Study abroad with Erasmus+

The Erasmus+ programme allows students to spend part of their academic path in one of the EU countries. The Erasmus+ programme can last from 3 to 12 months.

Erasmus+ programme and destinations

Students who are enrolled at the University of Genoa, as well as in a PhD course or at a School of Specialisation, can take part in the Erasmus+ programme at universities and higher education institutions located in one of the following countries:
- EU: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Hungary
- Extra EU: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Turkey and FYROM

What activities you can do

Students can:
• attend classes and take exams;
• write their thesis and do research
• do a traineeship (only if included in your academic path).

How to apply and get through the paperwork

• Essential requirements
You can apply
- if you are enrolled at the University of Genoa;
- if you have not previously applied for an Erasmus+ programme to study and/or to work abroad during your studies. You can spend up to 12 months abroad if you are enrolled in a bachelor’s degree course or up to 24 months if you are enrolled in a five-year master’s degree course;
- if you have not taken part in any other mobility programmes at the same time (ex. Joint master degree – ex Erasmus Mundus key action 1).
Please verify at your department if there are any specific requirements for your destinations.

• Notice of competition
Every year the University of Genoa issues the Erasmus+ notice of competition, which students to take part in a study exchange programme. The notice of competition includes all the essential requirements for the application, the activities that students can do abroad, as well as funding and benefits for selected students.
Besides the notice of competition, the University of Genoa issues also the available destinations.
The International Office organises Erasmus Days at the university buildings to outline the Erasmus+ programmes and to help students get through the paperwork.
   * Notice of competition 2017/2018
   * Destinations 2017/2018*

• Online application
Follow the procedure of the notice of competition carefully and submit your online application. You can study in only one of the Partner Universities indicated in the list.

• Selection process
The Selection Commissions of each department, formed by teachers and the Erasmus staff, evaluate the students who have applied. The Selection Commissions examine the additional paper attached in the online application and the students’ motivation. The selection process also includes a compulsory interview. Each Selection Commission draws up a merit ranking and can assign to each student one of the destinations he/she has indicated in the application form or even a different one.

• Merit rankings and acceptance of the Erasmus+ scholarship
The Selection Commissions submit the selection reports and the merit rankings to the International Office that will carry out the required checks and will issue the merit rankings. If you get an Erasmus+ scholarship you have to accept it online. Every year the International Office organises Info Days to help you before, during and after your exchange programme.
- Merit rankings
- Online scholarship acceptance

• Language courses for Erasmus+ outgoing students
The Erasmus+ programme offers online language courses (English, French, German and Spanish) for exchanges lasting at least 3 months. The European Commission provides online language support to students who take part in the Erasmus+ programme in order to evaluate their improvements in the language they are going to study or work with. If there is no online language support, the University of Genoa offers language courses that are free of charge. The Selection Commissions specify the students who can take part in these courses.
The list of participants, places and time of the language courses will be issued on the University website.
The CLAT (Centro Linguistico di Ateneo – University Language Centre) organises the language courses for Erasmus+ outgoing students. If you have been selected to take part in the Erasmus+ exchange, please register for the online language courses on AulaWeb. These courses are considered as part of your academic path and you can get CFU by attending them. If you attend at least 70% of the total classes, you can take the final test.

• Learning Agreement, signing of the Erasmus Agreement and departure
Before your departure, you have to go to the Erasmus Office at your department to fill in your Learning Agreement, which must be approved by your contact person, the degree course Board and the host institution.
Students who are enrolled in a PhD course or at a School of Specialisation have to fill in their study course programme. It has to be agreed on by the Director of the PhD course or of the School of Specilisation and must also be authorised by the School Board. Students who are enrolled in First and Second Level University Master courses have to get their study course programme approved by the President of the University Master.
The Learning Agreement is an integral part of the Agreement you need to fill in and submit at the International Office.
The Learning Agreement aims to:
- set out the study course or the traineeship programme that students fulfil abroad as well the objectives expected to be achieved;
- establish the conditions deemed necessary for the recognition of the activities undertaken abroad;
- specify the host institution
- indicate the student’s language level (level of the main language spoken during the exchange)
The Learning Agreement is mandatory to receive the Erasmus+ grant.
You will be summoned by the International Office to sign the Erasmus Agreement that grants the Erasmus+ scholarship.
Then, you have to take the first language assessment on the European Commission platform.

After you have carried out all these tasks, you can finally start your exchange programme and inform the International Office.

At the end of your Erasmus+ exchange, the host institution will give you:
• the Transcript of Records, which specifies the activities carried out abroad and listed in your Learning Agreement
• the Certificate of Attendance
­
During the mobility
You can modify your Learning Agreement by adding, changing or delating teaching units and exams once you have arrived at the host university and have carefully evaluated the actual degree courses offered by the host university. These changes must be approved by the responsible persons at both the host and the home university. Then, you have to send the new Learning Agreement to the Erasmus Office of your department.
You can extend your mobility, provided that the extension is authorised by the host university and by the responsible person at the University of Genoa. It must also be confirmed by the International Office.
During your mobility, you can attend the online language course on the European Commission platform.

What to do before coming back
Before coming back to Italy, you have to ask for:
­ the Transcript of Records (ToR), namely the list of the exams you have passed. You have to submit the ToR to the Erasmus Office to get full recognition of your studies abroad.
­ The Certificate of Attendance, namely the document that proves your attendance at the host university/institution. You have to bring the original copy to the International Office.
Then, you have to take:
­ the second language assessment on the European Commission platform;
­ the online survey about your experience abroad (the International Office will send you the link)

• Who does what
The International Office:
­ issues the notices of competition
­ organises Erasmus and Info days
­ issues the merit rankings
­ deals with scholarships acceptances
­ signs the Erasmus Agreement in order to provide scholarships
­ pays scholarships
­ deals with mobility extension applications
­ receives and checks the final paperwork
 
The Selection Commissions of each department deal with:
­ selection criteria and students’ selection
Erasmus Offices of each department deal with:
­ Learning Agreements and course study programmes
The Centro Linguistico di Ateneo, CLAT (University Language Centre), 2, Piazza Santa Sabina deals with:
­ language courses  
The International Students Office (SASS), 6, Piazza della Nunziata:
­ supports the application for visas and renews residence permits
Responsible person at the Sending Institution and at the host University:
­ authorises the mobility extension

The International Office and the Responsible person at the host institution issue:
­ Confirmations of Arrival, Transcripts of Record, Certificates of Attendance

• Useful documents
- Learning Agreement a.a. 2017/2018
- Guidelines on how to use the Learning Agreement for Studies
- Funding for Erasmus+ students to study abroad a.a. 2017/2018

General Information

Recognition Procedures for Erasmus exchange programmes
At the end of the mobility, the Sending Institution will fully recognise the activities that have been carried out abroad.
The European Community Course Credit Transfer System (ECTS) is used to recognise the activities successfully undertaken abroad, as well as to measure and compere the academic achievements by transferring the credits from one university to another.

Calculation of the Eramus+ grant
The National Agency Erasmus+/Indire has implemented a new system to calculate the amount of Erasmus+ grants.
According to the new calculation method, the scholarship amount will be determined by summing the actual number of days spent abroad, instead of making an approximate calculation based on the entire or the partial months spent abroad, as the previous LLP programme used to do.
The fiscal year has been chosen as measuring unit, so that each month will have 30 days independently of its actual duration.
The basis of the calculation corresponds to a thirtieth of the monthly grant.
See the following example of calculation:
Grant of 230 Euro for 30 days – mobility from 16/10/2015 to 02/03/2016
Calculation:
15 days (from 16/10 to 30/10) + 30 days x 4 full months (November – December – January – February) + 2 gg in March
Total days= 15 + (30 × 4) + 2 = 137 days
230.00 / 30 × 137 = 1,050.33

Benefits
- UniGE benefits in addition to the Erasmus grant: benefits provided by the University of Genoa to students who have specific income requirements. The submission of the ISEE-U form is mandatory to benefit from these incentives. The amount of the UniGe benefits cannot be calculated upon issue of the notice of competition, since it is determined according to the availability of funds.
- extra benefits issued by the European Commission: Euro 200.00 per month to students from lower socio-economic backgrounds or with special needs.
- Banca CARIGE agreement: before departure, students can avail themselves of the Erasmus grant given in advance, as well as of the UniGe benefits – if any. If students will not be able to complete their Erasmus exchange, they will have to return a part of or the entire scholarship amount.
- ALFA Liguria benefits: extra incentives issued for specific cases by the Agenzia per il Lavoro, la Formazione e l’Accreditamento della Regione Liguria (ALFA Liguria). Students who have win an ALFA scholarship cannot receive or will only receive a part of the benefits provided by the University of Genoa.
Health insurance
Students have to check their health insurance at their appointed ASL (Azienda Sanitaria Locale – local health authority) before leaving. The TEAM (Tessera Europea Assicurazione Malattia – European Health Insurance Card) could cover the costs of medical care and hospital stays according to the hosting country’s legislation.
Visit the online website of Ministero della Salute (Italian Ministry of Health) for further information.

Exceptions to the acceptance
The host university/institution has the final decision about the acceptance of the students’ applications. The University of Genoa cannot do anything in case the host university/institution reject their applications.
Students have to meet the deadlines set by the host university/institution and they have to fill in and submit the necessary documents to start their mobility (ex. application form, classes registration, application for accommodation, etc.)
Students have to gather information, comply with all the necessary administrative requirements and follow the procedures of the host university/institution. Students who do not meet the deadlines may be rejected by the host university/institution.
Many European universities can offer students accommodations inside or outside the university campus, provided that students have submitted their application on time.

Useful links
www.erasmusplus.it/ (external link)
• European Commission (external link)