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Resolution 2044 (2015) Final version
Student mobility
1. The Parliamentary Assembly stresses
that international student mobility is one of the core goals of
the Bologna Process, which set up the European Higher Education
Area (EHEA), and which constitutes an important tool for economic
progress, social development and intercultural understanding.
2. International student mobility has contributed to a better
qualified workforce and a more diversified culture all over Europe
and improved the capacity to interact in a globalised world by fostering
open-mindedness, adaptability and the creativity of millions of
European students. These positive developments, however, are hindered
by a number of obstacles, such as a lack of information, fear of
problems with regard to recognition of qualifications, long bureaucratic
procedures, doubts about the quality of studies abroad, fear of prolonged
studies, lack of financial resources and so on.
3. The Assembly considers that it is important to remove these
obstacles and to provide students with more opportunities to develop
competences that are essential in a globalised economic environment
and a more positive attitude to diversity in a multicultural society.
4. The Assembly therefore calls on Council of Europe member States
to review their policies and practices to enhance student mobility
as follows:
4.1. address factors
that influence decisions to enter mobility programmes by improving
personal perception, social influence and the institutional capacity
of European universities and by organising awareness-raising campaigns
on the positive impact of student mobility;
4.2. increase the availability of student funding and portability
of student support, and in particular:
4.2.1. sign and ratify
the European Agreement on Continued Payment of Scholarships to Students
Studying Abroad (ETS No. 69), and enhance its implementation;
4.2.2. develop scholarship or grant schemes, paying attention
to social, academic and geographical criteria and bearing in mind
the principles of equality of opportunities and non-discrimination;
4.2.3. take into consideration the standard of living and the
real living costs in the host country when taking decisions regarding
the amount of financial support to be provided;
4.2.4. guarantee students participating in credit- and full-degree
mobility the full amount of financial support provided for domestic
students;
4.2.5. encourage private businesses to support student mobility;
4.3. improve recognition of learning outcomes, and in particular:
4.3.1. sign and ratify the Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications
concerning Higher Education in the European Region (ETS No. 165),
and enhance its implementation;
4.3.2. implement the Bologna Process structural reforms, including
the three-cycle degree system and the European Credit Transfer System
(ECTS), aligning national qualifications frameworks with the Qualifications
Framework of the European Higher Education Area (QF-EHEA);
4.3.3. evaluate recognition policies and practice at national
level and participate in external quality assurance processes;
4.3.4. reduce the bureaucratic burden as regards recognition
of qualifications for both the State and the student concerned;
4.4. streamline administrative procedures that have an impact
on student mobility – visas, social cover and residence and work
permits – and in particular:
4.4.1. abolish visa fees for
students enrolled in mobility programmes, and reduce the response time
with regard to applications;
4.4.2. issue residence permits in a timely manner for the full
period of any visas granted;
4.4.3. take measures, in co-ordination with other countries,
to remove administrative barriers related to the application of
different social security systems and double taxation;
4.5. develop and implement measures to encourage the return
of graduates to their home countries after taking part in student
mobility programmes, to prevent brain drain; and facilitate, in
particular, their access to employment, recognising student mobility
as an added value.
5. With due regard to the fundamental values of academic freedom
and university autonomy, the Assembly calls on higher education
institutions to promote student mobility and, to that effect, to:
5.1. raise students’ interest and
motivation, by explaining the benefits of mobility for personal fulfilment
and development of personal identity, and recognise and attach more
value to international student mobility;
5.2. provide clear information to students about academic mobility
programmes, such as the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union,
including the financial support they could obtain, the study programmes
for degree and credit mobility, the requirements for accessing such
programmes and the application and administrative procedures and
offer advice and assistance to students for the submission of their
applications;
5.3. include international student mobility in the university
curriculum rather than just as an extra-curricular possibility;
and promote mobility as part of integrated courses, allowing students
to study in partner universities on an alternating basis;
5.4. provide joint degrees and promote them among the student
population;
5.5. provide foreign language courses and self-learning opportunities
for mobile students, and offer courses taught in a language other
than that of the country of residence; and encourage students who take
part in the Erasmus+ programme to take full advantage of its online
linguistic support programme;
5.6. develop training schemes for teaching staff in partner
universities and provide information platforms and tools for understanding
marking systems so as to simplify the conversion of ECTS credits;
5.7. promote positive peer influence by developing sponsorship
programmes between incoming and outgoing students; and strengthen
family support and the involvement of students on- and off-campus.
6. The Assembly calls on the European Union to consider modalities
for the possible participation in the Erasmus+ programme of students
from European countries currently not covered by this programme,
in particular those from Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Switzerland.