The document discusses international credit mobility programs from the perspective of the Italian National Agency. It provides statistics on the number of incoming and outgoing students and staff participating in mobility programs from 2015-2019, showing a steady increase over time. The top subject areas and countries of partner institutions are also highlighted. Challenges include funding uncertainty and a need for long-term partnerships. Suggestions are made to introduce degree-seeking mobilities and international consortia to mobility programs. Finally, a proposal is made for cooperation between the National Agency and Sicilian higher education institutions using Erasmus+ and structural funds to boost internationalization.

1. UNIMED General Assembly
Rome, 12 - 13 December 2019

2. UNIMED General Assembly
Rome, 12 - 13 December 2019
The International Credit Mobility:
perspective from a National Agency
Claudia Peritore
Agenzia Nazionale E+ INDIRE –
c.peritore@indire.it

3. UNIMED General Assembly
Rome, 12 - 13 December 2019
Total funded
Mobilities8.228
Total Planned Incoming
Participants
4.553
Total Planned Outgoing
Participants
5.042
Total Planned Incoming
Participants Learners
3.186
Total Planned Incoming
Participants Staff
2.034
Total Planned Outgoing
Participants Learners
2.519
Total Planned Outgoing
Participants Staff
12.781
2019 Call Updated Data
+2.906 +1.772
+614
+1.158+1.314
+1.592
17.459

4. UNIMED General Assembly
Rome, 12 - 13 December 2019
1681
1986
2156
2405
2906
808
1116
1230
1399
1772
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Planned Incoming Participants Awarded
Planned Outgoing Participants Awarded
+24,63%
+9,16%
+12,34%
+22,98%
ICM: PARTICIPATING STUDENTS AND STAFF

5. UNIMED General Assembly
Rome, 12 - 13 December 2019
5
HE-SMP-T
4%
HE-SMS-T
46%
HE-STA-T
33%
HE-STT-T
17%
ICM MOBILITY FLOWS: DIRECTIONS

6. UNIMED General Assembly
Rome, 12 - 13 December 2019
6
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN ITALY
Recent data concerning the level of enrolment of international students in Italy are quite interesting,
showing a steady increase in the number of students willing to obtain a graduate degree/2° cycle
qualification in the country*

7. UNIMED General Assembly
Rome, 12 - 13 December 2019
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2019 CALL: SUPPORT PER REGION

8. UNIMED General Assembly
Rome, 12 - 13 December 2019
The IMPACT of the participation in the E+ international dimension
ICM Top 3 HEIs:
1. University of Venice Ca’ Foscari
2. University of Bologna
3. Polytechnic of Turin
ICM Top 5 Partner Countries in ICM:
Albania, Russia, Tunisia, Ukraine, Serbia (until 2018); in
2019 new entry: Vietnam
• ICM units have been created within IROs
• Curricula customised by each student • The number of double degrees has increased
• Greater international visibility
• Increased participation in international
networks+introduction of new language courses
• Strong involvement of Italian HEIs in the centralised
actions of the Programme!
• 73 CBHE coordinated by Italian HEIs
• 12 EMJMD projects coordinated by Italian HEIs
• Italian organisations at the very top of funded projects
under the Jean Monnet action
CENTRALISED ACTIONS

9. UNIMED General Assembly
Rome, 12 - 13 December 2019
CHALLENGES AND WAY FORWARD
• ICM funding uncertainty > difficulties in
establishing long-term collaborations; on the other
hand, long-term collaborations with Partner HEIs
are often penalised in the quality assessment
• Time-consuming ICM applications as compared to
the number of requested mobilities
• Risk of a low impact of ICM projects, given the low
number of mobilities
CHALLENGES
• Introduction of degree-seeker incoming mobilities
• Possibility to create International Consortia in ICM
• Higher amount for OS
• Dedicated budget item for insurance costs
SUGGESTIONS

10. UNIMED General Assembly
Rome, 12 - 13 December 2019
A proposal for the cooperation with Sicilian
Higher Education Institutions
Claudia Peritore
Agenzia Nazionale E+ INDIRE –
c.peritore@indire.it

11. UNIMED General Assembly
Rome, 12 - 13 December 2019
Erasmus+ Programme
The Erasmus+ Programme is more than the Erasmus
 It is more than, projects for Higher Education
 It is more than, mobility opportunities for youth
 It is more than, European Union
 It is more than, European level management (National Agencies)
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12. UNIMED General Assembly
Rome, 12 - 13 December 2019
Erasmus+ and Structural Funds
The request of the European Commission for the next financing
programme is to create synergies between the Erasmus+ Programme
Funds and the other European Programmes including the European
Social Fund in order to:
 Increase mobility opportunities for students, learners and staff at a regional level
 Foster inclusion, excellence and innovation within the mobility projects
 Strengthen cooperation and international partnerships in the education field,
training, youth and sport.
 Undertake innovative projects directed towards employability and skills
development.
 Disseminate “good practices” within the context of Educational programmes,
teaching and youth policies.
Impact on DEVELOPMENT, EMPLOYABILITY and INTERNAZIONALIZATION
of the regional territories.
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13. UNIMED General Assembly
Rome, 12 - 13 December 2019
Erasmus+ Programme strengths
 Valuable activities recognized at a European level having strong impact
on participants and territories.
 network of managing organizations at European and international level.
 Stable and effective system of common and shared rules and
procedures.
For the Region:
Regional territory development through Erasmus+ Actions
Development of the “Regional system” of most relevant Erasmus+ projects
Decrease of administrative costs
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14. UNIMED General Assembly
Rome, 12 - 13 December 2019
Erasmus+ National Agencies
The European Commission works with the National Agencies to manage
the Programme and to bring Erasmus+ as close as possible to the
participants and make sure it works well across the different countries’
systems for education, training and youth.
 Appointment by the national authorities of the Programme participant
countries
 Implementation of actions at a local level following the Commission’s
Calls
 Annual working plan to define activities, objectives, priorities, and
identify risks (defined together with the National authority and the
European Commission)
 Yearly Report
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15. UNIMED General Assembly
Rome, 12 - 13 December 2019
 INDIRE is the Italian National Institute for
Documentation, Innovation and Education
Research, overseen by the Ministry of
Education.
 INDIRE is the Italian National Agency
responsible for the management of the
European Erasmus+ Programme and is the
National Support Service for key programs such
as: eTwinning, Epale and Eurydice.
 In June 2019, INDIRE and the Sicilian Region
signed an Agreement qualifying INDIRE as
«Intermediary Body» of the Regional Operational
Programme – European Social Fund Sicily
2014-20 to create synergies with the Erasmus+
Programme.
INDIRE and Erasmus+
Turin
Florence
Rome
Naples
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16. UNIMED General Assembly
Rome, 12 - 13 December 2019
Sicily Region
ESF
financing
European
Union
University of
Enna Kore
University of
Palermo
University of
Messina
University of
Catania
INDIRE AND THE SICILIAN REGION | The Pilot Project
Sicily is the first Italian
Region to implement
synergies between
Erasmus+ and ESF funds.
Professional
Higher Education
Institutes
Arts and Music
Education
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17. UNIMED General Assembly
Rome, 12 - 13 December 2019
THE PILOT PROJECT | Advantages of Internationalization
Sources:
Fondazione CRUI, «L’internazionalizzazione delle formazione superiore in Italia», April 2018
Austrian National Agency, «The effects of Erasmus+ on the Austrian economy», June 2018
Students’ mobility generates economic advantages for the receiving Regional/Country system.
Mobility programs encourage new generations’ growth in terms of skills acquisition, entrepreneurship
and ability to operate in new working environments.
International students who have had a positive study experience contribute in strengthening the positive
image of the country playing the role of ambassadors of the culture and the economy of the region.
The presence of international students has a positive spill-over effect on the entire region, on young
people not involved in the program, as well as on culture’ openness, entrepreneurship and civic sense.
The internationalization of courses and the creation of classes with students from different countries
affects their quality, triggering a virtuous process of contamination.
The main scope of the project is to develop the attractivity of the Sicilian Region in order to
support the internationalization of the Sicilian educational institutions and its «Regional
System» towards the South Mediterranean area.
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18. UNIMED General Assembly
Rome, 12 - 13 December 2019
Enhance schools and
learners participation in
mobility projects
Increase mobility for
Higher Education
students and staff
Develop partnerships
with south Mediterranean
Countries
Students and staff in mobility
Specific grants are foreseen for
economically disadvantaged
students.
≈ 1.700
≈ 600
30+
School staff
mobility
International
mobility projects
for learners
Target Countries
Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt,
Jordan
4
THE PILOT PROJECT | Objectives and Expected Results
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19. UNIMED General Assembly
Rome, 12 - 13 December 2019
Higher Education
 Increase of EU mobilities for
students and staff – KA103
(additional grants for Call
2019 and Call 2020)
 Call for grants dedicated
to mobility projects for
learners of Sicilian
secondary schools.
 Participation in strategic
meetings for the constitution
of targeted relationships.
 Planning of the “Study in
Sicily” itinerant event to show
the attractivity and opportunities
of the Sicilian Region.
 Development of the
MedTwinning initiative for
eTwinning projects towards
Target Countries
Schools Cooperation
 Increase of extra EU
mobilities for students and
staff – KA107 (additional
grants for Call 2019 and
Call 2020).
 Grants allocated to
economically
disadvantaged students.
 Increase of mobilities for
school staff – KA101
(additional grants for Call
2019 and Call 2020).
 Workshops for the
enhancement of eTwinning
projects.
THE PILOT PROJECT | Key Activities
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20. UNIMED General Assembly
Rome, 12 - 13 December 2019
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