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Higher education student and staff mobility project
Date du début: 1 juin 2014, Date de fin: 30 sept. 2015 PROJET  TERMINÉ 

Oxford Brookes University is international in its orientation, its curriculum, staff, student body and partnerships. It offers international perspectives in pedagogy and curriculum, encouraging students to be global citizens and to embrace the opportunities available to them through our Erasmus+ and international partnerships. The University has been offering student exchange opportunities for over 20 years. This demonstrates a continued commitment to fostering the internationalisation of a small, but significant section of the student population. Historically the outgoing cohort of students comprised a large number of Language students taking their compulsory year abroad. Latterly, with the introduction of the work placement programme, this has seen a split between those opting to study and those opting to work in Europe. However, the decrease in numbers applying for language programmes is also impacting on our outgoing Erasmus+ numbers and the Exchanges Team has had to work hard to try and recruit students from other areas of the University with a view to at least maintain current levels of exchange activity. The introduction of a new Applied Languages programme will see a growth in the requirement for student work placements abroad, rather than study, which will change the dynamic of our exchange provision. Currently there is a fairly even split between those student studying and those working in Europe. Of the students undertaking work placements in Europe, the majority are doing so, as there is a work placement requirement as part of their programme (Hospitality Management, Physiotherapy, Adult Nursing). Of the students undertaking compulsory work placements, the majority of Language students and Hospitality Management students obtain work placements with employers that have worked with the University over a number of years and where we are confident that the students will get a good work placement experience. Only a very small percentage of the number are undertaking an optional work placement year (Business). While the majority of students undertaking work placements as part of their university programme do so in the UK, the Exchanges Team continues to work closely with the Placement and Partnerships Teams in the faculties to encourage more students to consider taking their placement year in Europe. Where work placements are compulsory, numbers of students opting to work in Europe rather than the UK are fairly static, but we will continue to push for a growth in this area. Student mobility for study sees students opting to continue to study in several key destinations, despite the addition of some interesting new destinations for study. This may be partly due to the advice and guidance being provided by staff, who feel more comfortable suggesting previously used institutions, where they are confident of the the quality of the exchange experience and where they are more conversant with the module offer available for our students. However, we will continue to work with the faculties to increase awareness of new partners and destinations, with a view to encouraging students to try hitherto under utilised destinations. We know that the programme changes lives, partly because the students themselves have told us this in their feedback and partly because we have witnessed the changes that have taken place for ourselves. An exchange or work placement experience has a huge impact in terms of buidling students' confidence, testing their resilience, developing their ability to solve problems and to adapt to new situations. A number of our returning students have made life-changing decisions as a result of their exchange experience. Whilst not every experience is without problems, nobody ever returns and says 'I wish I hadn't done it'. Staff mobility is quite static, with many of the same individuals taking advantage of the opportunities available to them through the Erasmus+ programme every year. The University would like to encourage a more diverse group of staff to undertake staff mobilities and will continue to make information about the programme more widely available, in order to increase the engagement of a wider staff audience. By increasing staff engagement with the programme and their understanding of the opportunities available, it will help support student engagement with exchanges and hopefully support an increase in student numbers participating in the programme.

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