The mobility process cut into pieces
The Erasmus+ mobility for studies entails a whole set of processes that facilitate such mobility. Oftentimes in this process communication is needed between the sending (or home) HEI and the receiving (or host) HEI. In general one can describe the mobility flow as follows (sometimes steps are repeated/ordered somewhat differently):
- HEIs need to sign an Erasmus+ institutional agreement;
- Sending HEI nominates the student at the receiving HEI;
- Learning agreement needs to be worked out and signed by three parties (student, sending HEI, receiving HEI) before departure;
- Student arrives at the receiving HEI and receiving HEI needs to confirm the date of arrival;
- Learning agreement might change. If so, it needs to be signed by three parties (student, sending HEI, receiving HEI);
- Student departs from the receiving HEI and receiving HEI needs to confirm the date of departure;
- Receiving HEI sends TOR to sending HEI
For each of the steps that require communication (or data exchanges) between the sending HEI and the receiving HEI EWP comes into play. The processes above are translated into technical so-called APIs (Application Programming Interface) that facilitate system-to-system communication, allowing users to manage their part of the process in their own system and use the EWP network whenever confirmation/approval/signatures are needed from the partner. In doing so EWP replaces paper-based workflows by digital ones.
Different scenario's for joining Erasmus Without Paper
Erasmus Without Paper allows your Higher Education Institution (HEI) to digitalise their Erasmus+ mobility management processes. Depending on the way you currently manage Erasmus+ mobilities at your institution, this page will offer an overview of the different scenarios. The main principle behind EWP is that you keep using your existing system for managing student mobility and that this system is connected to the EWP network. Instead of printing a PDF or a paper copy of e.g. an Inter-Institutional agreement or a Learning Agreement, you will be able to sign the "documents online" and send them directly via your software system to your partner institution which will also digitally sign them.
The following picture gives an overview of the different options. On this site you will find information and tools for all three scenarios.
No tool
If you are using no specific software to manage your mobilities, you will need to start using one to connect to the EWP network and start exchanging Inter-institutional Agreements (and later on students' Learning Agreements) with your partner institutions.
You will have to choose the software that best fits your and your institution's needs. The market offers an array of choices, but to accommodate institutions that lack the resources to invest in specific software, the EWP project (through EU funding) has developed the Erasmus Dashboard.
The Erasmus Dashboard (also known as the Erasmus Without Paper Dashboard) is available to all Higher Education Institutions in Europe and was designed specifically for institutions that are currently not using any digital solution to manage their Erasmus mobility management.
If you wish to know more about the Erasmus Dashboard and would like to understand whether it suits your needs, please head over to the Dashboard's Knowledge Base.
