Erasmus staff exchange

Do you want to develop professionally or exchange experiences with colleagues abroad? The Erasmus programme gives you the opportunity to go on a stimulating staff exchange where you can get international experience, develop your skills and get new perspectives. Teachers can also apply for staff exchange.

 

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There are various options for employees who wants to apply for a scholarship for staff exchange. You can, for example:

  • Job shadowing. Job shadowing is a type of on-the-job training that allows you to follow and closely observe a colleague at a university abroad. The purpose of this is to gain insight into work methods and exchange experiences.
  • Participate in seminars and workshops. For example Staff training week organized by a partner university. Find Staff Weeks
  • Attend language courses or other relevant courses.

Application process

Contact the university, company or organisation you want to visit and make arrangements for the trip by yourself. 

You can submit your application at any time during the year, we process them all year round with the exception of:

  • 1 July – 10 August.
  • 15 December – 10 January.

Submit application

  1. Read and follow the instructions on how to apply for staff exchange via Solemove.
  2. The application must reach the International Office no later than one month before your planned staff exchange. The application needs to be complete with all the attachments uploaded well in advance of your exchange.

Selection process

The funds that Umeå University receives from the Erasmus programme are limited. Therefore all applications will go through a selection process. The selection is based on your work plan.

Application conditions


These conditions apply in order to apply for staff mobility through the Erasmus programme:

  • Your manager must approve your mobility period.
  • The duration of the mobility shall be a minimum of two working days and a maximum of two months.
  • Mobility must be carried out in one place over a continuous period.
  • You are employed at Umeå University
  • A continuing education program; "Work plan", is attached to the application. It can, for example, contain a schedule that describes the exchange, as well as justification to why this is relevant to your work. You are welcome to include information about how you will spread your future gained experiences or knowledge when you return.
  • The exchange takes place within the framework of your employment.

Where to go

The countries participating in the Erasmus programme are:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Turkey. 

Exchange agreements

No exchange agreement is required to go on a staff exchange, unless the recipient requests it. You can find our exchange agreements in the exchange agreement database Solemove.

If you want to go on an exchange through another department's agreement, contact that department to get consent. If an agreement needs to be drawn up, talk to the international contact person at your department to draw up an (individual or permanent) agreement with the host university.

Book your travel

We recommend that you use the university's travel agency when going on an exchange.
Read more about how to book business travel through the university's travel agency

After your exchange

To be able to complete your exchange application and calculate the compensation, you need to fill in a travel report (which will be sent to you electronically) and upload the following documents in Solemove:

  • a copy of the travel expense report from PASS (uploaded in Solemove)
  • a signed certificate (Certificate of Attendance) from the foreign higher education institution/organization stating that you have visited them and during which period.

Instructions for how to complete your exchange in Solemove kan be found here:

Application for Erasmus staff

How the scholarship payment works

The scholarship is paid to your department. They will receive it after you have uploaded the requested attachments in Solemove according to the section above.

The scholarship is paid out as a lump sum that will help cover some of the expenses you have in connection with your staff exchange, such as travel costs and increased living costs. The scholarship does not cover all additional expenses.

Your department pays your fee if you choose to attend a course. Course fees are not reimbursed.

The length of stay, physical distance, and which country you have visited determine how large the scholarship will be.

Petra Käck
9/15/2023