Learning

Developing excellent research-driven and student-centred education

UNITA intends to enhance excellence and innovation in teaching and learning through a student-centred and research-driven approach, starting in the three focus areas of renewable energies, circular economy, cultural heritage.

This approach will make the Universities of the Alliance vibrant learning environments and boost their attractiveness in a global perspective. Moreover, the attractiveness of the UNITA higher education institutions aims at a spillover effect on the rural and mountain territories of the Alliance through the positive effects of both mobility of students and staff and through internships on the territory.

Reaching Mobility4all.

While it is no longer necessary to demonstrate the benefits of mobility for students and staff, it should be stressed that mobility is also seen as an excellent way to strengthen the links between institutions. The construction of UNITA and its sustainability rests in part on the capacity of partners to significantly increase mobility among them, taking into account that each context is really particular. For instance, the current percentages of long-term student mobility are very different from one institution to another (from 10% to 33%).

Thus, one of UNITA alliance’s work packages aims to develop facilities and “tools” to encourage and support student and staff mobility, in particular from one UNITA institution to another.

Based on preparatory meetings between administrative staff from all partner institutions, long-term physical mobilities seem to have reached a kind of threshold in each UNITA institution. In order to reach its long-term objectives of 50% mobility between them, the partners implement several strategies.

The UNITA alliance gives the opportunity to collectively identify and find answers to barriers to long-term physical mobility, to experiment with new forms of mobility, including virtual mobility, and to develop specific internship opportunities, called “Rural Erasmus” internships, to contribute to both objectives: developing rural territories, particularly cross-border mountainous areas, and increasing the number of mobility opportunities.

Finally, UNITA leads to the creation of several communities of practice that also foster mobility through the organisation of staff weeks, workshops, and summer schools