ERASMUS MUNDUS

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Workshop to co-analyze international relations
administration Umeå University, Umeå,
Sweden 15th 17th February, 2005

• ERASMUS MUNDUS
• Action 4 Enhancing attractiveness
• Project 2004-3185/001-001 MUN MUN B41
• Development of International Marketing Network
• to Promote Barents Region Higher Education

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Agenda
Tuesday 15th February
1000 The University and internationalization
Mr Jan-Ove Sehlin Head of
the Committee for International Relations 1040
Excursion along the campus 1200 Lunch 1300
Overview of the project current status -
Activities (project work plan, marketing
strategy (SWOT, target areas, objectives), logo
competition, web page with institution profiles,
domain names) - Administration of the project
changes in partnership (13),
communication with the Commission and CIMO
(answers on questions from Launching
seminar), partnership agreement, its
requirements (signature procedure),
reporting periods, reporting forms and procedures
(1st reporting period). - Financial management
invoicing for Launching seminar, expenditure
overview of Launching seminar,
Commissions limits for subsistence costs
according to national limitation, payment
from the Commission, total expenditure of
the grant, grant distribution system among
partners etc.).
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Wednesday 16th February
900 Marketing Co-ordination at the Umeå
University Mr John Molander,
Information Office 1000 Intro to international
relations administration in each partner
institution (Presentations 5-10min of
the preparatory work) 1200 Lunch 1300
Benchmarking of the international relations
administration structure, decision making
process, funding, student services, support
services etc. - Country based group work to
benchmark international relations administration
country wise - Mixed group work to benchmark
international relations administration region
wise - Presentations of the mixed group work
results 1600 Agreement on the benchmarking
results, round table discussions. 1900 Dinner in
hotel restaurant
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Thursday 17th February
900 Presentation of the work done in the
previous day 930 Agreement on the further
elaboration and delivery of the strategic concept
to develop administration of international
relations. Discussions on further
experience exchange organisation (projects,
exchange programmes etc). Overview of the
project work in future (12 13 Lunch)
purchase of video conference equipment,
attendance of the EAIE conference in Krakow,
Poland 14th 17th September 2005 (Stand
registration, identification sign (25 characters)
etc.), attendance of other international
exhibitions (events, participants),
production of brochures, pens, exhibition stand,
training need assessment for the seminar on
Bologna process integration in October in
Murmansk, work to be done during the period
February October 2005 - Internal
report on 1st reporting period, -
Seminar organisation (visas, agenda) etc. 1530
Other issues Interaction with other Erasmus
Mundus projects etc. 16 - Departure of
participants according to the individual schedule
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Project intervention logic
Overall objective
Increased competitiveness and promoted quality
offer of the Barents region higher education
through improved accessibility and structured
co-operation among Barents region and
third-country institutions.
Specific objective
To develop International Marketing Network by
jointly elaborated strategic administrative and
advertising tools in order to market Barents
region higher education in the world.
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Project intervention logic
Activity 1 Co-analyzing and strategically
developing international relations administration
1.1. Organizing two days workshop in Umeå, Sweden
among international relations office
representatives from participating institutions
in order to assess, examine, compare and
understand working models and methods used 1.2.
Elaborating strategic conception to develop
administration of international relations and
agree on methods used for further collaboration
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Workshop objectives

• To understand and compare administration of
  international relations in partner institutions,
• To assess the administration processes and
  examine the space for improvements,
• To organize experience exchange,
• To elaborate a frame for strategic development
  of international administration,
• To assess project starting phase and plan
  further project implementation steps

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Overview of the project current status

• What has been done so far
• The implementation of the project is
  successfully started,
• Established project administration and
  implementation structures,
• Elaborated monitoring (reporting) and evaluation
  tools,
• Prepared important inputs to produce tangible
  project results in future.

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As planned in project work plan

• 1st result
• March, 2005 Elaborated strategic conception to
  develop administration of international
  relations, (input for Marketing strategy)
• 2nd result
• September, 2005- Parallel evaluation of the
  Bologna process integration within partner
  institutions
• Training need assessment for the seminar in
  Murmansk in October
• 3rd result
• April, 2005 Elaborated and approved Marketing
  Strategy
• August, 2005 Brochures and other marketing
  materials produced
• Preparation works for network launching in EAIE
  conference and exhibition in Krakow, September
  2005

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Marketing strategy

• Announced internship placement for a MA student
  in order to have a professional to develop the
  strategy,
• United questionnaires on target group and area
  preferences,
• Collected institution based SWOT analyses,
• BUT
• No response from students / Lack of experience
  within the network on international marketing
  issues,
• ONLY 4 partners have made SWOTs,
• Missing SWOT analyses for the whole network as a
  unit to be strategically promoted and marketed
  within the International Education markets.

• Some partners have started formulation of own
  international strategies,
• Time until April, 2005
• Input for the strategy will be developed during
  the workshop BE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS!!!

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Target audiences
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Target areas degree students
13
Target areas collaboration partners
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Other things achieved

• Announced logo competition for students from
  partner universities (including exchange
  students) deadline to submit the proposals
  28th February,
• Web site graphic design competition will follow
  right after logo competition (winners will be
  offered to elaborate graphic design),
• Established project web page (Comments?),
• For 3 years reserved domain names
• www.studybarent.net
• www.barentsedu.net

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Administration of the project
Changes in partnership 14 13

• Communication with Commission
• Usage of logos on documents, materials produced
  during the project

Development of International Marketing Network to
Promote Barents Region Higher Education

• Usage of the currency exchange rate by the
  national bank in day when the invoice / payment
  order have been issued providing statement that
  proves the rate.
• Self contribution Contribution in kind
  (Commission)
• - Is not in the accountancy system,
• - Cannot be reported as contribution from
  partners budget!!!
• Contribution within partnership Contribution
  from institutions regular budget (25 from total
  eligible project costs)
• - Actual expenditure according to the eligible
  costs

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Communication with Commission

• Budget adjustments and movements of funds among
  the budget lines,
• - Changes in staff costs due to changed staff
  categories,
• - Changes in travel and subsistence costs
  prolonged duration of the workshop as initially
  planned in the application form.
• In case of staff costs employment contract
  should be attached as a supporting document,
• Commission is planning Erasmus Mundus Action 4
  coordinators / partners meeting in May, 2005

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Partnership agreements

• Agreements signed by Mr Esko RIEPULA Rector of
  the University of Lapland
• Get it signed by the person mentioned in the
  agreement,
• Send ONE copy of the signed agreement to the
  University of Lapland
• University of Lapland
• International Relations / Erasmus Mundus
• P.O. Box. 122
• FIN 96101, Rovaniemi
• Requirements, principles of the agreement

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Reporting process and forms to be used

• Internal Technical and Financial Implementation
  Rep
• Final Internal Technical and Financial
  Implementation Report
• Internal Report Sheet on Travel and Daily
  Allowance Costs
• Internal Report Sheet on Staff Costs
• Time Sheet

Deadline for 1st report 27th March (Reporting
period 1st Oct 2004 28th Feb 2005)
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Financial management

• Invoicing for the Launching seminar!!!!
  (example)
• Please give explanations in English!!!

• Expenditure overview
• - Launching seminar
• - Total project expenditure until 09.02.2005
• Grant distribution
• - No advance payments
• - Expenditure based on actual costs all over
  the project duration
• - Proposals to apply for funding to cover
  staff costs should be submitted to project
  manager
• - Distribution of funding for staff expenses

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Eligible direct costs of the projectPage 9,
Contract with Commission

• The cost of staff assigned to the project,
  comprising actual salaries plus social security
  charges and other statutory costs included in the
  enumeration,
• Travelling and subsistence allowances for staff
  taking part in the project,
• The purchase costs of equipment (new or
  second-hand),
• Costs of consumables and supplies,
• Costs entailed by other contracts awarded by the
  beneficiary for the purposes of carrying out the
  project - subcontracting,
• Costs arising directly from requirements imposed
  by the agreement (dissemination of information,
  specific evaluation, audits, translations,
  reproductions, etc.),
• Costs of any financial services (bank charges
  etc.).

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Benchmarking of international relations
administration
Benchmark
To measure the quality of something by comparing
it with something else of an accepted standard
Benchmarking
Process of learning, understanding, sharing
information and adopting best practices to bring
about step changes in performance. It means
"Improving ourselves by learning from others".
Process Institution level Country level (group
work among country representatives) Region /
Network level (mixed group work).
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Project work in future

• Purchase of video conference equipment (how
  much, where, when, practicalities of usage etc.),
• Marketing strategy,
• Logo web design,
• Production of brochure, pens, exhibition stand
  (where, how much, info included etc.),
• Attendance of international fairs (who will
  participate, which events etc.),
• EAIE conference in Krakow, Poland, 14th-17th
  September 05 (Stand registration, stand
  identification, location etc.),
• Interaction with other Erasmus Mundus projects,
• Training needs for seminar on Bologna process
  integration in October in Murmansk,
• Work to be done during period February October
  2005.

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Projects to enhance attractivenessSelected under
Action 4

• AMEU Enhancing the attractiveness of Masters
  programmes at European Universities in
  Agriculture, the Applied Life Sciences and the
  Rural Environment
• Aquarius - Assuring quality in
  internationalisation of study courses and course
  guidance
• BalticStudyNet - Network for Promoting and
  Developing Higher Education in the Baltic Sea
  Region
• EMNEM - European Masters New Evaluation
  Methodology
• European Higher Education for the World -
  Studies and Promotion
• LATER Language Technology Erasmus Mundus
  Programme

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Useful words for common understanding
Strategy
Detailed plan for achieving success in politics,
business, industry (field of higher education)
Strategic
Helping to achieve a plan, for example in
business or politics
Conception (Idea, perception, contemplation)
An idea of what something is like, or a basic
understanding of a situation or a principleEx
He has absolutely no conception of how a
successful business should run.
Market (make available)
To make goods / services available to buyers in a
planned way which encourages people to buy more
of them, for example by advertising.
Marketing
Job that involves encouraging people to buy a
product or service.
Enhance
To improve the quality, amount or strength of
something.
Attractive
Very pleasing in appearance or sound, or causing
interest.