Virtual Mobility and UNIC
In addition to traditional physical mobility, i.e., studying abroad as part of your degree program, there is also an increasing number of opportunities to gain intercultural experience through virtual mobility. At RUB, there is a wide range of options available, particularly through the UNIC university network. This network also offers Blended Intensive Programs (BIPs) – a combination of virtual and physical mobility.
UNIC
UNIC, “The European University of Cities in Post-Industrial Transition” is a consortium of ten European universities whose cities are currently facing similar challenges due to comparable historical developments. The universities have joined forces to develop new models of learning, working, and research that will shape the future of higher education.
For students, this primarily results in new opportunities to gain experience abroad. On the one hand, the UNIC program is creating further Erasmus collaborations (at our faculty, for example, with the University of Łódź in Poland). On the other hand, new forms of mobility are being developed, such as virtual mobility and blended intensive programs (see below).
The ten universities in the consortium are Erasmus University Rotterdam (Netherlands), Koç University (Turkey), Ruhr University Bochum (Germany), University College Cork (Ireland), the University of Deusto (Spain), the University of Liège (Belgium), the University of Oulu (Finland), the University of Zagreb (Croatia), Malmö University (Sweden), and the University of Łódź (Poland).
Virtual mobility
A semester abroad or an internship abroad are unique experiences that cannot be replaced one-to-one by virtual mobility. However, depending on personal interests and circumstances, physical mobility can be a major challenge that not all students are willing or able to take on, whether due to financial circumstances or family or personal life situations. Virtual mobility was created to give students who are unable to participate in physical mobility the opportunity to take courses at a university abroad. This allows you to participate virtually in courses at a partner university, get to know a different university system and international students, and gain intercultural experience.
At RUB, virtual mobility is made possible primarily through UNIC. You can find an overview of the courses offered on the UNIC course website. Please contact us early on if you are interested in participating in one or more of these courses, as we need to check in advance how they can be integrated into your studies, similar to the Erasmus program for physical mobility.
Blended Intensive Programs (BIPs)
The BIPs within the framework of UNIC involve a combination of physical and virtual mobility. Typically, virtual mobility over a longer period of time (e.g., one semester) is supplemented by a kick-off or closing event at one of the UNIC universities. The start or end event can be, for example, a summer school or a workshop lasting several days. These are generally considered short-term mobility programs and can therefore also be funded by Erasmus short-term mobility (see “Internships and short-term mobility”).