Going abroad on teacher exchange is a great way to develop your pedagogic skills, gain experience of teaching in a foreign language, network and establish contacts with colleagues at a partner university, in addition to learning about the teaching techniques of the partner university in your own discipline. During the exchange, you will also have time to work on joint publications or to plan joint events with the colleagues at the host university.
University of Helsinki's International Exchange Services and Education Cooperation unit, staffexchange@helsinki.fi, grants Erasmus+ teacher exchange funding, which covers travel costs. International Exchange Services and Education Cooperation unit also gives guidance regarding short teacher exchanges in which the funding is from the participant’s own unit (Nordplus) or from the receiving country (Swiss Mobility). For guidance regarding other visits abroad than exchange visits, please contact HR.
| Exchange programme | Erasmus+ teacher exchange in Europe | Erasmus+ staff exchange | Nordplus | Swiss European mobility | Erasmus+ global / ICM teacher exchange to countries outside EU/EEA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host countries | EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, North Macedonia, Turkey and Serbia | EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, North Macedonia, Turkey and Serbia | Nordic and Baltic states (host countries depend on each Nordplus network) | Switzerland | Countries outside EU/EEA, which have been granted funding |
| Exchange must include |
at least 8 h of teaching per week if the exchange includes training, for example, developing pedagogical skills (teaching/training combined), at least 4 hours of teaching per week |
for example, preparing a funding application for an international education project or curriculum development at the University of Helsinki, travel grants for Erasmus+ Staff Exchange are primarily given to other staff than research and teaching staff
|
for example, teaching, guidance or developing teaching material | at least 8 h of teaching per week | at least 8 h of teaching per week |
| Duration of funding | 2-5 working days + up to 2 travel days | 2-5 working days + up to 2 travel days | Nordplus network decides the duration | the receiving university decides the duration | 5-12 working days + up to 2 travel days |
| Funding covers | accommodation, travel costs, per diem | accommodation, travel costs, per diem | accommodation, travel costs, per diem | travel costs and per diem paid by the host university, per diem also intended for housing costs | accommodation, travel costs, per diem |
| Guidance | staffexchange@helsinki.fi | staffexchange@helsinki.fi | for discipline-level networks, the network's contact person; for the university-wide Nordlys network staffexchange@helsinki.fi |
for funding, the host university in Switzerland, for applications staffexchange@helsinki.fi; travel request to one's own unit | staffexchange@helsinki.fi |
Teaching and research staff of the University of Helsinki can go on teacher exchange. The person applying for teacher exchange must be employed by the University of Helsinki when applying for the exchange and during the exchange period.
Funding for teacher exchange opportunities varies depending on the exchange programme and location of the exchange destination. Please see the section above and the list of countries in the application instructions.
Applicants can go on exchange up once per academic year.
International Exchange Services and Education Cooperation unit of the University of Helsinki grants Erasmus+ travel funding for teacher exchange which lasts 2-5 working days in Europe (+ maximum 2 travel days) and 5-12 working days outside EU/EEA.
The exception to the maximum duration of 5 days in Europe is teaching on the BIP course, which the University of Helsinki participates in organising. In this case, funding will be granted on a discretionary basis, depending on the duration of the course, for a maximum of 12 working days and, if necessary, 2 travel days.
Due to the EU’s rules concerning the Erasmus+ programme, Erasmus+ teacher exchanges that focus solely on research and do not involve teaching or training are not possible.
An exchange trip is a work related trip, and the University of Helsinki’s travel policy must always be observed in the planning and execution. In addition to the travel policy, one needs to observe the travel instructions (in Finnish or Swedish) of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. The applicant also needs to follow the guidelines of the funding agency, for example, the Erasmus+ rules and regulations set by the European Commission.
Erasmus+ funding is external funding, and there are limitations to the maximum travel cost sum from the funding agency. Example of approved Erasmus+ travel costs:
Because teacher exchange is a strategically important internationalization instrument for the University of Helsinki, the University of Helsinki is willing to compensate for reasonable travel costs from the university’s own exchange funding if the travel costs exceed the Erasmus+ travel grant sum. The additional compensation needs to be within the boundaries of the example above, i.e. its purpose is to ensure that per diem and reasonable accommodation costs are covered.
Erasmus+ travel grants are based on daily sums, which means that the applicant must notify the International Exchange Services and Education Cooperation unit if there are changes in the travel schedule. Changes in exchange duration will influence the amount of Erasmus+ travel grant.
The travel grant decision may be cancelled if the exchange trip does not comply with the exchange programme and dates described in the Mobility Agreement.
EU’s Erasmus+ programme encourages participants to use sustainable means of travel. Additional Erasmus+ travel funding is available for journeys in which at least half of the entire journey is by train, bus or carpooling.
Examples:
More information:
If you use other means of transportation than flying, please take into account both the University of Helsinki travel regulations (intranet) and the rules of the Erasmus+ programme, which staffexchange@helsinki.fi will guide you on.
Acceptable costs of Erasmus+ exchanges are decided on by the specialist of the International Exchange Services and Education Cooperation unit, which is responsible for Erasmus+ funding wbs at the University of Helsinki.
In addition to the University of Helsinki rules regarding combining holidays, remote work or other work-related journeys (intranet) to your Erasmus+ exchange, you need to follow the University of Helsinki Erasmus+ guidelines. Due to the Erasmus+ reporting, University of Helsinki has decided that combining holidays, remote work or other work-related journeys with an Erasmus+ exchange is only possible either directly before or after the Erasmus+ exchange. At the University of Helsinki, combining holidays or remote work is only possible in the destination of your Erasmus+ exchange.
Due to the rules of Erasmus+ reporting, eligible costs of Erasmus+ exchanges are decided on by the specialist of the International Exchange Services and Education Cooperation unit, which is responsible for Erasmus+ funding at the University of Helsinki. If you want to combine a holiday, remote work or another work-related journey with your Erasmus+ exchange, please contact staffexchange@helsinki.fi before submitting your application.
International Exchange Services and Education Cooperation, Staffexchange@helsinki.fi will contact your supervisor directly during the application process to check that your supervisor approves your plans.
You will first be on another business trip in Berlin and then want to go directly from Berlin to an Erasmus+ exchange in Cologne. Due to the rules of Erasmus+ funding, your Erasmus+ travel allowance is calculated on the basis of the distance between the place of origin and the destination, Berlin-Cologne, and therefore does not cover the price of a return flight to Finland. When submitting your Erasmus+ application, please enclose information on whether your unit is exceptionally prepared to reimburse the costs of the return trip to Berlin-Helsinki. Make separate travel requests for your business trip to Berlin and for your Erasmus+ exchange. In Erasmus+ reporting, the University of Helsinki must justify why your exchange started elsewhere than in Helsinki. For this reason, you should also briefly enclose with your Erasmus+ travel request additional information on the duration and reason for your trip to Berlin. In your Erasmus+ application, please mark Berlin as the place of departure instead of Helsinki.
You will leave Helsinki for an Erasmus+ exchange in Zagreb. You and your supervisor agree that you will stay in Zagreb for a maximum of five days of remote work or holiday directly after your Erasmus+ exchange. Since your place of origin is Helsinki, your Erasmus+ travel grant will be calculated on the basis of the distance between Helsinki and Zagreb. The Erasmus+ travel grant also covers the return flight, but according to the travel instructions of the University of Helsinki, no daily allowance is paid for the period of remote work or holiday, including for the period of the return journey after that. Make only one travel request, which will be accepted by staffexchange@helsinki.fi. Your travel request and other travel arrangements must comply with the University of Helsinki's regulations on combining remote work or holiday with a business trip (intranet). During the application process, staffexchange@helsinki.fi will confirm your supervisor's consent to the remote work or holiday directly from your supervisor.
You are already in Paris, for example, for research, when your Erasmus+ teacher exchange at the BIP course in Paris begins and you will stay in Paris even after the BIP course. According to the Erasmus+ funding rules, your travel expenses can be reimbursed for accommodation, local transport and daily allowances for the working days of the teacher exchange if you do not receive any other funding. You will not receive Erasmus+ funding for travel tickets or per diem for the travel days because you are already in the same place. In Erasmus+ reporting, the University of Helsinki must justify why you were not paid an Erasmus+ travel grant for air tickets. For this reason, please enclose briefly with your travel request additional information on the duration and reason for your stay in Paris.