Ways to increase mobility: funding models examined

29 October 2008 to 31 October 2008
Alicante, Spain

Peer Learning Cluster or other group

Modernisation of Higher Education

Background

The PLA sought to explore how increased financial resources might be levered in or structured to support expansion of learning mobility in Higher Education.

 

Discussions were structured around four sub-themes, which reflect areas identified by the High Level Expert Forum on Mobility as relevant to financing increased mobility. 

  • Strategies to increase mobility in HE, including national and regional investment in mobility programmes and policy goals;
  • Public-private partnership in mobility of HE students;
  • The use of European funding (non-mobility programmes) to support mobility (e.g. structural funds);
  • The portability of student grants and loans.

PLA conclusions are relevant for national/regional governments developing strategies to increase mobility, Higher Education funding bodies, and universities seeking to expand international learning mobility.

 

Conclusions were also relevant to feed into discussions at the French Presidency conference on Mobility (November 2008) and will inform a proposed 2009 Commission Green Paper on Mobility.

Description

Key lessons of the PLA:

  • The availability of finance is not the only – and not the most significant - barrier to expanding mobility. Significant and sustainable increases in mobility will only be achieved if non-financial barriers are also addressed, in particular persistent problems on recognition of study periods abroad;
  • Learning mobility should be a key performance indicator in assessing the quality of Higher Education programmes, and integrated into curricula and mainstream funding mechanisms;
  • Examples of public/private partnership to foster mobility are few and tend to be in response to specific priorities of the private partner. The development of strategies to attract and optimise private sector involvement should clearly define public goals and    incentivisation, including fiscal incentives, should be considered;
  • The European Social Fund offers significant potential to support mobility, especially in Convergence areas of the EU.  Examples were heard of how this is being taken forward;
  • Portability of grants and loans is a positive and improving feature in the 10 countries; although it was recognised that a wide variation of conditions and frameworks may lead to grant/loan shopping.

For further reading, see:
PLA_Ways to increase mobility_final report_Oct. 08.pdf
Key policy conclusions paper PLA Alicante Oct 08.pdf

For further examples of specific strategies or initiatives in individual countries participating in the PLA, see the Compendia section of the site (Compendium of Good Practices on Modernising Higher Education).
Knowledge System for Lifelong Learning