So many people long to study in the Nordics for a wide range of reasons including the advanced research support, incredible teaching and non teaching staff, investment in skill building and more. It even gets more envious for those who make it to win academic mobility programs in the Nordics. Maybe not so many know it but getting a chance to take part in a mobility, rotational or exchange program is a real jackpot. It provides ambitious people with an opportunity to have a cocktail of academic experience, social networking and valuable contacts. If there is any best way to hone fresh knowledge and skills then it is through a mobility program in the Nordics.
You have probably come across the term “Curriculum internationalization” in various online articles. Well, this is likely due to the growing talks on internationalizing education curricula worldwide and the Nordics as a region has set the pace in its own way. This is especially true for higher learning thanks to the increase in international student migration globally.
Curriculum internationalization through academic mobility in the Nordics
One aspect of curriculum internationalization that has become more common is academic mobility. Academic mobility programs allow qualified students to move to another higher learning institution in the same or different country to study for a given period. In most cases, they last either for a semester or an academic year.
Depending on the basis and specifics of the program, the other institution can be either local or abroad. Luckily for you, you will be able to transfer the academic credits you acquire to your own institution. Similarly, you could also continue your studies from where you left in both institutions.
Top notch Higher Learning in the Nordics
The tuition for most universities in the world have continued to rise even with the increase in scholarship opportunities. Fortunately, there are various opportunities to study for free even in universities abroad. The Nordic region, which has some of the best universities in the world, also has such opportunities.
Countries in the Nordic region have some of the strongest higher education systems in the world. Luckily, despite the high costs of living, they offer international students opportunities to study at a lower cost or for free. For instance, even as a foreigner in Norway, you are allowed to access university education free of charge. Though most undergraduate programs are only available in Norwegian, masters and PhD programs are in English.
The same is true for Iceland where the public universities offer free education with students only expected to pay a registration fee. However, Denmark and Sweden only extend free tuition to EU/EEA and Switzerland international students. So, if you are not from these countries then you can expect to pay tuition for your masters or bachelor’s degree.
It’s not all bad news though because as a PhD student in the two countries, your program will be funded fully. If you are an exceptional student, you stand a chance of getting the degree free of charge. All these while still earning a salary! This is a good opportunity given that most institutions focus on research and innovation.
Specific Academic Mobility in the Nordics
Student mobility is common in most Nordic countries thanks to the political goal of student mobility in Europe. The goal encourages students to take part in their university programs in other countries. As a result, the Nordic countries have put different systems and opportunities in place for foreign exchange students.
Higher learning institutions in these countries even provide customized services to their students on academic mobility. For instance, there are programs that offer foreign language preparation for academic mobility. This ensures that you are well-equipped for any academic mobility program that is available. Thankfully, even as a foreigner you can still access some of these opportunities based on your qualifications.
Nordplus Network Mobility Program
This program is for both students and teachers where they visit member institutions, Nordic and Baltic societies to gather more knowledge. It has programs such as long-term student mobility, short-term student mobility and express mobility.
Long-term student mobility
It awards mobility grants valid for between three to twelve months to degree students regardless of your nationality. The grants give you an opportunity for full time studies or work placement in another Nordplus’ state. However, you have to be a first or second cycle degree student at a HEI in the participating state. Unfortunately, it is not open to PhD students.
Short-term student mobility
This program awards mobility grants on a short-term basis for full-time studies. They last for a duration of between one and two months and also cover work placements. Like the long-term mobility program, you are sent to another Nordplus state. The Work placements grants have similar award guidelines, criteria and rules to regular student mobility grants.
Express mobility
Express mobility is the shortest mobility program since it lasts less than a month with a minimum duration of one week (5 working days). It ensures that students can still study abroad even for a short period where a longer period might not be possible. It also aims at urging universities to extend invitations to students from partner institutions. As a result, they can be a part of their own programs, leading to increased internationalization at home.
Other Academic Mobility Programs
Another example of an academic mobility program for international students is the one offered by the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. The program is facilitated by the faculty of health and medical sciences. It is open to both exchange and guest students and takes place every semester in all the fields of study.
In Sweden, you can access an academic mobility program from the grants offered by the Swedish Institute. It is known as the Visby scholarship program and allows foreigners to study in Sweden for a given period.
Similarly, there is the Mobility Grant for Norwegian Language, Literature and Culture in Norway. The grant is open to Masters and PhD students studying Norwegian language, literature or culture. It targets student at a department for Nordic/Scandinavian studies at an institution outside of Norway. The grants last between one and three months and can include travel, accommodation and living expenses.