Project Portfolio

Ghent University's International Relations Office is actively involved in a wide range of externally funded projects on the internationalisation of higher education.

Egracons

Ghent University is one of the pioneers in the implementation of ECTS and wants to invest further in the improvement of academic recognition and the efficient management of mobility. In this respect, the International Relations Office is coordinator of the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) Egracons project which aims to facilitate exchange mobility by working out an online conversion system based on ECTS grade conversion tables as recommended in the EU's 2015 ECTS Users’ Guide. The project aims to build up a common awareness about the different grading systems in Europe and to enable an accurate interpretation of grades (or marks) given abroad, leading to a fair and manageable conversion of these grades into a local grade at the home institution.

Erasmus without Paper

In Erasmus + the International Relations Office is taking the lead in the Erasmus+ Key Action 3 project Erasmus without Paper. The aim is to set up a European-wide electronic network that will enable universities to exchange student data directly, hence replacing a multitude of paper forms (learning agreements, transcripts of records, ...) with electronically generated forms. The project also aims to set up a European-wide organisation that will formalize the used standards and protocols. The project has the potential to revolutionize the administration of exchange students combining both the expertise from International Relations Offices and ICT departments.

Reconfirm

Ghent University has been a partner in the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) Transfer of Innovation (TOI) Reconfirm project aiming to enhance traineeship mobility by the establishment of regional consortia. The project resulted in an online platform for international traineeship mobility, giving equal access for all students in Flanders to Erasmus+ Traineeship grants, via an online application tool. The platform is embedded in Flanders Knowledge Area which is coordinating the regional consortium, and administering the allocated Erasmus+ Traineeship mobility budget and the Reconfirm Traineeship Portal. Sustainability and employment of project results are guaranteed by financial support of the Flemish Department of Education and Training and the support of the consortium coordinator and - partners. The project has ended on 31 March 2015.

e-Quatic

In the Policy Plan for Internationalisation (2014-2018) Ghent University has a strong focus on quality. The IRO is coordinating the eQuATIC project, jointly financed by the Flemish government and Ghent University. The aim of the project is to realize a web-based tool supporting Higher Education Institutions to improve the quality of their cooperation with partner institutions. The eQuATIC tool addresses the growing need for quality in international cooperation. It exposes and visualizes strengths and weaknesses, supporting policy makers and practitioners in evaluating international cooperation.

Erasmus Mundus Action 2 and Action 3

The International Relations Office has managed several Erasmus Mundus Action 2 Partnerships which reinforced the reputation of UGent worldwide: 5 Basileus(external link) projects targeting the Western Balkans, 4 Lotus(external link) projects with Southeast Asia, the Lisum(external link) project with China and the Svaagata project with India. Overall Ghent University was involved in 35 Erasmus Mundus Action 2 projects, which resulted in over 700 mobility flows to Ghent University and more than 80 scholarships for UGent students and staff. In order to support the development of joint Master programmes in the framework of Erasmus Mundus, the International Relations Office took on an active role in the Erasmus Mundus Action 3 projects EM-iDEa and EM-ACE(external link), targeting joint master coordinators and students with the aim of increasing quality both in the implementation of the programmes and in student applications.

Other ongoing projects