quantitative objective regarding staff mobility for training has been almost achieved as well and 89.00% of staff mobilities for training has been aimed to developing pedagogical skills, as well as syllabus and curriculum design skills.
The project was implemented in the times of COVID-19 pandemic, which totally blocked the international mobility, and caused many cancelations of already organised mobilities, delays in student and staff mobilities, as well as changes in initially approved destinations for staff mobility. Due to the pandemic and the entry restrictions imposed by different countries, the mobility flows have been directed to the partner-universities located in the neighbourhood countries of Bulgaria which offered less stringent entry measure for Bulgarians, higher flexibility, and lower risk in planning of the traveling and business trip details, etc. The achieved number of student mobility for traineeships was significantly higher (94.44%) than the number of the participants in student mobility for studies. Mobility for teaching has been preferable (53.45% of the total staff mobility flows) by the faculty similarly to all Erasmus+ projects implemented by the D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics since 2015.
Both student and staff who have taken part in the project reported very high satisfaction levels. 100.00% of the outgoing students and staff, as well as 100.00% of the incoming students and 96.30% of the incoming staff have indicated that they are very satisfied or rather satisfied with their Erasmus+ experience abroad in general.
As a result of the individual mobilities some spin-off effects on individual and institutional level have been reported: reinforcement of the cooperation with partner-universities from Romania by inviting them to take part as associated partners in a project for the modernisation of the higher education in Bulgaria under the Operational programme “Science and Education for Smart Development”; diversification of the cooperation with partner-universities from North Macedonia, Serbia, Romania, Turkiye, Italy, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Portugal by preparing, submitting and implementing projects under the KA2 of the Erasmus+ programme and 2 project proposals under European University calls; strengthening of the cooperation with partner-universities from Poland by joint implementation of a project under the mobility programme NAWA (Poland) and implementing mobilities under the CEEPUS programme; increasement of personal and professional adaptivity; improvement of language, cultural and social competences; higher confidence in the personal abilities; extension of the friendship and professional networks; experiencing with new teaching and learning approaches.