Blended Intensive Programs

Short mobility for great inter-cultural and inter-disciplinary experiences!

Purpose of the Call General Conditions Mobility Requirements Academic Recognition Transcript of Records & CIVIS Passport Mobility Grants Inclusion Funding Expenses

Purpose of the Call

Starting in academic year 2022/2023, and in line with the Alliance’s new approach on the organisation and funding of educational activities, CIVIS is implementing the Blended Intensive Programmes format to support the development of short-term mobilities for studies, linked to CIVIS joint educational offer.

Blended Intensive Programmes (BIPs) are short, intensive programmes that use innovative forms of learning and teaching, including both face to face and virtual activities.

In this context, CIVIS is launching calls for applications to enable students from CIVIS universities and African partner universities to participate in such programmes including a short-term physical mobility abroad, combined with a compulsory virtual component.

The main objective of this call is:

  • To open the opportunity for international study to a more diverse group of students through a more flexible mobility format (blended mobility), without the barriers that often limit participation in traditional courses.
  • To offer the development of transnational and interdisciplinary curricula to students, as well as innovative ways of learning, including the use of online cooperation.
  • To help mobility participants improve their professional, social, soft, digital, inter-cultural skills, as well and to promote cross-cultural exchange and dialogue.
  • To forge links between CIVIS universities in Europe and Africa, enhancing their transnational cooperation.

Mobilities announced in this call will be carried out during academic year 2024-2025.

The present call is also open to students wishing to participate in BIPs organised by their home institution. For these students and as there is no mobility involved, only sections 2, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 concerning certification, application process, evaluation and selection, notification, and obligations and commitments, will apply.

General Conditions

CIVIS Blended Intensive Programmes are open to students enrolled at any of the CIVIS member universities at the Bachelor, Master, or PhD level, based on the criteria of each programme.

Some CIVIS BIPS are also open to students enrolled at an associate member university in Africa. To know which programmes are open to the participation of students from associate member universities please check here.

Students may participate in up to a maximum of 2 BIP programmes in the same academic year. Exceptions from this limitation might be allowed at University level. Please check the website of your home university or contact your local International/Erasmus Office or CIVIS Unit in charge. Prerequisite for the participation in more than 1 BIP programme is that:

  • The face-to-face component of the programmes in which the student has been selected in, do not coincide in time.
  • The student’s study program allows for it, and his/her academic coordinator/counsellor and/or faculty/department approves it. 

In any case, participation in CIVIS BIP programmes is subject to both CIVIS Universities’ and Erasmus+ mobility conditions.

Mobility Requirements

Participation in Blended intensive Programs falls within the framework of Erasmus+ short-term mobility for studies and, as in other Erasmus+ mobilities, the same requirements for mobility apply:

  • Academic recognition of the studies undertaken abroad, within the student's study plan. Before application, applicants should carefully read the section on recognition below.
  • Limited physical stays: The Erasmus+ programme establishes a limitation for physical stays of a maximum of 12 months per study cycle (Bachelor, Master, PhD). In one-cycle study programmes, such as medicine, students can be mobile for up to 24 months. In the case of students who have enjoyed an Erasmus stay abroad (studies, internships), the total number of months completed plus the planned stay abroad within the CIVIS BIP programme may not exceed 12 months/or 24  months.
  • To be admitted to the selection process, applicants must be fully enrolled at their home university, in an official Bachelor, Master or PhD degree at the time of application and throughout the entire delivery of the course and the physical mobility.
  • Mobility within the CIVIS BIP programs may not be compatible with other international mobilities according to universities internal rules. In case a student is doing an  international mobility, they may  not be able to participate in a CIVIS BIP program if the period of stay abroad coincides with the face-to-face component (physical mobility) of the course.

In addition to the above, special criteria and processes for mobility may apply at each CIVIS University. Before submitting their application, students must check their home university’s website or contact their International/Erasmus Office or CIVIS Unit in charge, to learn about the established conditions for Blended Intensive Programs mobility.

CIVIS International/Erasmus Offices contacts, and relevant links are included in Annex I to this Call. They can also be consulted through the following link.

Students enrolled in one of the six associate member universities in Africa, shall contact local contact personal (see Annex II), and on rather general questions, CIVIS Global Partnerships Officer Christian Möllmann: christian.moellmann@uni-tuebingen.de. In a second step and after being nominated, they should also be in contact with the Programme Coordinator and the mobility office of the host university.

Academic Recognition

CIVIS BIPs are rigorous academic teaching modules, recognised by the European Commission and all CIVIS member universities.

Each CIVIS BIP corresponds to at least 3 and up to 9 ECTS credits. Recognition of these ECTS credits as part of the student’s study programme depends on the policies and procedures of each CIVIS member university.

Before applying, students need to make sure they find out more about their home university's policy on credit recognition of CIVIS (BIP) courses by contacting their study counsellor, academic advisor, or international coordinator at their home faculty/department. 

Selected students must sign a Learning Agreement specifying the programme the student will follow, including a short description of the mandatory virtual component, and the way in which it will be recognised upon completion of the course. This agreement shall ideally be signed by all parties before the start of the programme and compulsorily before the start of the physical mobility.

PhD students should engage in BIP programs towards their doctoral thesis and must also sign a Learning Agreement. Recognition of this training as part of the student’s study program depends on the policies and procedures of each CIVIS member university.

Please note that  students enrolled at the University of Glasgow or the University of Lausanne should follow the instructions provided by their home university or contact them directly.

Students enrolled at one of the six associate member universities in Africa, should also follow the instructions provided by their home university for participation in Blended Intensive Programs.

The BIP programme can only be recognised if it has been successfully completed, which implies the student shall carry out and complete the two components of the BIP (the mandatory virtual component and the face-to-face or mobility component), as well as the assessment. In case of uncompleted courses, the local (Erasmus) funding rules might apply.

Transcript of Records & CIVIS Passport

After completion of the course, the BIP coordinating institution shall issue the Transcript of Records to the student, stating the title of the BIP, the type of activity carried out, the number of ECTS assigned and the grade/mark obtained.

Students will also receive a digital accreditation for their participation through CIVIS Passport, one of the first tools for registration and recognition of the educational experience at European level, which includes all CIVIS activities (academic and non-academic), and which students receive at the end of their studies.

Mobility Grants

Students from CIVIS members based in the EU are entitled to Erasmus+ funding for the duration of their physical mobility, provided available fund at their home universities. Please refer to the “Funding and Expenses” section for more details.

Short stays for students within the Erasmus+ CIVIS BIP programme will have a duration of 5 days (exclusive travel days). In order to receive the grant, it is a requirement to participate during the 5 days of the course. The grant should be regarded as a contribution towards the costs of mobility rather than covering 100% of the involved costs. In order to receive the funding, students have to sign a grant agreement with their university before the physical mobility and according to local regulations.

If you are already in receipt of other EU funding at the time of the mobility, you will not be entitled to additional funding, but you may still be able to participate in the BIP under “zero-grant” status, depending on the rules applying at your home university.

Students from the University of Glasgow are eligible to participate in CIVIS BIPs but cannot receive an Erasmus-funded travel grant. Instead, they should contact the CIVIS team at civis@glasgow.ac.uk. 

Students from the University of Lausanne are also eligible to participate in CIVIS BIPs, with a national scholarship. For more information, visit the UNIL website.

Students from one of the six associate member universities in Africa who have successfully applied for participation in one of the BIP open to these institutions, might receive an Erasmus+ ICM grant for their participation, covering travel and subsistence costs during their stay. They should contact their International Student Exchange Office, which will nominate them for such a scholarship.

Inclusion

Candidates from disadvantaged backgrounds, with special needs or disabilities are encouraged to apply. They might receive additional funding in order to cover costs directly related to their participation in the mobility. Students shall check eligibility criteria established at their home university for less opportunity students.

Funding Expenses

Regulations for Erasmus + funding are still in flux and change from year to year, additionally, national regulations differ from each other, so it is difficult to present a common overview of funding opportunities for all CIVIS BIP students. The only common rule for all CIVIS students is a daily allowance of 79 Euro. If students receive travel costs on top, and if yes, how much, is very much dependent on yearly budget regulations and national rules.

In any case, Erasmus + funding is usually not enough to finance the whole week including travel costs and students should reserve personal funds to realize the BIP from the very beginning. For students from the University of Glasgow and the University of Lausanne, again different funding rules apply.

Also, selected participants will need to advance their own funds when organizing their stay, such as visa, insurance, flights, and accommodation, since the mobility grant will be paid only after the Grant Agreement is signed (see payment conditions) . It is highly advisable to make bookings, such as flights and accommodation, on conditions that allow reimbursement in case of cancellation of travel.