Marijampole Higher Education Institution is the only terteriary  institution in Sūduva region. It is a creative, open, modern cultural and scientific center of Southern Lithuania, connected with the world‘s science, studies and business community by international relations, ensuring an attractive and high-quality study environment where students can acquire and develop knowledge and skills necessary for their country, Europe and the global world. Since 2008 we have participated in Erasmus +  programme activities. During this time we have established new contacts with foreign higher education institutions, which has allowed our students and staff the flexibility to try out their studies and internships, and has them provided not only with academic but also with diverse multicultural experience.

At later stages, in accordance with the Erasmus + programm, Marijampole Higher Education Institution will ocercome the main challenges of the institution’s internationalization and modernization in order to contribute to the goals of the European Education Area. In this way, we will increase the attractiveness of European higher education, offer students and staff the opportunity to study and/or work in another country, promote language learning and linguistic diversity (we teach subjects in English), develop initiatives in one or more areas of education, and encourage innovation, exchange of experience and knowledge in cooperation with partner countries involved in education and training or other related fields.

Our goals:

  • To continuously improve the quality of studies and services by improving the existing programs, creating new ones and focusing on the needs of the labor market and entrant students;
  • To be an open and reliable partner to national and global businesses, education, cultural and social institutions;
  • To improve learning outcomes (knowledge, skills and competences), to foster personal development, the active participation of citizens in society and the employability of students in the European labor market and beyond;
  • To support the professional development of those working in education and training with a view to innovation and improving the quality of teaching and training throughout Europe;
  • To continuously improve the content and process of studies, taking into account innovations, cooperation with social partners, while developing internationality;
  • To improve participants’ foreign language skills;
  • To improve participants’ awareness and understanding of other cultures and countries, enabling them to network internationally, to take an active part in society and to develop a sense of European citizenship and identity;
  • To increase the capacity, attractiveness and international dimension of our organization in the field of education and training so that we can offer activities and programs that better meet the needs of individuals in Europe and beyond;
  • To ensure better recognition of competencies acquired during training periods abroad.
  • To promote environmentally friendly practices.

The Erasmus + programme will allow us to work with stakeholders from other countries to innovate and modernize teaching and learning practices, which will aid to ensure that students acquire the skills they need to succeed in today’s world. We will be able to exchange good practise, to innovate and work together, this will help to improve supply, boost growth and create jobs.

Inclusive education, shared values and culture, are seen as engines of job creation, economic growth and better social cohesion, as well as a means of experiencing a pan-European identity. Bilingual proficiency, in addition to the mother tongue, and digital competencies will be acquired through this program.

We will have knowledge alliances between higher education institutions and companies that foster innovation, entrepreneurship, creativity, employability, knowledge exchange and / or multidisciplinary teaching and learning, including lifelong learning. Cross-sectoral cooperation is essential in the development and implementation of education policy.

Marijampole Higher Education Institution will have the opportunity to participate in supportive cooperation with partner countries in the fields of higher education, innovation and youth, supporting organizations, institutions and systems in the process of their modernization and internationalization.

We also promote innovative, modern, international and highly qualified staff that provide our students with more attractive programs, new teaching and learning methods, and more effective activities for the benefit of local communities to actively involve young people and / or reach out to disadvantaged groups. Participation in Erasmus + mobility, learning partnerships, innovation and good practice will bring us closer to this goal.

By participating directly in mobility activities students will improve their key competences and skills, especially given their importance for the labor market and their contribution to a sustainable society. Through mobility in the process of practical learning, students will improve foreign languages’ competences and intercultural awareness, become more active in society, have a better understanding of European projects and EU values.

Under the program, we will promote a modern, dynamic, innovative and sustainable development-based professional environment in our institution, ready to integrate good practices and new approaches into daily activities, in collaboration with organizations operating in different social, educational and employment fields; we will strategically plan the professional development of our employees according to individual needs and, if necessary, organizational goals that can attract excellent students and academic staff from Europe and around the world.

Implementation of the Erasmus + program within the institution

Marijampole Higher Education Institution singles out internationalism as one of the key parts of the institution’s strategy, the implementation of which is given special attention. The Erasmus + programme is an integral part of our international strategy in achieving our goals.

In preparation for the new stages of the strategy, we updated our internal structure, created a new unit – Department of  Project Activities and International Partnerships, which is responsible for the implementation and administration of the Erasmus + programme in the community. The Erasmus Coordinator is part of this unit. The E. Coordinator is the contact person abroad for all academic matters and with students internships’ issues. He is responsible for the overall Erasmus + programme documents and inter-institutional agreements.

The department while implementing this program works with the University’s management, administrative staff, as well as other structural units of the Institution(Department of Studies and Careers, Information Technology Center, Faculty of Education and Social Work, Faculty of Business and Technology). Implementation of the activities are supervised by the responsible staff members of each departments and faculties. Individuals who work directly with the Erasmus + program must have at least a B1 level of English.

Each academic year, we apply for student and staff mobility projects to our National Agency, then students and staff apply for mobility to the Project Activities and Partnerships Unit, which administers further activities (selection announcement, selection execution, scholarship award, mobility paperwork).

The Project Activities and Partnerships Department, together with the Heads of the Faculty Departments, is responsible for organizing the selection of outgoing students and academic staff; The Project Activities and Partnerships Unit, together with the College Director, is responsible for organizing the selection of outgoing administrative staff. KA2 and KA3 projects involve the whole community, depending on the project’s area.

We communicate with partners through a well-developed IT infrastructure and modern means of communication (e-mail, skype, via social networks, telephone), we organize visits to the partner’s place every year or look forward to coming to us.

We are helped to improve quality by a quality management system that meets the requirements of the standard LST EN ISO 9001: 2015.

The community of Marijampole Higher Education Institution consists of 540 students and 97 lecturers.

We have noticed a decrease in interest in study mobility, but an increase in students ’willingness to participate in traineeship abroad activities. The latter area is directly related to the increased employment opportunities following an Erasmus placement. It has been noticed that after internships abroad, Marijampole Higher Education Institution students and graduates get employed faster than students who did not participate in the program.

In the coming periods, the planned number of outgoing participants (students) is 4-6 students per year.

The planned number of incoming participants is about 10 students per year.

Teachers and other staff who have participated in mobility activities return after improving their foreign language skills and professional competencies. Mobility activities strengthen partnerships, which are continued and sometimes evolve into new joint activities and projects.

The planned number of outgoing participants (staff) is 10-12 per year.

The planned number of incoming participants is about 10 per year.

We have a well-developed network of higher education partners (with over 40 inter-institutional cooperation agreements) with whom we carry out mobility activities. Particular attention will be paid to project activities under the Erasmus + program. Our goal is to increase the number of strategic and cooperation partnerships in the field of project activities in the next period (2021-2027) – 1-3 projects per year.