Virtual Exchange

Virtual Exchange is an accessible, groundbreaking international experience, which leverages on new technologies and a common lingua franca, and does not entail physical mobility.

Organised jointly between at least two international universities, Virtual Exchange is a training activity consisting of little traditional/lecture-based teaching so to encourage a student-centred and leaner-led collaborative experience aimed at developing a common project and/or discussing interdisciplinary topics with a challenged-based approach.

The groups of international students meet remotely on collaborative platforms (e.g. Zoom, WhatsApp, Google Meets etc.) either autonomously or with a facilitator, who encourages active participation of group members and helps create a positive and collaborative debate without interfering with the contents of the course.

Virtual Exchange therefore differs from virtual mobility, which consists of classes (in synchronous or asynchronous mode) delivered remotely by the lecturers of the host university, which also gives students ECTS credits upon completion of the course.

  Duration

Duration varies according to the course chosen, which may last from few weeks to a whole semester.

  Participants

All the students of the University of Padua meeting the entry requirements specified in the relevant call for applications can participate in the project.

Remember that you need to:

  • have access to a computer and an internet connection
  • master the lingua franca (usually the English language)
  • get past your ‘comfort zone’

You do not need to physically move to another university, nor find time or financial resources for it.

  Why participate

Virtual Exchange gives you the opportunity to:

  • develop and strengthen soft skills, which are the key to enter the labour market (teamwork, ability to work with people from different cultural background, communicate in a foreign language, learning different communicative styles, adapting your communication style to the audience and cultural context)
  • foster your being a global citizen, by looking at diversity as a value
  • explore interdisciplinary topics which are not usually addressed in a traditional study curriculum
  • develop your digital skills, especially remote interaction and group work on sharing platforms
  • get ready for physical mobility, by avoiding culture shock and facilitating integration in the receiving country
  • make new friends
  • get past your ‘comfort zone’

  Academic recognition

Your participation in Virtual Exchange projects can be recognised in different ways.

If the course unit is included in the educational offer, the University of Padua will recognise the ECTS credits as:

  • in or off-plan elective course unit (with mark/ ‘passed’ status)
  • binding activity, if included in the course unit of the relevant lecturer
  • traineeship activity

If the course unit is not included in the educational offer, you can still earn an Open Badge and a certificate of attendance.

Active projects

  Arqus Collaboratory Challenge-Based Learning Programme

Arqus Collaboratory Challenge-Based Learning Programme is a short course which brings together students and lecturers from different subject-areas to face ethical and political high-impact critical issues. The course is delivered in blended teaching mode through videoconferences and digital tools. Each session consists of: (a) interdisciplinary panel with lecturers and researchers of the Arqus member universities, (b) debate, in groups, (c) introduction to tools and development of competences towards an innovative interdisciplinary collaboration, (d) groups of students of Home Hub presenting and discussing the development of their innovative idea.

The syllabus is jointly developed and planned by students - who have the opportunity to suggest topics they are interested in and reflect on their learning process - and lecturers.

  ETandem

eTandem is a form of online peer-to-peer learning/teaching.

Aims

  • practicing English, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese and/or German as linguae francae in a Facebook/Moodle community, and the target language in a one-to-one exchange with your own partner
  • promoting inclusive multilingualism
  • facilitating international students’ integration into the society and the University community
  • promoting internationalisation at home
  • enhancing soft skills
  • cultivating curiosity towards other’s culture and active listening
  • developing digital and intercultural competences
  • stimulating interest in global issues
  • boosting critical thinking
  • encouraging physical mobility

The exchange includes three types of interaction:

  • many-to-many, in asynchronous mode in the Facebook/Moodle community where intercultural and global issues will be addressed
  • one-to-one with your partner, where you can choose the tools, pace of interaction, and topics you like
  • few-to-few, in synchronous mode through online sessions and related collaborative activities

The project is open to students of the University of Padua and international students who are going to attend our University during the semester following the online exchange.

Duration: 8 -10 weeks. Two editions per year are planned, one before each semester

Find out more

  NICE - Intercultural competence to facilitate entrepreneurship

NICE is a Virtual Exchange programme intended for all the students of the University of Padua. The project is broken down into seven educational modules aimed at developing soft skills, namely entrepreneurial, intercultural, and interpersonal skills, ability to cooperate, teamworking skills, and problem-solving approach, in order to promote the students’ professional growth and entry into the labour market.

Students will work both on individual basis and in interdisciplinary and multicultural teams to solve a “Global Challenge”.

Call, application, information

  Exchanging ecocritical perspectives on children’s literature - a pilot project

  • contact person: Prof. Marnie Campagnaro (Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology – FISPPA)
  • partners: University of Padua, International University of Catalonia (Spain), Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (Norway)

  Collaborative Online International Learning – Nursing

  • contact person: Renzo Zanotti, Alberto Camuccio (Department of Medicine – DIMED)
  • coordinator: Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (Norway)
  • partners: University of Padua, University of Applied Sciences IMC Krems (Austria), University College Lillebaelt (Denmark), Institut Régional de Formation Sanitaire et Sociale, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes - Lyon (France), Instituto Politécnico de Viseu (Portugal), University Adventist Zurcher (Madagascar)

  Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programmes

Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP) are a new funding schemer under the Erasmus+ Programme. BIP are international learning activities combining online collaboration and a short physical mobility, designed around a “challenge-based” approach. Minimum 3 ECTS must be awarded under this kind of programmes. 

The following Blended Intensive Programmes are currently active at UNIPD:

  • “GDPR and Research in Education: Taking eSafety in our hands (for pre-service teachers, students and researchers)”
    - contact person:Emilia Restiglian (Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology – FISPPA)
    - coordinator: University of Padua
    - partners: University of Salamanca (Spain), University of Warsaw (Poland)
  • “International Problem-based Learning EXperience in Veterinary Medicine (IPLEX Vet Med)”
    - contact persons: Rudi Cassini, Giorgio Marchesini (Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health – MAPS)
    - coordinator: University of Padua
    - partners: University of Porto (Portugal), Estonian University of Life Sciences (Estonia)
  • “Adult Education Academy”
    - contact person: Monica Fedeli (Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology – FISPPA)
    - coordinator: University Julius-Maximilian Würzburg (Germany)
    - partners: University of Padua, University of Florence (Italy), Helmut-Schmidt University Hamburg (Germany), Deutscher Volkshochschul-Verband (Germany), University of Pécs (Hungary), Dublin City University (Ireland), University of Lisbon (Portugal), University of Minho (Portugal), University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), Delhi University (India), International Institute of Adult & Lifelong Education (India), Ohio University (USA), West Liberty University (USA), European Association for Education of Adults (Belgium)
  • Digital Society Challenges: Legal Artificial Intelligence”
    - contact person: Elena Buoso (Department of Public, International and European Union Law – DiPIC)
    - coordinator: University of Granada (Spain)
    - partners: University of Padua, Università of Lisbon (Portugal)
  • "European Law and Human Rights”
    - contact person: Prof. Elena Buoso (Department of Public, International and European Union Law – DiPIC)
    - coordinator: University Jean Moulin Lyon 3 (France)
    - partners: University of Padua, KU Leuven (Belgium)

  Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange

Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange is a flagship programme established by the European Commission in 2018. Its goal is to expand the reach and scope of the Erasmus+ programme via Virtual Exchange and by offering a wide array of activities to its participants.