Reflections on the effectiveness and value of
Erasmus students’ learning experience during
their placement abroad
Dr Barend Schutte, Margaret Jenness, Lilian Winkvist-Noble,
Imane Laasri and Anita Gonzalez
Overall EU context
The European Union is again going through a very difficult period.
The Irish have just voted ‘No’ in a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.
Last week at the European Council, leaders agreed that another “period
of reflection” was necessary.
The European Commission has been trying to promote “Active European
Citizenship”.
Documents produced by the Commission talks about “how ERASMUS has
enhanced [students] perceptions of being European citizens.” (European
Commission, 2007: 1)
The EU does not have a competence in the field of education, that is the
responsibility of member states.
The EU hasn’t been having a very easy time in the last few years.
Nevertheless, in 2007 we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Treaty
of Rome. During the celebrations the EU institutions produced publicity
material highlighting what the EU has done for us as citizens and the
European Commission describes the Erasmus programme as follows:
“The ERASMUS programme stands out as one of the most concrete and
popular examples of the progress achieved during fifty years of European
integration” (European Commission, 2007: 1)
The European Commission also talks about the Erasmus programme as a
“driver for modernising Europe’s higher education systems” (European
Commission, 2007) and the Commission is looking to further reinforce this
role and the importance of the scheme.
“Erasmus has been and remains a key factor in the internationalisation and
“Europeanisation” of higher education” (European Commission, 2007: 1)
“The European Commission’s vision is that participation in the Erasmus
programme should be the general rule, rather than the exception, for both
students and teachers” (European Commission, 2008: 1)
The Lifelong Learning Programme
2007 - 2013
The aim of the new programme is to contribute through lifelong
learning to the development of the Community as an advanced
knowledge society, with sustainable economic development, more
and better jobs and greater social cohesion. It aims to foster
interaction, cooperation and mobility between education and
training systems within the Community, so that they become a
world quality reference.
Background of LLP
There are two major processes currently affecting higher education across
Europe:
The Lisbon Strategy 2000, a pillar of European Union policy, relaunched
in 2005
The Bologna Process, in which the European Commission is a key
stakeholder and provider of policy expertise and funding, but not the main
driver
The Lisbon Strategy
The Lisbon Strategy aimed to deal with the low productivity and
stagnation of economic growth in the EU, through the formulation of
various policy initiatives to be taken by all EU Member States.
In particular, this included modernising the social model, investing in
people and combating social exclusion. The goal of the Strategy is to make
the EU "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-driven economy in
the world… capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better
jobs and greater social cohesion by 2010”
(March, 2000, EU Heads of States and Governments)
The Bologna Process
There are forty-six countries signed up to the so-called Bologna Declaration
of 1999 looking for
convergence (not harmonisation) of European higher education through
common structures and tools
creation of a European Higher Education Area by 2010
Areas where the Bologna Process affect higher education systems include
enhancing quality in HE across Europe
removing barriers to student and teacher mobility
promoting lifelong learning and guidance
encouraging language learning
Knowledge Triangle
Research, education and innovation is a core factor in European efforts
to meet the ambitious Lisbon goals. Numerous programmes, initiatives
and support measures have been implemented in support of the
development of the knowledge economy and society in Europe.
Structure of The Lifelong Learning
Programme
The LLP is made up of several different programmes offering a variety of
opportunities:
Comenius
Erasmus
Leonardo
Grundtvig
Transversal Study Visits
Jean Monnet
Youth in Action
The Erasmus Programme
Launched in 1987, Erasmus is the European Commission's flagship
educational programme for Higher Education students, teachers and
institutions. The Programme encourages student and staff mobility for
work and study, and promotes trans-national cooperation projects among
universities across Europe.
With a budget of €450 million per annum there are 31 participating
countries
the 27 Member States of the European Union
the 3 European Economic Area countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway)
the candidate country (Turkey)
Aims
To achieve a significant increase in student and staff mobility between
European Higher Education Institutions
To increase the quality of the Higher Education in Europe, and strengthen
the European Dimension in the Higher Education in Europe
• To promote broad and lasting inter-institutional cooperation
• To contribute to the concept of a people's Europe
• To contribute to the economic and social development of Europe
through the creation of a significant number of higher education graduates
with direct experience of intra-European cooperation
Mobility
Mobility is seen as key within both the Bologna Process and the Lisbon Strategy
The London Communiqué issued after the Bologna Process summit in May 2007
reaffirmed that “Mobility of staff, students and graduates is one of the core
elements of the Bologna Process, creating opportunities for personal growth,
developing international cooperation between individuals and institutions,
enhancing the quality of higher education and research, and giving substance to the
European dimension”
Greater mobility brings increased career opportunities for students and teachers
in the European employment market
Ambitious targets have been set against all mobility programmes including a three
million target set against the Erasmus Programme
The UK must increase student mobility to 38,280 by 2011. Currently fewer than
7000 UK students go on Erasmus.
Participation Rates
1987 - 1988
3244 participants
2006 - 2007
c160,000 p.a.
c2600 teachers
2012
target - 3 million mobile students
(figures from Rapid Press Releases – Europa 21 May 2008)
Facts & Figures
9 out of 10 universities in Europe participate in the Programme
Business studies is still the most popular subject area for Erasmus
students. Languages/philological sciences and social sciences occupy the
second and third spots.
Efforts are made to increase the average grant that students get from
the Erasmus budget. The UK average monthly grant amounted to
€440/month in 2007/8, and is expected to further increase in the current
year
Why go?
Global job market & employability
“The value of a student’s international experience goes beyond purely the
acquisition of language – it lies in the ability to see business and personal
issues from other than your own cultural perspective.”
(Charles Macleod, Head of UK Resourcing, Pricewaterhouse Coopers. Source; British Council Website, 2008)
International perspective
Non discrimination objectives
gender equality
integration of disabled students and staff
enhancement of social and economic cohesion
combating of xenophobia and racism
UK Perspective
“More institutions should recognise the value of the period of study abroad
and when the national credit system for England is developed following the
recommendation from the Burgess Review, it needs to be geared towards
learning outcomes that offer the chance to recognise fully any periods of
study abroad.” Bill Rammell emphasized that “all our efforts must
concentrate on ensuring that by the end of their courses students are in
the best position to get a job. And there is no doubt that more
employment opportunities are open to those who have the skills which can
only be enhanced by a period of study abroad when students are, often for
the first time, in a position to have to negotiate their way in a foreign
country, in a foreign language and have to adapt to completely different
ways of working”
(Bill Rammell, The Higher Education Minister at “Erasmus and Graduate Employability: The
Value of an International Dimension” Conference at Kings College, June 2007)
Going Forward
Ján Figel’, European Commissioner for education, training, culture and
youth, stressed that “Europe needs more and better mobility at all levels,
and Erasmus is an excellent way forward. Erasmus brings improved
knowledge, better cooperation and intercultural skills for its participants,
and through them ultimately benefits all Europeans. In particular, I
welcome that students in the new member states are increasingly taking
up what Erasmus offers them. The European Commission's vision is that
participation in the Erasmus programme should be the general rule, rather
than the exception, for both students and teachers.”
(13/05/2008, Rapid Release)
Data collected
Quantitative Data
By using an electronic questionnaire comprising 25 questions, we surveyed 3
cohorts of SSU students (65 students) who have been on a placement abroad
between 2004 and 2008. The majority of these students were abroad as part of the
Erasmus programme and they all spent one full academic year abroad.
Qualitative data
Students on placements abroad take a unit called International Placement Issues.
As part of that unit they write an essay on their experiences, mainly in relation to
culture shock. We have read through 64 of those reports and highlighted some of
views that are emerging in relation to the students’ views on their year abroad.
We conducted focus groups with 5 students in May 2008.
We have 2 students with us today who have had first hand experience of the
Erasmus scheme.
Main themes covered
The perceived effectiveness and value of an ERASMUS placement
amongst SSU students
Was the option of an ERASMUS placement a deciding factor in informing
student choice when deciding which course to enrol on
Examples of good practice which could be adopted from the ERASMUS
host institutions
Should the ERASMUS programme be more actively encouraged in the UK
Does the ERASMUS programme contribute to the process of
internationalising UK higher education?
The Tone of the Essays
Overwhelmingly positive
No reason to focus on the positive unless genuine (impressing lecturers?)
Analysis of expressions used:
“lifetime experience”
“milestone in my life”
“a life-changing experience”
“fully enjoyed”
“best year in my life”
“an unforgettable experience”
“once in a lifetime opportunity”
“a memorable experience”
“made me a stronger person”
Overcoming Stereotypes / Prejudice
“stereotypes are not reliable conceptions”
“broadened my horizons”
“an excellent personal and academic way to discover and learn a new
culture”
“my experience helped me to discover not only new culture and people
but also myself”
“will open my eyes to the hundreds of different cultures and traditions
around the world”
“I […] acknowledged the differences in cultures on a greater scale than
imagined”
“opened my eyes to how differently people live and also how people
adjust and change to suit the surrounding culture and lifestyle”
Overcoming Stereotypes / Prejudice
“I am more tolerant and flexible”
“no society is perfect, all have something to learn from the others”
“I am more ‘enriched’ culturally”
“a great and eye-opening experience”
“cross cultural adaptation”
“greater tolerance of differences”
“more critical toward one’s own country”
“less ethnocentric”
“less clichés about the host country”
This would greatly enhance cooperation at all levels within Europe
The Inclusion of a year abroad as a
Deciding Factor
The vast majority of students indicated that they chose their course because it
included a year abroad
A sample of comments:
“One of the main appeals to the International Business Management course […]
was the prospect of studying abroad”
“For my second year of University (BA International Business Management) I
was given the opportunity to study in another country for a whole year”
“When deciding to study for a degree in International Business Management
one of the main reasons for my choice was the fact that I had the opportunity to
study abroad for a year as part of the course”
Positive comments about the Erasmus
programme
“The best thing is the people you meet, the friendships you make and the
experiences that you share together – they will stay with you for life. If you
have not done this then you will not understand how fantastic it really is.”
“The chance to travel and actually get financial help to do so.”
“Experience, learning to be more independent”.
“It gives you the chance to experience student life from another country’s
perspective and helps with dealing with people from different countries.”
“Gaining a new perspective on every element of life: education, work,
relationships.”
“While I struggled when I was there, was homesick and lonely, looking
back in hindsight it was lovely and I would take the opportunity again and I
think I would be better prepared in the future if I had to do the same sort
of thing as part of my job.”
“It was an amazing year despite my experience at X university which was
most awful and I felt truly unhappy and ill.”
Negative comments about the
Erasmus programme
“Not easy fitting in and learning new system.”
“The organization.”
“The credit system that differs from one country to another.”
“Not receiving the grant on a monthly basis (or somehow other regular)
basis.”
“Lack of places available to go to or the cost of going to some countries.”
“Boredom and expensive, homesickness.”
“Different system – difficult studying, needed high knowledge of the
language.”
“Pressure to pass all classes in a different language.”
“Too much work.”
“They were rather unorganised – some teachers did not know much English
and could not understand my writing.”
“There needs to be big improvements in the administration, eg by having a
universal grading system for credits.”
“The needs to be more check up and liaison between the home university
and the host university.”
“When students re-enter their home university, that’s when you
experience the biggest culture shock of all. You need further support
when re-entering, eg when credits are down. In the final year you are
almost playing catch up for the rest of the year.”
“Tutors should go abroad and see how students are doing.”
Examples of good practice as identified by the
students surveyed
“Create an association for exchange students and organise trips in the UK.”
“They arranged for us to work with Finnish companies while we were
there, also visits to Nokia. This gave us experience of how to interact with
professional people.”
“I had a mentor for the duration.”
“They arranged group outings so that people could get to know each
other.”
“Put majority of exchange students in the same class so that they can
meet lots of people from different countries.”
How long should the placement be?
1
One term
2
One
academic
year
How sufficient were your foreign
language skills for your year abroad?
1
Sufficient
2
Could have
been better
3
Insufficient
How much did your foreign language skills improve
during your year abroad?
1
A lot
2
A little
3
Not enough
Do you think the ERASMUS scheme should be more
actively promoted in the UK?
1
Yes
2
No
3
Not sure
Do you have any views on whether the ERASMUS
scheme contributes to the internationalisation of
higher education?
“I think it does. In Sweden we were working in groups with maybe 5
different nationalities at one time. From this everyone has a different
opinion on how things work and it is good to hear multicultural views.”
“It certainly does! Due to the grant it encourages the youth to
“internationalise” more than they would/could otherhow”
“Yes, and it’s a great thing. Globalisation is a reality and unless schemes
like this are promoted to all students we could end up with graduates with
little cultural intelligence and ultimately ethnocentrism as they know no
other.”
“Of course it does, as it encourages and helps students to travel and take
the opportunity to gain foreign experience.”
“It was a completely unique experience. No matter how hard it was at the
time, it makes you a stronger, more mature, well-rounded, open-minded
person. You almost become international.”
An Erasmus experience in the UK
The decisive factor that motivated me to undertake such an
academic course: International Business with languages option
Possibility to spend a year abroad
Employability factor: showing qualities that employers look for
e.g. keen on taking on new challenges, adapting to new
environments, mixing with people from different cultural
backgrounds
The reason for coming to the UK:
English, the language of business
Perfect knowledge of Business is not sufficient: culture is a key
element to succeed in a business career
“We tend to have a human instinct that 'deep inside' all people are the
same - but they are not. Therefore, if we go into another country and
make decisions based on how we operate in our own home country the chances are we'll make some very bad decisions.”
Dr Hostfede cultural dimensions http://www.geerthofstede.com/
“In an increasingly competitive business world, those who understand
different cultures will have the edge.”
(Kahn-Panni et al., 4: 2003)
A symbolic and enriching year
The path to the independence
leaving home and home country
first working experience was in the UK
Enhancement of my personality
increased self esteem/self confidence
Auto analysis of strengths, weaknesses and limits
Meeting new people from all the continents, building new
friendships
A new but efficient education system
The UK education system allows more autonomy to the students
Let the student gain a deeper understanding about a particular
subject through research
Allow the student to explore different sorts of materials:
journals, books, newspapers…
Significant choice of options
opportunity to learn a new language from scratch (stage 1 to
10), or studying a different subject e.g. marketing, European
movies,
A close tutor student relationship:
Made me feel at ease rapidly
Made me forget the language barrier and contributed to a
substantial improvement of my English
Erasmus experience: a philosophy of
respect and tolerance
Less stereotypes or assumptions about a particular country,
culture, people: more comprehension, empathy and tolerance
Going through the phases of culture shock has been beneficial:
Flexibility vs. fear of the unknown
Open mindedness vs. ethnocentrism
None culture is better than another: they are just different. Each
one has something to learn from the other
The negative aspects of the Erasmus
programme
Foreign students tend to stay together in their own groups
instead of mixing with local people: phenomenon of ghetto
E.g. French tend to stay with French, Spanish with Spanish
and so on
But all in all Erasmus experience has been unforgettable.
Conclusions
As we have shown at SSU, and this is probably reflected in institutions
across the EU, the Erasmus programme is generally seen as something very
positive by the students who participate. Problems tend to relate to
having to get used to a different system, a lack of finances,
administration, loneliness and difficulty in working in another language.
Whether the goal of making participation in the Erasmus programme
“the general rule rather than the exception”, is achievable, remains to be
seen. In a press release in May 2008, the Commission notes that “the
rate of growth [in mobility of students and teachers] has slowed” and that
“to reach the EU target of 3 million students by 2012, an annual increase
of about 9-10% would be needed” (European Commission, 2008: 2)
You could argue that the Erasmus programme can play a role in
enhancing people’s perceptions of what it means to be a “European
citizen”. Whether it will create “Active European Citizens” is another
question.
References
European Commission. 2007. ERASMUS Success Stories – Europe Creates
Opportunities. Luxembourg: Office for the Official Publications of the
European Communities
Ferraro, G.P. 2006. The Cultural Dimension of International Business. Fifth
Edition. London: Thomson Learning.
Khan- Panni, P., and D., Swallow 2003. Communicating across cultures.
The key successful international business communication. Oxford: How to
books.
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/736
(online)
[accessed 20 June 2008]
Hostfede Cultural Dimensions http://www.geert-hofstede.com/ (online)
[accessed 23 June 2008]