Increasing Student Participation in Mobility Programmes

On 26 October 2023, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University hosted a partnership meeting of the COSTABEX project, which brings together four partners from three different countries: the Czech Republic, Lithuania and Slovenia (Academia).

The main objective of the project is to increase student participation in the Erasmus+ programme and to provide them with the necessary support during mobility and after their return. Through various activities and tools, the partners strive to ensure that students feel more confident, satisfied and prepared for further academic, professional and personal development after returning from their exchange.

The key results of the partnership collaboration are:

• Pre-departure preparatory training programme, which familiarises outgoing students with potential difficulties and risks that may arise during mobility. This helps students to be more confident and prepared for possible challenges.
• Support during mobility – during the exchange, students will have access to an online counselling service that will provide support and assistance with any difficulties or questions.
• Availability of materials online – all study materials are accessible on the project website, which enables students easy access to information.
• Mental health programme – special attention is devoted to students' mental health during mobility. The project will provide the necessary support to ensure a positive experience for students abroad.
• Involving students in the mentor community – encouraging the involvement of students who have returned from exchange in the mentor community for the next generation of outgoing students. This will reduce the possibility of reverse culture shock and facilitate their return to the home environment.
• Creating a multinational student community – creating a multinational community of students who will help each other and exchange information.

The partnership meeting in Vilnius was an excellent opportunity to review the activities carried out and to outline future activities. By the end of October 2024, when the project concludes, we will carry out an online dissemination event, prepare a handbook for counselling staff implementing student mobility, and update the website to make it more interactive and adapted for use by persons with disabilities.

All those interested in learning more about the COSTABEX project and wishing to use the free materials and tools are invited to visit the website: https://costabex.eu. More about the activities of the Costabex project can also be found in the video below, prepared as part of the implementation of two workshops on mental health and stress management for students.

Source: Academia (7. 11. 2023). Fotografije: arhiv Academie.

This English summary was produced automatically from the Slovenian article and is pending editorial review. Slovenska različica