EU-VIP

The Enterprise-University Virtual Placements (EU-VIP) project was selected in 2009, and funded from 1 October 2009 until 30 September 2011 by the European Commission, under the Lifelong Learning Programme - Erasmus - Multilateral projects - Co-operation between Universities and Enterprise.

The EU-VIP web site is at http://euvip.eu

Summary

The goal of the EU-VIP project is to enhance international work placements throught the use of new technologies. Work placements can play an important role in the knowledge transfer between higher education institutions and the business community. In a global economy it is also becoming more and more important to introduce students to an international working environment during their education. When students do go abroad for a work placement, the integration of this placement in the curriculum is not always optimal. Furthermore, there are also students who, for financial, geographical or social reasons, do not have the possibility to go abroad.

The EU-VIP project will design (technological, pedagogical, organisational) models and services for:

- virtual mobility activities to prepare and follow-up students for a stay abroad and to sustain the experience after they return;

- fully virtual placements.

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.

Expected outcomes

A guidebook (online and printed) will collect all results and will provide concrete, validated procedures, guidelines and recommendations. All training materials will also be published online so they can be used independently by other interested HEIs and companies who wish to engage in (virtual) work placements.

Partners

• Katholieke Universiteit Leuven - Belgium- Co-ordinated by Mariet Vriens
• EuroPACE ivzw - Belgium
• Coimbra Group ASBL - Belgium
• Katholieke Hogeschool Leuven - Belgium
• Board of European Students of Technology (BEST) - France
• Helsinki University of Technology, TKK Dipoli - Finland
• Laurea University of Applied Sciences - Finland
• Erhversakademiet Lillebaelt - Denmark
• EFMD - Belgium
• European Association of Distance Teaching Universities - the Netherlands
• FernUniversität in Hagen - Germany
• Zachodniopomorska Szkoła Biznesu - Poland
• Turun yliopisto - Finland
• Alma Mater Studiorum – Universita’ di Bologna - Italy
• Università degli Studi di Padova - Italy
• Rijksuniversiteit Groningen - the Netherlands

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