Students, staff and universities join forces in mobility efforts

After education ministers adopted a goal of 20 per cent mobile students by 2020, European higher education actors are now discussing definitions of student mobility. Representatives of students, staff and universities have come up with concrete advice to the European education ministries that will meet in Stockholm in September.

The European Students’ Union, Education International and the European University Association have issued a joint input paper. Some of the criteria that are mentioned: student mobility should be physical (not virtual) and have a learning purpose. The paper also discusses challenges of measuring mobility, and proposes an agenda for action that includes a clear role for universities and students.

The organisations stress that no matter how mobility is defined, there needs to be more to the mobility debates than the measuring. “The search for the right indicators can never replace the advocacy work that is needed to promote student and staff mobility. Achieving progress is only possible when all parties are convinced of the benefits and the right support mechanisms at all levels are in place to support this aim”, says Ligia Deca, chairperson of ESU.

The paper is a follow-up of the EI-ESU joint Let’s Go! campaign, which aimed at reducing barriers for student and staff mobility. Education ministries will discuss mobility and other issues of the Bologna Process at a meeting of the Bologna Follow-Up Group on September 28-29.

You can download the joint ESU, EI and EUA paper here.