reflections on the putative and actual advantages of short term international mobility programmes...
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Reflections on the putative and actual advantages of short term international mobility programmes for Law students. Cherry James, London South Bank University. The Context. Assumption: that a period of study abroad is a ‘good thing’ for students and society alike - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Cherry James, London South Bank University
Assumption: that a period of study abroad is a ‘good thing’ for students and society alike
Jan Figel: European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth: 'Erasmus programmes have given 'Europe' real meaning in hundreds of thousands of families for whom it would otherwise have remained a vague and abstract concept'.
Much smaller proportion of UK students have a
period of study abroad than do other European students - a pity!
Good for CV: valued by employers; students report positively of experience
Strictures of QLD
Little room for optional modules
Often students doing at least one compulsory core module for most or all of degree course
For Law students on QLD hard to fit an Erasmus year or semester abroad into a three year QLD
Pay fees to home institution whilst abroad - costly to add a year, about to become more so
An Erasmus Intensive Programme - about 250 a year
Alternative to studying at a university in a different EU Member State for a period of three to twelve months
Funded by EU Lifelong Learning Programme Staff and students from at least three
universities from at least three EU MSs Joint study of particular specialised topic Short period (ten days to six weeks) - can fit
into a university holiday
LSBU and four other universities
Inholland University of Applied Sciences, Rotterdam, co-ordinating role
Other partners: University of Ulster; University of Pècs, Hungary; Cergy Pontoise University, France
Application for funding for a three year IP
Requirements: integrated into the study programme of the participating students
Commission preference for IPs in rapidly evolving and new areas
Also if IP is in a study area where extended period of study abroad not possible
Coming into force of Treaty of Lisbon was imminent: hence very topical. Area of Freedom, Security and Justice: Title V ToL
Recognised as area ripe for academic focus: many conferences etc
Not generally addressed in standard EU law courses, anticipated this might change
Six specialist topic areas: Terrorism, Organised Crime, State surveillance, Asylum and immigration, Free movement of persons, Citizenship: one student from each university to each topic
Multinational teaching of specialist topics which otherwise not taught much at all
Students and teachers working together in multinational groups, gaining new perspectives on topic
Teaching staff to exchange views on teaching content and new pedagogical approaches and test teaching methods in international classroom
Variety of innovative assessments Pre-IP phase at home universities: Two papers:
1. Group paper on implementation of AFSJ law and policy in university’s Member State
2. Individual paper on an issue within student’s specialist topic area.
All uploaded onto IP VLE
Oral presentations on national group papers and individual papers
Moot court in national groups Group paper prepared in international
specialist topic groups, on problem scenario Oral presentation of group paper findings
Classes during IP: specialist lectures, lectures on national legal and court systems, visits, group paper coaching
Diverse – individual and group work both national and international
Mooting Oral presentations Learning about AFSJ law and policy and its
implementation and operation in different MSs
Erasmus IP aims: ‘...enable students and teachers to work together in multinational groups...and gain new perspectives on the topic being studied’.
Hard to distinguish cause from effect, but – Some former participants have gone on to
longer Erasmus exchanges (semester or year) Some have gone on to Master’s degrees in
international topics at home or abroad All have said it was very worthwhile, some the
‘most worthwhile’ thing they have done during their degrees
Element of self selection by those with ‘international’ backgrounds/interests
For staff: expect the unexpected!