Set up pairs for teaching mobility to enhance international cooperation without increasing your teaching load

Category of recipe: Internationalisation through partnerships; Internationalisation through development of international skills for staff members; Internationalisation through pedagogical activities and development of international skills (curriculum).

Objective: Improving academic quality / offer; Ensure that programs meet the needs of today's employers and society, and remain attractive in the competitive higher education landscape.

Short description: This recipe consists in setting up pairs for teaching mobility to resolve the issue of teaching load. An hour of teaching at a foreign university can be deducted from the teaching service at your own university, when a partner has taught an equivalent number of hours at your university.

Academic recognition: In this case the recognition should be institutional and/or hierarchical.

Level of difficulty: Medium.

Calendar and time needed:
• Ideally 1 year before going on teaching mobility. Minimum 6 months before.

Cost summary: €.

Language and level required for the concerned staff member: This will depend on the country where you will go on teaching mobility, and on what you will agree with your colleague from the foreign university (whether you will teach in your native language or in the language of the host country).

Roles and Responsibilities:
As hosting teacher, you must facilitate the preparation of the other teachers’ teaching mobility in your home institution (pedagogical and organisational aspects), and as visiting teacher in the foreign university, respect the working plan.
The visiting colleague from the foreign university must do the same on its side.
The 2 institutions must provide support services to both visiting teachers (logistical and administrative aspects).

Ingredients:
2 teaching staff from different countries.
A common interest in such a teaching exchange.
Teaching hours abroad of at least 8 hours for each teacher.
An Erasmus grant for each teacher.
A group of students in each university.
Good communication.
A little bit of anticipation.

Steps:
Important things you must know before getting into it:

• The minimum teaching hours abroad are at least 8 hours for each teacher.
• The 2 teachers don't have to do the exchange at the same time, but they do have to teach abroad during the same academic year.

Step 1: Identify the needs / expectations linked to the course you would normally teach at home.

Step 2: Identify a foreign colleague who is able and willing to teach in that course. If the exchange cannot take place at the same time between the two teachers, decide well in advance with a colleague from your own university who can replace you on the course you're responsible for, and find the right slot.

Step 3: Teaching mobilities being eligible to Erasmus+ STA grants, contact well in advance your faculty and/or the International Relations Office, to ask when to apply for it.

Step 4: Both teachers must apply for mobility grant through their Faculty and the International Relations Office.

Step 5: Inform:

• The colleague in the other institution.
• Your own institution.

Step 6: Ensure that a colleague from your International Relations Office takes care of the Cooperation Agreement between the two institutions.

Step 7: Start the immigration process, if a visa is required. If this is the case, you must ask the hosting institution for an invitation letter.

Step 8: Develop a detailed work plan with the colleague in your host institution, to make sure that both teaching mobilities will allow reaching the goals of the targeted courses and meeting the needs of the students, on both sides (identified in step 1).

Step 9: Find an accommodation where you are going, and in your home town for your visiting colleague (or make sure he does it).

Step 10: With the support of your faculty or International Relations Office:

• Organise your colleague’s arrival (office place, access to internet and classroom, bank account, guidance for local transportation, groceries, etc.).
• Welcome your colleague: welcoming tour / activities, settling in the housing; if you are on site on the day, introduce him/her to all useful departments / people / staff.

Step 11: Go on your teaching mobility.

Step 12: Once the exchange is complete, debrief with the foreign colleague.

Step 13: Although not mandatory, it is always a good idea to measure the level of satisfaction:

• Of students.
• Of your colleague.
• Of yourself.

Budget description:

• - Cost for the organising institutions: Usually very limited or no cost, as the grant is supposed to cover travel and accommodation expenses, but this may vary from one institution to another, so you should check this with your International Relations Office beforehand.
• - Business model of the activity: See above.
• - Budget type / sources of revenues: See above.
• - How to obtain financing: Apply to such grants through your faculty or International Relations Office.

Non-mandatory items:

• - Name of the author of the recipe: USMB’s International Relations Office.

Tips and tricks:

• - Key dates: Start preparing your mobility almost a year in advance! To really save time and avoid the overload of work, make arrangements well in advance during the previous year (before drawing up course schedules for the following year), with a colleague from your own university who can replace you on the course you're responsible for, find the right slot and consider that you can let them manage things without you.
• - Users review list: Satisfaction survey sent to students at the end of the teaching period, as well as to your colleague and yourself.
• - Successful examples of this recipe: The USMB who created this service exchange scheme.