It concluded after enabling 10 people to complete training visits at the URV and one researcher to study at another institution

The project forms part of the Erasmus Mundus Programme Action 2 of the European Commission and has recently concluded after enabling 10 people to complete training visits at the URV and one researcher to study at another institution during each of the last three academic years. The IMPAKT project was selected to receive funding so that it could award grants of excellence that include a monthly allowance, travel, insurance and tuition fees. The grants may cover periods from 3 months up to 3 years and are available to undergraduate and postgraduate students and to academic and administrative staff. The project was jointly coordinated by the National Economics University in Vietnam and the University of Rouen in France.

Erasmus Mundus aims to promote European higher education, to help improve and enhance the career prospects of students and to promote intercultural understanding with third countries distributed by “lots” in accordance with the foreign policy objectives of the European Union, and to contribute to the sustainable development of higher education in these countries. By promoting mobility between Europe and Asia, both regions are able to strengthen their ties, enhance their abilities and share knowledge and know-how.

Belonging to Lot 5 (Asia), IMPAKT was selected to receive funding during the 2014-2018 period. IMPAKT consists of 20 higher education institutions, 8 in Europe (France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain) and 12 in Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Philippines, Laos, Indonesia, Mongolia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka), and 11 associated partners. The programme has enabled the exchange of more than 200 individuals, students and staff between the two regions. Among these, 1 doctoral student, 3 master’s degree students and 6 bachelor’s degree students from Mongolia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia have all come to the URV to do part of their studies. In addition, 1 URV researcher has visited the National University of Mongolia.

The URV has expanded its relations with East Asia and generated new projects, such as the Erasmus+ KA107 programme, which has allowed the URV to apply for 3 outgoing and 3 incoming academic mobility visits during the 2016-18 period with the Hue University, one of the partners of the IMPAKT project. The URV is also expected to develop collaboration agreements with Asian universities to train doctoral students and enable student and staff mobility.