Promoting Erasmus Mundus towards European Students: Activate, Communicate, Engage 1
AGENDA v Goals and objectives v Background and key information v Activities and Outputs v Student & Staff Survey v EM-ACE Promotional toolkit 2
SPECIFIC ¡OBJECTIVES ¡ ¡ • Information • Training • Promotion TARGET ¡GROUPS ¡ ¡ • Students • HEI staff GOALS AND OBJECTIVES • Other promoters To enhance the visibility , awareness and attractiveness of the EM programme across Europe, with the final goal to raise both the quantity and quality of applications received from European candidates 3
BACKGROUND AND KEY INFORMATION (1) Why promoting Erasmus Mundus towards European students? v Key priority for the European Commission (Europe2020 strategy) v EM Lacks visibility in Europe Over the years, the international visibility of the EM programme has progressively grown. When it comes to Europe, however, the scenario changes significantly. v Scholarship quotas (cat B) never filled to date v Low number of application received (in 2010, 4194 Cat B application received vs 33837 Cat A applications) v Quality of application below Cat A average v Preliminary needs assessment (EC, EACEA, EMA 2011) v Identification of factors hindering European students' participation v Preparation of marketing strategy 4
BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT (2) Full Partners Associate Partners Institute of International Education (USA); NARIC-Italia / EM NS Italy (IT); Santander Group (BE); Erasmus Student Network (ESN); Portuguese EM NS (PT) Duration: 36 months (September 2012 – August 2015) Budget: € 247.183,00 5
ACTIVITIES AND OUTPUTS v Needs analysis on EM awareness and promotion (including surveys)+ international benchmarking (USA – Australia) v EM Promotion Strategy for EU students à Short&long-term (EfA? YES Europe?) v EM Promotional Took-kit (online + print material) v EM Marketing review tool (self-assessment) v Promotional events (students) v Training events (staff & promoters) v Dissemination 6
STUDENT AND STAFF SURVEY (1) General Objectives Collect and analyse data on the visibility and awareness of EM at European level, the reasons why European students do not participate in EM, which of these reasons are most important, and what mechanisms are appropriate to overcome those barriers Targets (a) Students (European EM students and alumni; Erasmus students; other v students who have the potential to be EM scholars) (b) HEI staff directly involved in the EM programme (EM coordinators, IRO, etc.) v Methodology Preparation of surveys (1 for students, 1 for staff) v Testing of surveys at partner universities (Sapienza, Ghent) and UNICA student v conference Dissemination of surveys through EMA, Erasmus Student Network (ESN), UNICA v network, partner universities, CampusFrance overseas offices, IT and PT NS 7
STUDENT AND STAFF SURVEY (2) Student survey findings v 2300 responses, 81% completion v 75% aware of EM but 75% didn’t choose the accurate description of it out of 4 options v Website/social media is main marketing tool v Brand distinctiveness: EC quality imprimatur v Incentive – more career, than travel v Why not apply?: 1) ‘too expensive’ 21% 2) ‘I don’t know anything about it’ – 18% 3) ‘I am unsure of qualification I will get’ 7% 8
STUDENT AND STAFF SURVEY (3) Student comments “Great human experience but little opportunities to put diploma into good use for employment out of university/research sector.” “Only heard of it today - never ever been talked about. So any form of promotion would help!” “Improve clarity, accessibility and availability of study abroad's requirements and opportunities (more centralized?). I find universities' homepages are often confusing and 'hard to find right information” “Motivate the MUNDUS alumni (positive experience and personal touch) and they would do the PR work for you.” 9
STUDENT AND STAFF SURVEY (4) Staff survey findings v 270 completions, 47% academics v Nearly third staff not bothered about more EU (28%) students applying to EM v Unwillingness to lose own students v Internationals main target of marketing effort v Barriers to more EU students: 1) Lack of promotion 2) lack of financial support 3) unwillingness of unis to lose own students 4) academic recognition and timing 10
COMPARING STAFF IMPRESSIONS OF WHY EUs DON’T APPLY Staff reasons Student reasons 1) Lack of promotion – BRAND/ 1) ‘too expensive’ 21% - COST reputation 2) lack of financial support - 2) ‘I don’t know anything about it’ COST – 18% - BRAND/reputation 3) unwillingness of unis to lose 3) ‘I am unsure of qualification I own students will get’ 7%- RECOGNITION/ 4) academic recognition and CAREER ADVANTAGE timing – RECOGNITION/ CAREER ADVANTAGE 11
STUDENT AND STAFF SURVEY (6) Staff comments “ … many European students have zero knowledge about EM and it is often confused with the regular Erasmus exchange (non-degree mobility).” “The small number of scholarships offered to EU students has a chilling effect on the application rate; if there were more scholarships for EU Students there would be a higher number of applications.” “We were very late in the process to market outside our schools to the general public, plus no budget to do so” “I would prefer to have different names for EMA1 and EMA2 as it has constantly caused confusion in the past, especially when having EMA2 mobilities in EMA1 fostered master programmes. Having one name (Erasmus for all) for all programmes will cause even more confusion. The programme structures are not similar, the objectives are not the same, the contact persons differ.” 12
STUDENT AND STAFF SURVEY (7) Summary Conclusions v Strong need for promotion and brand awareness of EM v EM-ACE project cannot solve main problem with EU applications (financial allocations) but can help raising brand awareness v Internet as most important information source v Need to untangle EM and Erasmus v Desire for more support from EMA v Strong interest in the promotional tools to be created by EM-ACE Full needs analysis and marketing strategy soon available on www.em-ace.eu 13
EM-ACE PROMOTIONAL TOOLKIT PRINT MATERIAL MULTIMEDIA WEB Marketing materials EM Marketing review tool EM-ACE portal / One-stop- à focus on EU students (WP 3) – online self- centre for EU students : assessment tool www.em-ace.eu Training materials for sessions at HEI aimed at PowerPoint presentation Web material (student- IROs, including case studies. templates to be used during friendly content for websites student talks; that HEI and EM NS across Guidelines on how to Europe can use and adapt); prepare a successful EM Promotional video on EM application experience in Europe; Social networks and Apps . 14
CONTACT US E-MAIL info@em-ace.eu WEB www.em-ace.eu THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION! 15
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