Cherry James, London South Bank University

Assumption: that a period of study abroad is a ‘good thing’ for students and society alike

Jan Figel: European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth: 'Erasmus programmes have given 'Europe' real meaning in hundreds of thousands of families for whom it would otherwise have remained a vague and abstract concept'.  

  Much smaller proportion of UK students have a

period of study abroad than do other European students - a pity!

Good for CV: valued by employers; students report positively of experience

Strictures of QLD

Little room for optional modules

Often students doing at least one compulsory core module for most or all of degree course

 

For Law students on QLD hard to fit an Erasmus year or semester abroad into a three year QLD

Pay fees to home institution whilst abroad - costly to add a year, about to become more so

An Erasmus Intensive Programme - about 250 a year

Alternative to studying at a university in a different EU Member State for a period of three to twelve months

Funded by EU Lifelong Learning Programme Staff and students from at least three

universities from at least three EU MSs Joint study of particular specialised topic Short period (ten days to six weeks) - can fit

into a university holiday

LSBU and four other universities 

Inholland University of Applied Sciences, Rotterdam, co-ordinating role

Other partners: University of Ulster; University of Pècs, Hungary; Cergy Pontoise University, France

Application for funding for a three year IP

Requirements: integrated into the study programme of the participating students

Commission preference for IPs in rapidly evolving and new areas

Also if IP is in a study area where extended period of study abroad not possible

Coming into force of Treaty of Lisbon was imminent: hence very topical. Area of Freedom, Security and Justice: Title V ToL

Recognised as area ripe for academic focus: many conferences etc

Not generally addressed in standard EU law courses, anticipated this might change

Six specialist topic areas: Terrorism, Organised Crime, State surveillance, Asylum and immigration, Free movement of persons, Citizenship: one student from each university to each topic

Multinational teaching of specialist topics which otherwise not taught much at all

Students and teachers working together in multinational groups, gaining new perspectives on topic

Teaching staff to exchange views on teaching content and new pedagogical approaches and test teaching methods in international classroom

Variety of innovative assessments Pre-IP phase at home universities: Two papers:

1. Group paper on implementation of AFSJ law and policy in university’s Member State

2. Individual paper on an issue within student’s specialist topic area.

All uploaded onto IP VLE

Oral presentations on national group papers and individual papers

Moot court in national groups Group paper prepared in international

specialist topic groups, on problem scenario Oral presentation of group paper findings

Classes during IP: specialist lectures, lectures on national legal and court systems, visits, group paper coaching

Diverse – individual and group work both national and international

Mooting Oral presentations Learning about AFSJ law and policy and its

implementation and operation in different MSs

Erasmus IP aims: ‘...enable students and teachers to work together in multinational groups...and gain new perspectives on the topic being studied’.

Hard to distinguish cause from effect, but – Some former participants have gone on to

longer Erasmus exchanges (semester or year) Some have gone on to Master’s degrees in

international topics at home or abroad All have said it was very worthwhile, some the

‘most worthwhile’ thing they have done during their degrees

Element of self selection by those with ‘international’ backgrounds/interests

For staff: expect the unexpected!