EU-VIP

Project: Enterprise-University Virtual Placements

Duration: 24 Months (1 October 2009 - 30 September 2011)

Coordinator: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (BE)

Partners: EuroPACE ivzw (BE), Teknillinen korkeakoulu (FI), Erhversakademiet Lillebaelt (DK), EFMD (BE), European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (NL), FernUniversität in Hagen (DE), Katholieke Hogeschool Leuven (BE), Laurea Ammattikorkeakoulu (FI), Zachodniopomorska Szkoła Biznesu (PL), Turun yliopisto (FI), Alma Mater Studiorum – Universita’ di Bologna (IT), Università degli Studi di Padova (IT), Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (NL), Coimbra Group (BE), Board of European Students of Technology (FR)

Role EuroPACE: EuroPACE is responsible for the dissemination and publication work package

Summary: Since more and more organisations operate internationally, the pressure on education professionals increases to arrange work placements introducing students to an (international) working environment. EU-VIP enhances the quality, efficiency and impact of international work placements by focusing on how to organise these placements,thereby boosting interaction between HEIs and enterprises using the advantages of the newest technologies.
EU-VIP provides the necessary (technical, pedagogical, organisational) models and services for
- virtual mobility activities to prepare and follow-up students who go physically abroad for a placement
- fully virtual placements, from selection, preparation, execution to follow-up
The HEIs involved have established links with companies, ensuring available work placements to set up pilots to test out the different models. End-users (students, teachers and company representatives) are trained in the use of new technologies for organising (virtual) work placements. They are also brought together at regular meetings to identify (dis)advantages of the models, critical success factors, quality indicators, evaluation criteria.
A guidebook (online and printed) collects all results and provides concrete, validated procedures, guidelines and recommendations. All training materials are published online so they can be used independently by other interested HEIs and companies who wish to engage in (virtual) work placements.
Virtual mobility activities, to prepare those who go physically abroad for a work placement, result in a more fit-for-purpose matching of students and companies. Virtual follow-up systems enable more knowledge exchange between the HEIs, companies and students on tutoring issues, tasks, student performance. Fully virtual placements allow more students who for some reason cannot go abroad to benefit from an international experience, learn a foreign language and acquire intercultural communication skills in a business context..

URL: http://euvip.eu

Supported by: Lifelong Learning Programme - Erasmus - Multilateral projects - Co-operation between Universities and Enterprises