BLENDED INTENSIVE PROGRAMMES

The 4th CIVIS call for BIPs in a nutshell

October-November 2023

General characteristics of CIVIS BIPs:

• Designed and implemented in a blended format: both a physical (5 days) and a virtual component are compulsory. The virtual component must bring the learners together online to work collectively and simultaneously on specific assignments that are integrated in the blended intensive programme and count towards the overall learning outcomes. The virtual component can represent any volume of virtual learning and take place before and/or after the physical mobility.

• Includes academic staff and student participants from at least three (3) EU CIVIS member-universities. University of Glasgow and University of Lausanne, as well as the African strategic partners, can participate, but do not count towards the `minimum three partners’ requirement (Erasmus+ criterion). 

• Are eligible for Erasmus+ organisational support (OS) funding between 6.000 EUR and 8.000 EUR, based on the number of mobile students with an Erasmus+ grant (15 to 20 students). The maximum level of OS funds can be 8.000 EUR, even if the number of mobile students is above 20 (there is no maximum limit related to the number of students participating in the BIP). The allocation and distribution of OS funds is done by the Erasmus Office of the organising university, based on the proposal of the BIP coordinators. Tuition / course fees are strictly forbidden and cannot be requested to participants. 

• Mobility funding will be awarded based on the internal regulations of each sending university, in line with the Erasmus+ programme. Moreover, participants coming from the University of Glasgow, the University of Lausanne, or the African partner universities will travel based on the internal regulations in their respective university. 

• Any student enrolled in one of the 11 CIVIS universities or the CIVIS African partner universities, at Bachelor, Master, or Doctoral Programme level, provided they are enrolled at their home university throughout the entire period of the BIP. Students must meet entry criteria as defined by the BIP coordinators. Detailed participant profile, related to the level and field of study, or other specific characteristics, will be defined for each BIP.  

• Upon successful graduation from a BIP, students receive between 3 and 9 ECTS credit points from the coordinating university (which correspond to a student workload ranging between 75 and 270 hours of student activity, divided in hours guided by professor and hours of individual work conducted by the students).A clear division of the learning outcomes for each ECTS credit point (based on calculated workload) is required, especially for BIPs ranging from 7 ECTS credit points to 9 ECTS credit points, supporting learning recognition for students from CIVIS universities.Any form of recognition is fully dependent on the students’ home institution. Assessment of the acquired competencies / learning outcomes is mandatory and must be included in the programme, the method(s) being further described in the application.

• Academics / teaching / training staff members participating in the physical component of the BIP must prove at least 8 hours of teaching activity during the 5 days of the physical component (excepting the staff of the hosting university). Non-EU universities will use their own funds and processes to support staff mobility; the minimum teaching requirement may be different, depending on sending the university’s rules.

• The main suggested language of instruction for BIPs is English, but BIPs can be designed and delivered in any of the other languages of the CIVIS universities (DE | EL | ES | FR | IT | RO | SV).

CIVIS BIPs can be organised by any of the following universities:

• Aix-Marseille Université (France)

• National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece)

• Université libre de Bruxelles (Belgium)

• University of Bucharest (Romania)

• Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain)

• Sapienza Università di Roma (Italy)

• Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (Austria)

• Stockholm University (Sweden)

• Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen (Germany)

CIVIS BIPs can be hosted at any of the above mentioned CIVIS universities, as well as any of the following universities:

• University of Glasgow (United Kingdom)

• University of Lausanne (Switzerland)

• Université Hassan II de Casablanca (Morocco)

• Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (Senegal)

• University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (South Africa)

• Makerere University, Kampala (Uganda)

• Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo (Mozambique)

• Université de Sfax (Tunisia)

Implementation Calendar (for BIPs taking place during academic year 2024/2025)

To ensure adequate promotion and smooth administrative students mobility management & enrollment, CIVIS BIPs will be implemented according to the following calendar:

Theme

The Blended Intensive Programme should include, where possible, themes not only relevant for the European context, but also for the African and/or the Mediterranean Areas, especially if members from CIVIS African partner universities are included in a BIP partnership. The BIP proposal must tackle one or more focus areas identified by the Hubs Councils.

• Hub 1: Climate, Environment, Energy

• Hub 2: Society, Culture, Heritage

• Hub 3: Health

• Hub 4: Cities, Territories, Mobilities

• Hub 5: Digital & Technological Transformation

Further subtopics and interest areas of each of the 5 CIVIS HUBs can be explored in the detailed call for CIVIS BIPs.

Application for CIVIS BIPs

BIP project proposals must be submitted by: November 30th, 2023.

Submissions must be done through the online platform.

Contacts for CIVIS BIPs

General CIVIS BIP contact point:bip@lists.civis.eu. 

Contacts for CIVIS BIPs in CIVIS Universities

Selection Procedure

Before submitting BIP proposals, BIP coordinators must ensure they have the approval of the Coordinating University(Faculty / Department / School and Erasmus+ Office), as seen in the Letter of Intent document included in the call. The letter must be submitted with the BIP application and is part of the selection procedure. For the institutional validation, applicants must contact the member of the Education Unit from their respective university (please check with your CIVIS Institutional Coordinator for support and relevant contact). 

The BIP proposals will be evaluated by the CIVIS HUB Councils, with support provided by the Education Unit and the Mobility Unit, according to the following criteria: 

• Geographical balance (inclusion of team members from African partner countries is considered an advantage)

• Project relevance

• Quality of learning content

• Sustainability of the project

After the HUBs’ selection, CIVIS Mobility Offices will prepare the list of approved projects, ensuring as much as possible equal allocation of programmes’ coordination to the institutions, also based on the availability of funds.