In 2019 the University of Salento was beneficiary of Europe funding in the framework of the Erasmus+ Program – KA107 - Higher education student and staff mobility between Programme and Partner Countries (International Credit Mobility).
International Credit Mobility projects aim to help individual participants acquire skills, to support their professional development and deepen their understanding of cultures. They also aim to increase the capacities, attractiveness and international dimension of the organisations taking part.
The Key Action 107, which aims at involving individuals and organisations from outside Europe, provides the opportunity for student, teaching and administrative staff mobility over a period of 36 months, based on mobility agreements in force among the three departments of UniSalento and their counterparts in Partner Countries around the world.
Duration: 36 months
The main goal of the mobility activities at the Department of Engineering for Innovation (DEfI) is to strengthen master’s students mobility and reinforce teaching and administrative staff exchanges within the framework of the long-standing cooperation of DEfI at the University of Salento (UNISAL) with the School of Management at the Jinan University of Guangzhou in China (JNU).
Since the outset of the cooperation, academic mobility has been the privileged means of all the activities and initiatives set up by both partner institutions, in line with respective universities’ strategic plans as well as national and regional objectives and agreements. The current mobility project hinges exactly on the two partners’ established cooperation to contribute to the mandates of their national authorities and universities to promote the international dimension of respective education programs.
The project involves grants for 10 Master’s students (incoming), 2 incoming and 2 outgoing staff, respectively for Teaching and Training over periods going from 7 days for the latter to up to 6 months for the former.
Check Application Deadline and Selection Criteria
Application Deadline
General deadlines for international exchange applications at UniSalento are June 30 for the following fall semester; October 31 for the following spring semester. Dates can be subject to change.
Selection Criteria
Sending partner institution will be responsible for the identification of qualified students, which will be expected to be in good academic standing and be currently registered at the sending institution at the time of application. Graduate students enrolled at JNU are eligible for the exchange programme. Potential candidates for the exchange project should demonstrate English proficiency to prove that they are able to attend classes conducted in English through relevant international certifications or other persuasive proofs. Selection of candidates for the attribution of the program scholarship will be undertaken through a public competition announcement. Candidates’ ability to understand and communicate in English language will be verified by the home institution during the qualification process.
Check available Activities, Grading Systems and Courses
Activities
The subjects of any activities and programs available are related but not limited to, courses and exams attendance, internship and research activities, participation in seminars, conferences and similar events. All credits earned at the receiving institution will be transferable to the sending institution, unless otherwise specified, and will contribute to students’ degree completion at the sending university according to each institution’s policy.
Grading Systems
European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) grading scale and correspondence to local grade (see Italian grading system)
Students can choose any among the courses offered by the Master Programme in Management Engineering. Generally, they are suggested to participate to groups and activities whose main language is English, and they are guided by the academic coordinators at either institution according to the own field of study and inclination.
In the following table are listed courses within MME and their equivalent courses within SiMBA. Only the courses which contents overlap significantly have been associated for equivalence (see Table 1).
This does not preclude SiMBA students to join the other courses offered, provided that the concerned course holder agrees (see Table 2).
However, joining extra courses would be done upon concerned student/s own will and engagement to complete the course. In this last regard a trial period agreed with the course holder can be foreseen. In any case, the course chosen would not be considered for the fulfilment of exchange student's credit requirements.
Check courses schedule at https://logistica.unisalento.it/PortaleStudenti/index.php?view=home&_lang=en&empty_box=0&col_cells=0
Check exams calendar at https://easytest.unisalento.it/Calendario/Dipartimento_di_Ingegneria_dellInnovazione/index.html
1. ONLINE APPLICATION AND SELECTION
The Erasmus + public competition announcement for incoming students, which includes selection requirements and criteria, as well as instructions to apply and other information, is available at the following link:
https://www1.unisalento.it/bandi-concorsi
Selections and evaluations will be carried out by the scientific panel via conf calls. The merit ranking of selected candidates and the list of eligible candidates will be published on University of Salento website in the sections “Albo Online” and “Bandi e Concorsi
https://www.unisalento.it/albo-online
https://www1.unisalento.it/bandi-concorsi
Selected candidates will receive by e-mail a nomination letter providing the details of the scholarship awarded and general information concerning their mobility. Together with the nomination letter, selected candidates will receive an acceptance letter.
The selected candidates will need to confirm their acceptance within 5 days from the publication of the merit raking in the “Albo Online” of the University of Salento, by sending an e-mail at the address protocollo.ingegneria@unisalento.it having as object “Competition Announcement for the assignment of students’ mobility scholarships (KA107 2019) – Acceptance”.
By confirming that they accept their nomination for a scholarship, the selected candidates also confirm their acceptance of the scholarship guidelines and pledge to take all the necessary measures to start and complete the mobility successfully and in accordance with all the stipulated administrative and academic requirements.
2. INVITATION LETTER
Following the publication of official rankings, selected students are intended to request the official invitation letter and to communicate the name and address of the Italian consular office where he/she will apply for visa.
3. LEARNING AGREEMENT AND FINANCIAL AGREEMENT
Selected students are required to sign the financial agreement and fill in the learning agreement, specifically the first section named “Before the mobility,” where the student is intended to indicate which courses or other activities will attend in the host university after having verified their availability. The learning agreement filled shall be signed by the student, the responsible person and the department coordinator at the sending university, then scanned and sent by e-mail to international.office@unisalento.it for approval.
Once arrived, you will be accompanied to The International Relations Office. Staff will assist you in meeting the very first needs, that is,
- Applying for residence permit (non-EU students must apply within 8 days upon arrival in Italy). The application kit is provided free of charge at most post offices and CAF centres. Upon submission and payment of the application fees, the student will get a receipt indicating the date to go to the immigration office of the local police department for fingerprint registration. At that time, the student is required to hand four passport-standard photos (frontal, full face without any coverage) besides copy of all used pages of passport, copy of invitation letter, copy of health insurance;
- Enrolling and registering at University of Salento;
- Buying a SIM card (for non-EU students, upon student request);
- Opening an Italian bank account, that must be linked to an Italian phone number and is required for the payment of the scholarship;
- Getting canteen service at a reduced fee (upon student request and subject to agreement renewals)
- Getting reduced monthly-tickets for students (upon student request and subject to agreement renewals);
- Getting in contact with students’ associations and networks;
- Getting information on Italian language courses for international students;
- Getting temporary accommodation (length of stay to be defined at the arrival).
After having handled the very first arrival procedures, you will be assisted in getting in contact the scientific coordinator to set an appointment, he/she will support you to fill in and sign the first section of the learning agreement named “before the mobility” where you will enter the details of the activities agreed with the exchange responsible person/scientific coordinator both at the sending and receiving university. The learning agreement correctly filled will ensure the recognition for the activities successfully completed at the receiving university.
Furthermore, students will receive a registry of activities that must be filled during the mobility and validated by an internal referent.
N. B. Changes in the activities during the mobility at the receiving university must be discussed with and approved by the receiving scientific coordinator following consultations with the sending scientific coordinator. Any change during the mobility shall be reported in the section named “during the mobility” and signed by all related parties.
At the conclusion of the mobility period, the host university will issue a certificate attesting the type of activity accomplished by the exchange student, such as the course attended, the exams taken, the hours of internship and the credits earned (Transcript of Records or Attestation of Internship). Such documents could be delivered directly to the student or sent to the sending institution as early as possible and in any case within five weeks of the conclusion of exchange period, to be used for the recognition of the exchange activities at home university.
Before return, you shall “check-out” at IRO by timely arranging an appointment and requesting any documents or arrangements needed before the return, such as the certificate of stay.
You are also required to transmit to the Department of Engineering for Innovation the Learning Agreement for Studies or Traineeship duly signed by all parties, the Register of activities and copy of the Certificate of Stay (indicating the start and end date of the mobility), the Transcript of Records and Certificate of Traineeship released by the University of Salento competent offices.
After the mobility, you are required to fill in the Participant Report (Participant Narrative Report), a questionnaire relating to the study/research activity carried out, which will be requested by the European Commission directly from the participant, via e-mail to his/her e-mail address, via the Mobility Tool database. The participant is required to complete and submit the online report (link via e-mail address replies-will-be-discarded@ec.europa.eu): failure to comply with this obligation will result in the reimbursement of the scholarship.
Due to the measures to prevent infection with COVID-19, in case of further restrictions to travel that may be raised, the mobility activities can be started in virtual mode and completed in person at the release of travel restrictions.
In the event that the persistence of restrictions due to the epidemiological emergency does not allow participants to complete the mobility in presence, also after having considered a period of interruption compatible with the program duration and provisions, the entire period could be undertaken in virtual mobility.
The virtual mobility period is not covered by the scholarship but all the activities carried out online will be recognized in the transcript of records. Support will be provided to students in arrangements of documents and activities also in case of virtual mobility. Any further information can be obtained by e-mailing the following address: francesca.giannotta@unisalento.it
Data Ultimo Aggiornamento: 09/03/2021
The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.