Yurii Kazantsev
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0711-8277
TEACHING STAFF MOBILITY UNDER THE ERASMUS+ PROGRAMME AS A DRIVER OF INTERNATIONALISATION OF GERMAN HIGHER EDUCATION (2018–2023)
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Language: English
Abstract. This article examines the academic mobility of teaching staff in Germany under the Erasmus+ programme between 2018 and 2023. Particular attention is paid to mobility dynamics, project geography, and institutional and political factors influencing participation. The study focuses on trends in incoming and outgoing mobility, key areas of cooperation and the external and internal factors that influence universities’ involvement in international education programmes. The methodology combines statistical data processing, spatial mapping of mobility flows and contextual analysis of internationalisation strategies. Various formats of academic mobility are examined, including short-term teaching visits, professional training, participation in international teaching weeks, and collaboration in developing digital learning courses. It is shown that Germany consistently holds a leading position in terms of the number of Erasmus+ projects implemented, with an almost equal balance between incoming and outgoing mobility. Particular emphasis is placed on partnerships with countries such as Poland, Spain, France, Italy, Austria, Ireland and Finland. The study also analyses geographical and linguistic proximity, institutional autonomy, digital transformation and financial support as factors in sustaining international partnerships. The impact of external challenges, such as the pandemic, Brexit and the war in Ukraine, on staff mobility is also considered separately. The findings confirm the effectiveness of academic mobility as a tool for modernising higher education. A clear link is established between participation in Erasmus+ and the enhancement of teaching staff’s professional competence. The analysis shows that stable funding and organisational support are crucial for successful mobility. The article substantiates the importance of expanding the participation of Ukrainian higher education institutions in interregional educational consortia and emphasises the potential of digital tools to support the administrative capacity of programme participants.
Keywords: academic mobility, Erasmus+, partner countries, digital transformation, internationalisation strategy.
https://doi.org/10.32987/2617-8532-2025-3-107-122
Keywords: academic mobility, Erasmus+, partner countries, digital transformation, internationalisation strategy.
https://doi.org/10.32987/2617-8532-2025-3-107-122
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10.1038/s41597-020-0382-1.
2. Kafarski, K., & Kazak, J. K. (2022). Erasmus Staff Mobility in the Building of a European Network: The Case of a Central European University. Sustainability, 14(9), 4949. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14094949.
3. Sobral, S. R. (2022). Erasmus Country Ranking: Towards Quality Student Mobility. International Journal of Learning and Teaching, 8(1), 31-38. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18178/ijlt.8.1.31-38.
4. Lam, Q. K. H., & Ferencz, I. (2021). Erasmus+ staff mobility comparative data analysis. An exploratory study of the participants’ motivation, perceived impact, recognition and satisfaction. Academic Cooperation Association (ACA). Retrieved from https://aca-secretariat.be/post_other_pub/erasmus-staff-mobility-comparative-data-analysis/?yearPub=2021.
5. European Commission. (2018). Erasmus+ higher education impact study – Final report. Publications Office of the European Union. DOI: https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2766/162060.
6. Erasmus+. (2019). The Erasmus+ Annual Report 2018. Retrieved from https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/sites/default/files/erasmusplus-factsheet-de_en.pdf.
7. Erasmus+. (2023). 2019 Country factsheets for Erasmus+ programme. Retrieved from https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/resources-and-tools/statistics-and-factsheets/factsheets/erasmus-programme-country-factsheets.
8. Erasmus+. (2024). Data on Erasmus+ in Germany in 2023. Statistics on mobility, cooperation and other data. Retrieved from https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/factsheets/2023/germany.
9. European Commission. (2020). The Erasmus+ Annual Report 2020. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/assets/eac/factsheets/factsheet-de-2020_en.html.
10. Erasmus+. (2022). Erasmus+ in Germany in 2021. Statistics on mobility, cooperation and other data. Retrieved from https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/resources-and-tools/factsheets-statistics-evaluations/programme-and-country-factsheets/country-factsheets-2021/erasmus-in-germany-in-2021.
11. Becker, A., & Salajan, F. D. (2024). Materializing global academic mobility through the eyes of program coordinators: Comparative insights from a Romanian-U.S. institutional Erasmus+ agreement. Research in Comparative and International Education, 19(4), 402-419. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/17454999241291400.
12. Patnaik, S. (2022). Why post-Brexit UK should rejoin the EU’s Erasmus+ exchange program. Brookings. Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/articles/why-post-brexit-uk-should-rejoin-the-eus-erasmus-exchange-program/.
13. European Higher Education Area. (2024). EHEA Ministerial Conference Tirana 2024. Retrieved from https://ehea.info/page-ehea-ministerial-conference-2024
14. Erasmus+. (2024). Downloadable statistics for researchers. Retrieved from https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/resources-and-tools/factsheets-statistics-evaluations/statistics/for-researchers.
15. Zajadacz, A., Krukowska, R., & Durydiwka, M. (2021). Staff teaching mobility of selected Polish universities on the example of Erasmus Plus Programme. In Academic tourism (pp. 67-84). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57288-4_5.
16. Sarai̇va, M., Noguei̇ro, T., Jorge, F., & Chaleta, E. (2022). Erasmus and international credit mobility in a contribution to the sustainable development goals associated with quality education and reducing inequalities. IJAEDU- International E-Journal of Advances in Education, 8(23), 149-162. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18768/ijaedu.1141654.
17. Salcedo-López, D., & Cuevas-López, M. (2021). Analysis and Assessment of New Permanent Teacher Training Activities under the Erasmus+ Program from the Perspective of the Participants of Spain in Times of COVID-19. Sustainability, 13(20), 11222. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su132011222.
18. Mironova, N., & Pysanko, M. (2025). Relationship between education and culture in context of modern society. Participation in the international academic mobility programme Erasmus+ Staff Training Week “Research, Scientific & Teaching Methodologies, Doctoral Studies: New challenges & Sustain”. Foreign Languages, 4, 3-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32589/1817-8510.2024.4.319754 [in Ukrainian].
19. De Olagüe-Smithson, C. (2019). Erasmus+ VET in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. In Analysing Erasmus+ Vocational Education and Training Funding in Europe, 30, 33-96. Springer. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16211-5_3.
20. Bacher, G., Fried, M., Pecenka, F., & Pichl, E. (2016). Über Symmetrie und Asymmetrie in der Studierendenmobilität. Eine hochschulpolitische Quadratur des Kreises. Zeitschrift für Hochschulrecht, Hochschulmanagement und Hochschulpolitik, 15(3), 71-75. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33196/zfhr201603007101 [in German].
21. Bryła, P. (2015). The Impact of International Student Mobility on Subsequent Employment and Professional Career: A Large-scale Survey among Polish Former Erasmus Students. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 176, 633-641. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.01.521.
22. Bartha, Z., Gubik, A. S., & Rethi, G. (2019). Management of innovations in Hungarian HEIs: enhancing the Erasmus mobility programme. Marketing and Management of Innovations, 1, 84-95. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21272/mmi.2019.1-07.
23. Bulut Şahin, B., Uyar, P., & Turhan, B. (2022). The Impact of the Erasmus Program and the Institutional Administration of Internationalization in Türkiye. Higher Education Governance and Policy, 3(2), 133-146. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55993/hegp.1212888.
24. Havran, M., & Krokhmalna, Z. (2024). Academic mobility for Ukrainian students: New visions and perspectives. Society and National Interests, 5(5), 88-99. DOI: https://doi.org/10.52058/3041-1572-2024-5(5)-88-99.
25. Chymbay, L., Popkova, L., & Khaniuk, T. (2022). The role of the internationalization of the higher education system of Ukraine on the way to the European Union. Educational Analytics of Ukraine, 4(20), 31-48. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32987/2617-8532-2022-4-31-48 (in Ukrainian).
26. National Erasmus+ Office – Ukraine. (n. d.). Erasmus+ is the EU’s programme to support education, training, youth and sport. Retrieved from https://erasmusplus.org.ua [in Ukrainian].