What is Erasmus + International Credit Mobility?
The Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility (ICM) Programme supports the mobility of individuals enrolled or employed at a higher education institution (HEI), from a Programme Country to a Third Country Not Associated to the Programme (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-a/eligible-countries) or vice versa, namely:
Student mobility
Student mobility can be carried out in any study field and cycle (short cycle/bachelor/master/doctoral). To ensure high-quality mobility activities with maximum impact on the students, the mobility activity has to be compatible with the student's degree-related learning and personal development needs.
Students may carry out the activities described below:
- A study period abroad at a partner higher education institution. The study period abroad must be part of the student's study programme to complete a degree at any study cycle. A study period abroad may include a traineeship period as well.
- A traineeship (work placement, internship) abroad in an enterprise, a research institute, a laboratory, an organisation or any other relevant workplace. Traineeships abroad are supported during studies at any study cycle and for recent graduates. This also includes teaching assistantships for student teachers and research assistantships for students and doctoral candidates in any relevant research facility. Wherever possible, the traineeships should be an integrated part of the student's study programme. In terms of workload, in principle the participants have to work full time, based on their receiving organisation's working time.
Doctoral mobility
To better meet the diverse learning and training needs of doctoral candidates and to ensure equal opportunities with those that have the status of higher education staff, doctoral candidates and recent graduates ('post-docs') can undertake short-term or long-term physical study or traineeship mobility periods abroad. Adding a virtual component to the physical mobility is encouraged.
Blended mobility
Any study period or traineeship abroad of any duration, including doctoral mobility, may be carried out as a blended mobility. Blended mobility is a combination of physical mobility with a virtual component facilitating a collaborative online learning exchange and teamwork. For example, the virtual component can bring learners together online from different countries and study fields to follow online courses or work collectively and simultaneously on assignments that are recognised as part of their studies.
Any student can also undertake blended mobility by participating in a
In addition, students (short cycle/bachelor/master) who are not able to participate in long-term physical study or traineeship mobility, for example, due to their study field or because they have fewer opportunities for participation, will be able to carry out a short-term physical mobility by combining it with a compulsory virtual component.
Staff mobility
Staff mobility can be carried out by any type of higher education staff or by invited staff from outside the HEIs. To ensure high-quality mobility activities with maximum impact, the mobility activity has to be related to the staff's professional development and to address their learning and personal development needs.
Staff may carry out any of the activities described below:
- A teaching period abroad at a partner higher education institution. The teaching period abroad enables any teaching staff at a higher education institution or staff from enterprises to teach at a partner higher education institution abroad. Staff mobility for teaching can be in any study field.
- A training period abroad at a partner higher education institution, enterprise or any other relevant workplace. The training period abroad enables any staff at a HEI to take part in a training activity abroad that is relevant to their day-to-day work at the HEI. It may take the form of training events (excluding conferences) or job shadowing and observation periods.
A staff mobility period abroad can combine teaching and training activities. Any teaching or training period abroad may be carried out as a blended mobility.