Staff and teacher mobility

Teacher Exchange

Teacher exchanges can be done at another university. Two requirements distinguish teacher exchanges from other staff exchanges within Europe:

• There must be an agreement between SLU and the receiving institution. Consult the Erasmus coordinator at your institution or faculty if you are unsure.
• During the teacher exchange, the employee must engage in teaching for at least eight hours per week.

Here is an overview of SLU's exchange agreements and foreign partner universities. 

All SLU employees can apply for funding from the Erasmus program. Professional development should always be planned specifically to you and your job responsibilities. Funding does not apply to participation in academic conferences.

Staff Exchange

Staff exchange can involve:

• Job shadowing at other institutions/partner universities or companies/organisations in Europe.
• Courses, seminars or workshops (excluding conferences)
• "Erasmus Staff Weeks" or "Staff training weeks" are organised visits arranged by other universities, similar to a conference or a language course. 

Administrative Staff can also participate in exchanges together with a colleague! Discuss the possibilities with your supervisor regarding what could be valuable professional development for you/your team!

Non-eligible organizations to host Erasmus+ exchanges include EU institutions and organizations managing EU programs, such as national offices like the Swedish Council for Higher Education.

Here's how you do it:

Contact the university, company, or organization in Europe you wish to visit and inquire if they can host you for an Erasmus exchange. A tip is to propose what you would like to do and which personnel categories and timeframe would suit you. If you prefer to leverage the contacts SLU already has, you can first look at the universities we have agreements with.

Rules

• You must be employed by SLU.
• Administrative exchanges must last between 2 days and 2 months. The exchange should be conducted in one place for a continuous period. There does not need to be an agreement.
• Before you depart, you must have your exchange approved by your supervisor/ head of department.
• Priority will be given to staff who have not previously participated in Erasmus mobility.

Application

Fill in the "Application for Staff Mobility for Training" form, which should include the overall goals of the visit, activities (if possible, a program), and expected outcomes, i.e., what you are expected to learn during the visit.

The application must be complete no later than 2 months before the departure date. The deadline for applying for staff exchange for the beginning of the spring semester is December 1st, and for the autumn semester, it's May 31st.

You should submit a report after the mobility period has ended online via the EU's database. A link to the report will be automatically sent to the employee from the Beneficiary module as soon as the mobility period ends.

There are specific funds available for employees with disabilities.

Finance

The department receives a grant consisting of two lump sums to cover expenses such as hotel and travel costs. You book your travel and accommodation through the SLU travel booking system. Your department covers the costs of your travel. If the costs of your exchange exceed the grant, your department must be prepared to cover the excess costs. No receipts need to be submitted to the mobility group.

Apply for a staff or teaching mobility

The application is open 15 January - 31 May and 15 August - 1 December. You apply in the database MoveON, which will be accessible here during the application periods. 

Checklist teacher and staff exchange

• Find a place/university/organisation where you want to conduct your exchange.
• Speak with your supervisor/boss, who must approve your exchange.
• Contact the host of your exchange and agree on the time and setup for the exchange.
• Fill in the application form in the portal, have it signed by your supervisor/boss, and the responsible person/contact person at the host university/organisation.
• If the Erasmus staff mobility rules are met, your exchange will be approved. When you receive the Mobility Grant Agreement (sent via email) from the mobility group, print, sign, and upload it in the portal. The Grant Agreement specifies how much grant your exchange will receive. You book through SLU's regular travel recommendations, and your department/institution should cover the cost.
• During the exchange, make sure to obtain the "Certificate of Attendance" signed by the contact person at the host university/organization.

Nordplus teacher mobility

Teachers at SLU may receive financial subsidy to teach at one of our partner universities in the NOVA or BOVA network. The visit must be connected to specific and integrated teaching activities with a distinct link to the networks SLU is part of. Supervisory activities and the development of teaching materials may be funded as well.