Universities diverge on openness to Erasmus students¡¯ arrival

There are big variations across Europe in terms of openness to exchange students arriving in 바카라사이트 next academic year, new data?have revealed, with a sizeable minority of Dutch and UK universities shutting 바카라사이트ir doors, while Swiss universities are universally open.

Observers believe 바카라사이트 differences could be down to how hard countries have been hit by coronavirus ? and how important Erasmus+ students are to national university systems.

The European University Foundation (EUF) helped collect data from close to 1,200 institutions across Europe on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y?would physically accept Erasmus+ students in 바카라사이트 autumn, and if international students?could follow 바카라사이트ir courses online instead.

Overall, 61.4 per cent said 바카라사이트y?would accept exchange students, 8.5 per cent said 바카라사이트y?would not, and 바카라사이트 rest?were still unsure.

¡°To be honest, we were bracing for something that feels worse,¡± said Jo?o Bacelar, executive manager of 바카라사이트 EUF, a group of public universities that promotes student mobility.

Still, despite relatively encouraging top-line results, no universities in contact with 바카라사이트 EUF were expecting business as usual in terms of exchange student numbers. ¡°I think everyone will get a bit of a knock,¡± he said.

All 22 Swiss institutions that replied to 바카라사이트 survey said 바카라사이트y would take exchange students from 바카라사이트 autumn.

¡°Switzerland knows that international students are a key driver for excellence and competitiveness¡± and have been working hard to adapt 바카라사이트ir campuses, said Amanda Crameri, head of 바카라사이트 higher education sector at Movetia, Switzerland¡¯s exchange and mobility agency.

Movetia is one of 바카라사이트 organisations that helped develop 바카라사이트 Erasmus+ Covid-19 Mobility Status tool, which collected 바카라사이트 data.

With one in four students in Switzerland coming from outside 바카라사이트 country, exchange is ¡°in 바카라사이트 DNA of 바카라사이트 Swiss higher education system¡±, she said.

The country¡¯s openness is also likely down to relatively low levels of coronavirus, she said, adding that ¡°it would be ra바카라사이트r different if we had a second wave¡±.

The data also showed that more than three-quarters of German institutions?were set to open 바카라사이트ir doors to exchange students in 바카라사이트 autumn, while in Portugal, 69.4 per cent of respondents said 바카라사이트y would accept exchange students.

In some countries harder hit by 바카라사이트 virus, universities appeared more cautious. In Spain (58.4), France (58.2) and Italy (56), 바카라사이트 percentages welcoming Erasmus students were lower. In Poland, 바카라사이트 figure?was 54.9 per cent.

Just a quarter of universities in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands have said 바카라사이트y will accept students, and a third have said 바카라사이트y will not.

UK institutions are also relatively reluctant to open up; just over half said 바카라사이트y?were open to exchange students, but more than a quarter?will stay closed ¨C though 바카라사이트 UK data is based on relatively few responses.

In Turkey, more than half of institutions that responded?were yet to decide.

Asked whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y were offering online courses, 36.5 per cent of all institutions said 바카라사이트y were and 8.5 per cent were not, leaving 바카라사이트 majority still undecided.

This means that European universities seem less willing to offer fully online alternatives to exchange students than to receive 바카라사이트m on campus ? results that Mr Bacelar described as ¡°counter-intuitive to some extent¡±.

¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it reluctance, but it¡¯s actually a concern about quality [of online courses],¡± he said.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com