Assistance and agreements for international mobility
The service will deal with the definition of agreements with universities in other countries for the international mobility of students, in particular for training periods abroad, but also, for example, for the award of joint or double degrees, appropriate for the achievement of the expected learning outcomes, as well as the organisation and management of international mobility of outgoing students and the reception of incoming students from other countries.
In recent years the University of Parma has undertaken important work aimed at increasing the number of courses with double or joint degrees, with a view to increasing and promoting international mobility. In this sense, the development policies of the course catalogue have taken into specific consideration the relationship between the international development of the course catalogue itself, its sustainability and adequacy, and the territorial dimension and relations with other universities. It is precisely the international dimension of the course catalogue that is aimed not only at increasing the number of deserving international students, by diversifying their geographical origin, but also at increasing the number of graduates who have had training experience abroad, thus strengthening the international dimension of the training contexts, also through the teaching of foreign experts and the development of the students' language skills.
The intense activity aimed at improving internationalisation has resulted in an increase in language training opportunities, the consolidation of exchange activities within the Erasmus+ Programme, the expansion of exchange opportunities within the OVERWORLD University Programme, in the implementation of double degree programmes with structured mobility, in the TeachinParma project co-financed by the CariParma Foundation for the support of Visiting Professors working within the Doctoral Schools, in the recruitment of Visiting Professors for teaching activities in first- and second-level study courses.
In order to coordinate central and departmental activities, International Mobility Committees have been set up in each department since 2017. Internationalisation initiatives are accessible from the 'INTERNATIONAL' menu item on the University's homepage.
The Department of Economics and Management has been committed to internationalisation for several years through the signing of exchange agreements, the promotion of double degrees, and the development of other joint projects with other European and non-European universities. This activity is promoted by a sixteen-member International Mobility Committee with the help of three students acting as tutors for both incoming and outgoing students.
Exchange opportunities take place under the Erasmus Plus SMS and Overworld programmes, both of which have dedicated funding for internationalisation. These agreements are updated every year by the University's International Relations Department and involve the issuing of one call for applications per year and the drawing up of the relevant ranking list. (see Annex 1, List of EU and non-EU agreements).
With reference to the Erasmus Plus Programme, three new agreements were signed in 2019/2020 (Wageningen University, Netherlands; Panepistimio Kyprou, Cyprus; DHBW Heilbronn, Germany).
The Erasmus Plus international mobility programme also includes the possibility of internships abroad (Erasmus+ SMT Programme, Internship) and the mobility of teachers, both incoming and outgoing (Erasmus+ STA Programme). In 2019, three foreign lecturers delivered lecture packages in the Department's degree programmes and six lecturers from our Department delivered lectures in foreign universities.
With regard to the Overworld Programme, the network of non-European relations has expanded considerably in recent years. In the academic year 2019/2020, new exchanges have been activated in the following universities: Shizuoka University - Japan, The Academy of Economics Studies of Moldova - Moldova, Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University - Ukraine, Hanoi University of Industry and Thai Nguyen University of Economics And Business Administration Vietnam. In addition, several Memoranda of Understanding have been signed, providing a prelude to new exchanges.
In the United States, the particularly prestigious agreement with the University of Saint Francis (SFU) in the United States is worth mentioning. The network of relationships we have built up now allows us both to meet all the needs of our students and to host foreign students from all over the world.
The Overworld call for proposals is published annually between January and February.
The Department also has several double degrees.
The first double degree was signed with the Faculty of Economics of Vilnius University in Lithuania (2012), followed by double degrees with the University of Pamukkale in Turkey (currently suspended), Lyone in France, Grenoble in France and Bochum in Germany. The double degree of Pamukkale is currently suspended for well-known political reasons. The double degree with Lyon was cancelled by decision of our partner (asymmetry in inbound and outbound flows). In 2019, a new double degree agreement was signed with Fecap in São Paulo, Brazil.
Another agreement active in Europe outside the Erasmus Programme is the agreement between the Department of Economics and the University of Dundee, UK. For several years now, we have been offering our students the opportunity to take part in one of their Master's degree courses in economics, business or finance. There is a privileged channel for our students in the selection process and the possibility to compete for scholarships offered by their university. Participation in the Dundee Master's programme entitles our students to 40 credits and enrolment in the second year of their Master's degree upon their return to Parma.
ADA boasts three double degrees, see details in the box below and on the Department's website page http://sea.unipr.it/it/didattica/scambi-internazionali
In addition to double degrees, there are agreements that provide for the exchange of lecturers and students; a full list can be found on the website at https://sea.unipr.it/it/internazionale/scambi-internazionali
Finally, with particular reference to the ADA course, an agreement has been formalised with the Fisher School of Accounting - University of Florida (FSOA), which, as part of a broader protocol, undertakes to host two ADA students per academic year as part of the development of their thesis.