In compliance with the reform initiated by Act 21, no. 508 of December 1999, the Istituto Superiore di Studi Musicali Vincenzo Bellini of Catania has completed the process of approval as a European university-level institution and has been integrated into the European Higher Education Area. In line with the ruling principles of the European Agreement, the Conservatory of Catania has laid plans for modernization and internationalization based on the operational guidelines set out by the European Commission under the Europe 2020 strategic plan. In addition, as a member of AEC - Association Européenne des Conservatoires - since the year 2004 the Bellini Institute has closely followed and participated in quality assurance debates. As reported in the published Institute program guidelines for the development, internationalization and modernization within the strategic plan of the European Union “Europe 2020”, the Conservatory of Catania accepts the challenge launched by the European Commission and devotes all its energies to the implementation and realization of a project of development and modernization to be carried out within the “timeframe 2014/2020”, according to principles set out in the Commission document. Specifically, as regards internationalization, the project aims to reinforce quality through students’ mobility and international cooperation in accordance with the directions of the Ministers of Education of the countries belonging to the European Higher Education Area, who agreed that from now till 2020 it would be appropriate to redouble the proportion of university-level students - with the goal to reach a percentage of 20% - that perform part of their training abroad considering also the advantages of student mobility in terms of relevant professional, social and intercultural experience as well as employment opportunities. The Institute has therefore exponentially enhanced bilateral accords with European partners reaching the current number of 16 cooperation agreements with 8 European countries and two agreements with non-EU countries. Thanks to these partnerships, the number of incoming and outgoing international teachers and professors has increased too. In the academic year 2014/15 we had 5 outgoing students and 1 incoming, 3 outgoing and 2 incoming professors, 2 incoming staff members. In order to allow these mobilities, the Institute also allocates resources from its own budget to integrate both the European funds and the ministerial co-financing. It has also started a fruitful collaboration with the Regional Authority for the Right to Education (ERSU) to enable students to access additional scholarships and obtain travel reimbursement. The following actions were put in place to disseminate our international activity: implementation of the institutional website, utilization of alternative but equally effective communication channels (i.e. social networks), participation in events or artistic productions with performances of Erasmus students and the presence of the Erasmus coordinator to illustrate Erasmus plus to the audience, increased presence of the Erasmus coordinator in the Erasmus office, optimization of the activity of the person in charge of the Erasmus office and relevant administrative tasks. In 2014, the Institute was partner of a consortium of 9 conservatories – the coordinator being the Conservatory of Messina - thanks to which 3 students are currently participating in a program of traineeship at the Conservatory of Ostrava in Czech Republic.