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Registration Deadline: Mar 19, 2023

Virtual Exchanges in Higher Education and Youth

Deadline: April 26, 2023
Duration: 36 months
Budget: 500,000€

About
Virtual exchanges projects consist of online people-to-people activities that promote intercultural dialogue and soft skills development. They make it possible for every young person to access high-quality international and cross-cultural education (both formal and non-formal) without physical mobility.

While virtual debating or training does not fully replace the benefits of physical mobility, participants in virtual exchanges ought to reap some of the benefits of international educational experiences. Digital platforms represent a valuable tool in partially answering the global constraints on mobility caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual exchanges also help spreading European values. Moreover, in some cases they can prepare, deepen and extend physical exchanges, as well as fuel new demand for them.

Virtual exchanges take place in small groups and are always moderated by a trained facilitator. They should be easily integrated into youth (non-formal education) projects or higher education courses. Virtual exchanges can draw participants from both sectors, even if, depending on specific projects, they could involve participants from either only one of them or from both. All projects under this call will involve organisations and participants coming from both EU Member States and third countries associated to the Programme, and third countries not associated to the Programme in eligible regions.

Objectives of the Action
- Encourage intercultural dialogue with third countries not associated to the Programme and increase tolerance through online people-to-people interactions, building on digital, youth-friendly technologies;
- Promote various types of virtual exchanges as a complement to Erasmus+ physical mobility, allowing more young people to benefit from intercultural and international experience;
- Enhance critical thinking and media literacy, particularly in the use of internet and social media, such as to counter discrimination, indoctrination, polarization and violent radicalisation;
- Foster the digital and soft skills development of students, young people and youth workers, including the practice of foreign languages and teamwork, notably to enhance employability;
- Promote citizenship and the common values of freedom, tolerance and non-discrimination through education;
- Strengthen the youth dimension in the relations of the EU with third countries.

Who can apply?
The following organisations can be involved as co-ordinator:
- Public or private organisations active in the field of higher education or youth (non-formal education);
- Higher education institutions, associations or organisations of higher education institutions, as well as legally recognised national or international rector, teacher or student organisations;
The organisation applies on behalf of all participating organisations involved in the project and must be legally established and located in an EU Member State or third country associated to the Programme.

Eligible Organizations
Participating organisations may be established either in an EU Member State or third country associated to the Programme or in an eligible third country not associated to the Programme. Each project proposal may only involve organisations and participants from one of the eligible regions of third countries not associated to the Programme. The eligible regions covered by this action are Regions 1, 2, 3 and 9 (see section “Eligible countries” in part A of this Guide).

Registration Deadline: Mar 19, 2023