Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution (HEI) has been awarded for organising the largest number of mobility programmes for students with fewer opportunities. Inspiring experiences, new discoveries and knowledge help students improve and achieve their goals. Erasmus+ aims to make international experience accessible to everyone, which is why student mobility options are more flexible than ever today, and people with fewer opportunities can also participate in the programme. The annual Quality Competition is implemented by the Education Exchanges Support Foundation. This competition aims to reward the highest quality projects of international educational programmes and show what value and change international projects create in education.
‘The greatest joy is when we send students out and only hear about them when they return – it means that everything is fine for them, and when the student is fine, it makes us happy, because our job is to ensure opportunities for students to go, experience, learn. It is very good that we have the opportunity to encourage students to participate in the Erasmus+ exchange programme who would have difficulty leaving without this inclusive support. When students return and we see joy in their eyes, languages learned, experience gained, fears overcome – it is very gratifying,’ shares Povilas Beseckas, Head of the International Relations Unit of Kauno kolegija HEI.
Experience abroad helped overcome fears
Kauno kolegija HEI International Business second-year student Simona Vaišvilaitė is one of the students who took advantage of the Erasmus+ exchange programme. The student, who has traveled with her parents since she was a child, says that they strongly encouraged her to take advantage of the opportunity to study abroad.
‘That’s why I decided that I really wanted to go and live in another country for half a year, and get to know another culture. I chose to go to Madrid because it’s a huge city, full of many opportunities and people. I also really wanted to learn Spanish. After four months, I could already say with certainty that I know Spanish, I fully understand what others are saying and I can communicate in this language,’ S. Vaišvilaitė shares her impressions.
She says that, compared to Lithuania, the study process in Spain is very different. The student also notes that Spaniards study a lot: ‘Although we imagine that we will go somewhere warm, fun, and where parties are happening, we actually spent a lot of time at university.’
S. Vaišvilaitė says that the experience abroad helped her overcome her fears: ‘That’s when I gained the best experience and met the most interesting people.’
Kauno kolegija HEI student Gabija Jegerskaitė shares similar impressions, revealing that she was motivated to take advantage of the Erasmus+ opportunities by the desire to step out of her comfort zone.
‘I wanted to improve my English, overcome my fear of speaking in front of an audience. I avoided all of this, but after leaving, I was forced to overcome these fears. After leaving, I proved to myself that I can communicate in English and speak in front of an audience. With this experience came self-pride,’ shares G. Jegerskaitė.
Today, opportunities to participate in the Erasmus+ programme are more flexible than ever before. Studies or internships abroad can last from two months to a year. Those who cannot leave for a longer period can choose short-term exchanges lasting from 5 to 30 days. The programme is also open to people with fewer opportunities and provides additional support. The Erasmus+ programme supports the inclusion of diverse participants in international mobility, so students with young children, orphans or from disadvantaged families can receive additional funding for their mobility period. In this way, Erasmus+ aims to make international experience accessible to all.
More information about international opportunities can be found here.
