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The first exploratory study based on the survey data of mobile staff captured in Erasmus+ Participant Report was released jointly by ACA and nine Erasmus+ national agencies (see the list below). The study, covering the reference period 2014-2019, offers both longitudinal and cross-country perspectives of Erasmus+ staff mobility based on the big data from the participating national agencies and the European Commission.
Beyond the mapping of trends and patterns, the exploratory study made the first attempt to investigate potential links among motivation, impact, recognition, satisfaction, and internationalization/institutional strategy. It confirms an overwhelmingly positive satisfaction of staff mobility experiences funded by Erasmus+ and a general alignment of reported motivation and impact. Very positive impact on internationalization, both on institutions and individuals, was observed, in line with the stated motivation of the respondents. At the other end of the spectrum was the cooperation with the civil society and the labour market, where new policy emphasis may be needed to see strong impact. Another interesting observation, for example, was that mobile staff did appreciate recognition, even if it would be informal, and that the forms of recognition may be associated with the existence or absence of institutional and/or internationalization strategies.
The angle above is just one of several possible for further comprehensive analyses. The dataset presents a much bigger potential for the analysis of staff mobility on the EU level or national level, especially if complemented with qualitative data to enrich its explanatory value. It would need further collective and collaborative efforts on the EU and national levels to address all the questions and recommendations raised in the report through this half-year project.
The report is now available on ACA’s website. We are looking forward to some spin-off activities in ACA’s Thematic Peer Group (TPG) Research, as well as collaborations with other ongoing projects related to staff mobility.
Conducted between August 2020 and January 2021 under the coordination of Queenie K.H. Lam (Senior Expert) and Irina Ferencz (Director), the study would not have been possible without the support of the Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture of European Commission and the valuable input of the following national agencies: