Objectives
The project was implemented with the financial support of the Erasmus+ programme. It was contracted for a period of 26 months, from 01/06/2023 to 31/07/2025. The main quantitative objectives of the project are the implementation of 1 BIP with a minimum of 15 participants, and 80 student and staff mobilities from D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics to HEIs and organisations in Programme countries, incl. 30 student mobilities and 50 staff mobilities.
Additional qualitative objectives of the project are related to creating opportunities for improving the linguistic, social, cultural, and transferable competences (decision-making skills, adaptability, etc.) of mobile students, as well as increasing job satisfaction, improving linguistic, cultural, and social competences, experimenting with new teaching and learning practices, adopting good practices in the design and delivery of educational content, and expanding staff’s professional network of contacts.
At the institutional level, the project pursues expanding opportunities for international cooperation, strengthening collaboration within the KreativEU alliance, and developing partnerships with HEIs outside the Erasmus+ programme countries.
Implementation
Within the framework of the project, a total of 113 mobilities of students and staff were carried out, incl. 23 student and PhD exchanges for traineeships and 15 for studies, 19 staff mobilities for training and 56 for teaching. Two mobilities were international (1 student mobility for studies and 1 staff mobility for training). 15.04% (17) of the mobilities were short-term blended ones, accounting for 31.58% (12 out of 38) of student mobilities and 6.67% (5 out of 75) of staff mobilities. 3 student mobilities were long-term physical mobilities.
In geographical terms, outgoing student and staff mobilities were carried out in HEIs and organisations in the Netherlands (3), Germany (1), Italy (16), Greece (7), Portugal (8), Czechia (11), Hungary (4), Croatia (2), Romania (19), Serbia (3), North Macedonia (6), Slovenia (4), Lithuania (4), Slovakia (2), Poland (7), Türkiye (14), Uzbekistan (1), and Korea (1).
One blended intensive programme for academic and administrative staff was organised, coordinated by D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics. The programme was developed in partnership with three HEIs from Romania, Portugal, and Poland.
The BIP involved 20 participants, 2 of them were local and 18 were international participants from partner HEIs in Portugal (4), Romania (7), Poland (2), Czechia (2), Slovakia (2), and Türkiye (1). The programme included a 5-day physical component in Bulgaria and a 5-day virtual component hosted on the Academy’s institutional e-learning platform.
Results
The project achieved an over-fulfilment of the planned quantitative targets for outgoing student and staff academic mobility by 41.25% (113 reported vs. 80 contracted exchanges) and 100% achievement of the blended intensive programme target (1 implemented vs. 1 planned). By category, the following results were achieved. Overall student mobility exceeded by 26.67%, with student study mobility over-fulfilled by 50.0% and traineeship mobility by 15.0%. Overall staff mobility exceeded by 50.0%, with staff teaching mobility over-fulfilled by 40.0% and training mobility by 90.0%. Traineeship mobility outweighed study mobility among students, with a ratio of 60.53% to 39.47%. Short-term student exchanges dominated (78.95%) compared to long-term ones (21.05%). Breakdown by study level: 4 (10.53%) bachelor, 8 (21.05%) master, and 26 (68.42%) doctoral mobilities. 2 mobilities (5.26%) were carried out by recent graduates. 54 of the academic exchanges (47.79%) were carried out using sustainable transport, with sustainability achieved in 55.26% of student mobilities and 44.0% of staff mobilities.
High participant satisfaction was recorded. 100% of incoming students, 94.87% of outgoing students (100% of participants in mobility for traineeships, 87% of participants in mobility for studies), and 100% of staff in outgoing and incoming mobility, incl. 100% of participants in the blended intensive programme, reported being satisfied with their Erasmus+ experience.
Qualitative spin-off effects were also achieved, incl. strengthening and diversifying cooperation with HEIs from Programme countries through joint participation in NAWA, CEEPUS, and Erasmus+ KA2 projects, as well as diversifying collaboration within the KreativEU alliance.