At the start of the project in June 2014, all existing agreements with partner universities had been renewed and signed, using the new Erasmus+ format for Inter institutional agreements (IIA). A thorough “clean up” had been realized, whereby active agreements had been renewed, non-active agreements had been ended, and some new ones had been established. This has so far resulted in 940 IIA’s with 410 different partner institutions. All mobilities realized during this project have been based on these agreements. The objectives of the project have been to set up reliable partnerships with institutions in Europe, in order to: - Secure interesting & high quality study abroad destinations for students at all levels (though mainly Ba and Ma) and in all disciplines - Attract talented non-degree students to the University of Groningen (UG) to increase diversity as an asset to the international classroom - Create attractive opportunities for teaching staff to teach abroad or to invite international staff to Groningen in order to strengthen existing partnerships - Increase the visibility and reputation of UG in Europe as an institution offering high-quality teaching and services to students from all over the world - Meet the ambitions of UG as far as outgoing mobility is concerned. Measurable results of the project are those registered in the Mobility Tool. The results are: - SMS-S: 684 outgoing participants, with an average duration of 4,5 months - SMS-P: 64 participants, with an average duration of 4,5 months - STA: 25 participants, conducting a teaching assignment for 7 days on average - STT: 6 staff went on a staff training during 6 days on average. The most popular destinations for students have been: SMS-S: Germany (93 mobilities), United Kingdom (83), Sweden (81), and Spain (72) SMS-P: Germany (11), and United Kingdom (10). From participants’ feedback can be concluded that, as for Erasmus Charter provisions, UG performs well to very well for: - Recognition - Course catalogue (availability) - Management of the Learning Agreement/Mobility Agreement - Equal treatment and integration - Mentoring and support - Grant payments Some improvement should be pursued for: - Course catalogue (as for being up-to-date) - Guidance on accommodation - Support in relation to visa and insurance On overall satisfaction of all inbound and outbound participants UG scores 93 to 100%. As most striking impact of the mobility period at individual level, the following aspects for the different types of mobility can be mentioned: SMS-S: students learned better how to see the value of different cultures, and having taken part in the mobility they found themselves more able to adapt to and act in new situations. Also, they consider themselves more open-minded and curious about new challenges. SMS-P: students learned better how to find solutions in difficult or challenging contexts – they improved their problem-solving skills. Besides, they become more confident and convinced of their abilities and improved their analytical skills. STA: teaching staff indicated that through the Erasmus+ mobility they reinforced the cooperation with the partner institution, and the mobility increased their job satisfaction. STT: all staff who took part in a mobility said they gained sector-specific or practical skills relevant for the job and professional development. Moreover, as with teaching staff, they increased their job satisfaction. Impact at institutional level In general it can be stated that the relatively high number of both incoming and outgoing Erasmus+ students significantly contributes to a higher degree of internationalization in daily academic life as well as in the contents of the courses. More and more departments, in larger and smaller faculties alike, realize that the international (non-degree) student can be an asset to the classroom. This calls for mobility windows and a proper offer of courses for incoming exchange students (at bachelor and master level). Besides, there is a rising demand for international curricula, i.e. international aspects or a (obligatory) stay abroad included in the study programme, and with learning outcomes that are relevant for the international labour market.