Editorial: Päivi Martin & Sari Vidén
Translation: Sari Kokkola
Layout: Digi- ja mainostoimisto Höyry, LUC Communications
Pictures: Lapland university Consortium Image Bank
Publisher: University of Lapland, Internationalisation Services
All rights reserved.
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page.” - St. Augustine
The annual application periods are:
Destinations outside Europe:
• application period 15 October–15 November
• decisions by 15 December
Destinations in Europe and of the north2north network:
• application period 15 December–31 January
• decisions by 28 February
Additional call for all destinations for next Spring:
• application period 1-31 May
• decisions by 30 June
After exchange
Final reporting: ToR, LA after, RPL
Feedback
During the mobility
LA During, changes in the duration of the exchange
Applying for the grant
SoleGRANT: LA before, acceptance letter
Internationalisation in the degree, Personal study plan
Minor degree, elective studies, language studies, internship,
Planning the mobility
Exchange info, destination workshop, My Global Story guidebook
Orientation for outgoing students
1. The process: nomination, application instructions and practical arrangements
2. Learning Agreement Before the Mobility and mobility grant
3. During and after the mobility
4. My global competences
5. Share your experiences
Host university selection
Host university applications
Instructions from the host university Host uni decision, confirm your exchange
ulapland applications
SoleMOVE: Study plan, motivation letter, proof of language skills and transcript of records
ulapland selection
ULapland decision, confirm your exchange
A successful mobility begins with good planning. When drafting your Personal Study Plan (PSP), you have already thought about how to best include internationalisation in your degree. Maybe it is a minor or elective studies completed in host university. Now it is time to make more detailed mobility plans.
• What kind of learning would you like to acquire during the mobility? What would you like to study during this period?
• What is your preferred mobility destination?
• Do you have preferences regarding the destination country or the linguistic area? Does lack of language skills impose limitations on your mobility plans? Remember that English is not always sufficient.
• What do you know about the culture of your exchange destination? Does Language Centre offer courses on the culture and society of your exchange destination? What do you know about culture shock and cultural adaptation? Are you able to participate to the relevant courses prior to your exchange?
• Familiarise yourself with the mobility destinations and the related feedback in SoleMOVE system:
• www.ulapland.fi/SoleMOVE
• From the drop-down menu, select “The University of Lapland” but do not log in the system at this point
• Click the option “Exchange destinations Abroad and feedback”
Your studies abroad can be recognised in two different ways:
1 By compensating mandatory studies in your degree with studies completed during the mobility, if they have the same content.
2 By including studies, ie. a minor or elective studies with studies completed during the mobility.
During the mobility I will complete 24-30 ECTS / semester towards my degree by:
Including a minor (24-30 credits).
Thematic minor (ie. Studies in psychology)
The name of the minor: _________________________ ________credits.
Studies abroad (a selection of studies completed during mobility)______credits.
Including elective studies ______credits.
Compensating and agreeing beforehand with the responsible teacher
Studies from my major _______credits.
Studies from my minor _______credits.
Working on my master thesis (max. 15 credits / study plan).
Completing the 4 week field training as a part of the mobility 5 credits.
NOTE
You can also complete self-study language courses from the University of Lapland during your exchange. The course offerings vary in different languages. Contact the responsible teacher in the language of your exchange destination for further details. Self-study course XICP0230 Cultural Difference Diary helps you to prepare yourself for cultural challenges and process the observations on cultural differences in a constructive way. (NB! Pre-readings before departure required.)
Eligibility
• Systematic progress of studies according to the degree structure at the home university
• Adequate language skills (B1/B2/C1) either in English or in the language of the host destination
Selection criteria
• Study plan
• appropriate content and a systematic plan for recognition of studies to your ULapland degree
• minimum 24 ETCS / academic semester
• studies as specified in the mobility agreement with host destination
• Motivation
• Study success
The mobility application process of the University of Lapland has two rounds. During the first round of applications, the University of Lapland selects the students who proceed to the second round and can apply for a mobility at the host university. However, the final decision is always made by the host university, which has the right to reject an applicant. During the first round of mobility applications, the students complete an electronic application form in the SoleMOVE system. The applicants log in the system using their University of Lapland username and password.
The first-round mobility application in the SoleMOVE system includes the student’s personal data, the planned time frame for the mobility, a list of the student’s mobility destinations in the order of preference (maximum three destinations) and the following obligatory enclosures:
• Learning Agreement Before the Mobility
• University of Lapland Transcript of Records
• Motivation Letter
• Certificate of Language Proficiency
• To be Noticed During Mobility Period
NOTE! Students of the Faculty of Art and Design are not required to attach their portfolio in their first-round applications!
Learning Agreement is a document in which you indicate all courses you are planning to complete during your mobility at the host university as well as the courses or modules you are planning to include in your degree at the University of Lapland. During the first round of applications, a draft of the Learning Agreement is sufficient, and no signatures are required at this point. Draft your study plan in the “Learning Agreement Before the Mobility” document template available on the website of the Internationalisation Services. Combine all of your Learning Agreements into a single file before uploading the enclosure to your application in the SoleMOVE system.
Transcript of Records can be downloaded from Peppi.
A motivation letter, or a statement of purpose, is a document in which you give reasons why you would like to study abroad and why you have selected the particular host university as your mobility destination. The motivation letter may be written in English or Finnish. The applicant should include a separate section for each mobility destination in the motivation letter. The recommended length of the motivation letter is maximum one A4 sheet per mobility destination.
Include the following points in the motivation letter:
• Give reasons why you should be selected to the particular host university and why you would like to study there.
• Indicate the field of study and, more specifically, the particular courses you are planning to pursue at the exchange destination. How are you planning to include the studies to be completed at the host university in your degree at the University of Lapland? For example: Do you plan to study major or minor subject studies to your degree?
• What added value do the studies abroad bring to your degree at home university or how do they enhance your career prospects?
• You may also mention your language skills or other relevant achievements, or prior international experience, if any.
Certification of language proficiency can be done in the following ways:
If you are studying in an international Master’s Degree programme, you have proved your language skills at the required level during the admission process.
You can enclose a copy of one of the following:
A Transcript of Records (if you have completed a course on the required level)
B Official language test (mostly required for the destinations outside Europe, but applicable also for European destinations)
C Teacher’s statement (ask for it well in advance)
D English Degree Certificate of Higher Education
• The University of Lapland’s mobility decisions are made on the basis of the proposals of the advisors of the Internationalisation Services.
• The decisions are based on joint selection criteria.
• The decisions are made within one month of the end of the application period.
• The applicant will be notified of the decision via the SoleMOVE system by email.
Within one month of receiving the decision:
A Confirm your mobility by selecting ”I Confirm” In the SoleMOVE system to ensure that your mobility process will continue.
OR
B Cancel your mobility in the SoleMOVE system. At this point of the process, it is still possible to cancel the mobility without cancelation fee. If you cancel your mobility later, a cancellation fee of 100€ is applied.
PLEASE NOTE! If you do not confirm or cancel your mobility within one month of receiving the decision (the point at which your status reads “Acceptance Information Sent”), the process is considered ended. In this case, too, the cancellation fee of 100€ is applied.
During the orientation for outgoing students, the rest of the mobility process will be covered step by step. Participate in the orientation on the dates indicated in the decision. You can participate in the orientation in moodle environment (Outgoing Orientation + academic year of your exchange).
The themes of the orientation for outgoing students are:
1 The process: nomination, application instructions and practical arrangements
2 Learning Agreement Before the Mobility and mobility grant
3 During and after the mobility 4 Global Competences
5 Share your experiences – My Global Diary!
2.3. Nomination and instructions for the host university applications
Once you have confirmed your mobility, the Internationalisation Services will notify the host university of your nomination. Nomination is an official proposal made by your home university concerning your mobility to the host university. The nomination process takes place within the time frame specified by the host university, and the Internationalisation Services will notify you once your nomination process has been completed. Typically, students whose mobility will begin in the autumn term will be nominated in the spring preceding the mobility, and those whose mobility will begin in the spring will be nominated in the autumn preceding the mobility. Students applying for destinations outside EU will be nominated in the spring preceding the mobility if the procedure of the host university allows it. After the nomination process has been completed, you can wait for application instructions from the Internationalisation Services or directly from the host university.
During the host university applications, the students who were accepted in the home university will apply for the host university according to the application procedure of the university in question. The advisors will contact the students in accordance with the application periods, so there is no need to worry if you have to wait for some time. While waiting for further instructions, be active and seek information on the course offering of the host university, housing, the application procedure and so on in order to be well prepared when it is time to fill in the application.
Things to remember during the host university applications:
• Wait for the application instructions from the host university or the Internationalisation Services
• Go through your Learning Agreement! If necessary, update your Learning Agreement Before the Mobility form and ask the advisor at the Internationalisation Services to sign it. Attach the signed LA Before the Mobility form in the application even if it is not specifically required in the application process of the host university.
Host university selection
• The decision of acceptance or rejection is made by the host university.
• As a rule, the host university will notify you of the decision by email, typically at the earliest within one month of the end of the application period.
• Your mobility is considered confirmed when you receive a decision of acceptance from the host university.
• After having received a decision of acceptance, you can apply for a mobility grant in the SoleGRANT system.
• Have the LA Before the Mobility form confirmed by all three parties involved and save the document in the SoleGRANT system. This document must be provided before any grant payments can be made.
The students of the University of Lapland who participate in one of the university’s mobility programs are eligible for a mobility grant as specified in the mobility program in question. Further information on mobility grants is provided during the orientation for outgoing students, and the information is also available on the website of the Internationalisation Services.
The mobility process is long and requires not only effort and commitment from the student but also resources from the university. If you cancel your confirmed mobility, a cancellation fee of 100 euros will be charged. The cancellation fee also applies in cases in which the student has not confirmed/ cancelled the mobility within one month of receiving the decision. The cancellation fee is not charged if the student cancels the mobility for a valid reason such as illness, pregnancy or military service. The cancellation fee is charged automatically if the student does not give a valid reason for the cancellation.
Whom to contact if my mobility is interrupted?
• If your mobility process is interrupted, please notify the advisor of the Internationalisation Services of the university without delay (outgoing@ulapland.fi)
• If your mobility application has already been submitted or your mobility has already begun, please notify the host university of the cancellation!
Registration for the academic year
• Every outgoing student is required to register as attending at the home university for the entire duration of their mobility.
• A student who does not complete their registration by the registration deadline will lose their right to study.
• To have their study right reactivated, the student is required to pay a re-enrolment fee of 35 euros (decree of the Ministry of Education and Culture 20.6.2007) and the Student Union membership fee.
• The Student Union membership fee is obligatory for the entire duration of the mobility.
Going on a study abroad is a great way for you to learn more about yourself and develop your personal skills to make you more equipped to join a globalised society. However, it’s sometimes challenging to voice the skills you have gained through your mobility. We would like to help you to recognise your global competences and to update your CV. We have collected and created some tools, test, surveys, webinars and workshops to help you. You can either utilise one or all of them independently or you can attend a workshop before and/or after your mobility to get the most out of guidance in small group of peers. You can find the toolkit for my global competencies in the Outgoing Orientation moodle environment. You can utilise Erasmus skills -test https://assessment.erasmusskills.eu/ and the competence circle to reflect your goals for the mobility period while planning your exchange and motivation letter.
1. List in the inner circle the skills and strengths you already have.
2. List in the outer circle the skills that you want to improve/ achieve, personal qualities you want to strengthen or develop.
3. List in the arrows ways of achieving your goals.
Peer support is one of the most important and highly asked topics among outgoing exchange students, and we would love to share your stories from the world and inspire and help future outgoing student in their exchange journey!
The easiest way to share experiences, pictures and videos from your exchange is to tag @myglobaldiary so that we can re-share your content!
If you would like to share a week or a day from your exchange or tell about your other experiences on Instagram, you can either email us: outgoing@ulapland.fi or contact us on Instagram @myglobaldiary!
We are also hosting My Global Diary -podcast, where we are discussing about differentkinds of topics like tutoring, culture shock, exchange experiences and differences between universities in different countries. We would love to have you as a guest, so if you have anytopics in mind let us know!
The website of University of Lapland has already some internationalisation stories, so if you would like to share your story either on a written form or perhaps do a video, that would be great!
Would you like to inspire people on their internationalisation journey, practice your social media skills and create content for different channels? Become a My Global Diary -ambassador! We are recruiting new ambassadors twice a year, and as anambassador you get to use your social media skills, develop important career skills for the future and inspire other students in their internationalisation journey.
