Erasmus+ KA131

- TEACHING VISITS TO HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS ABROAD

What is it?

Staff mobility for teaching purposes takes place at a foreign higher education partner institution, providing an opportunity for a University academic staff member to teach for at least 8 hours per week or a shorter period. An inter-institutional agreement is required for the implementation of teaching visits.

Which countries can staff travel to?

Staff may undertake training visits to EU countries and associated third countries, including Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Turkey, North Macedonia, and Serbia.

Who can participate in Erasmus+ teaching visits?

Academic staff of the University: lecturers, professors, associate professors, assistant professors, and teaching assistants.

Who is given a priority?

Priority is given to academic staff:

• who offer to teach courses in a foreign language to incoming international students;
• who are undertaking a visit for the first time;
• whose course is integrated into the host university’s study programme;
• whose visit will contribute to strengthening cooperation between the University and the host university’s departments and faculties, and will support preparations for further cooperation activities.

How to find a host higher education institution?

Erasmus+ teaching visits may be carried out at a higher education institution with which your faculty or the University has a bilateral Erasmus+ agreement for staff exchange. You can find the list of partner institutions by study field and cooperating faculties here. The teaching programme and other visit details are arranged directly between the staff member and the receiving units at the foreign higher education institution.

What is the duration of an Erasmus+ teaching visit?

The duration of an Erasmus+ teaching visit may be no less than 2 days and no more than 5 days (plus up to 2 travel days). 

If the visit takes place in a third country that is not an associated Programme country, its duration must be between 5 and 10 days.

- TRAINING VISITS

Erasmus+ training visit is an activity aimed at promoting the professional development of the University’s academic and non-academic staff by participating in training activities organized abroad (excluding conferences) or by taking part in individual training activities at higher education institutions or companies/organizations. The activity may take various forms, including seminars, participation in training weeks, job shadowing, and practical training periods, except for participation in conferences.

The objectives of training visits may include:

• updating or developing new teaching materials for students;
• improving professional or personal competences;
• strengthening and expanding cooperation links and discussing future cooperation opportunities and projects, including Erasmus+ traineeships for students.

A training visit is conducted in accordance with a pre-arranged and signed mobility agreement between the sending and receiving institutions. This agreement specifies the overall purpose and tasks of the training visit, the expected outcomes of the planned training activities, and the programme of the training period.

- APPLICATION AND SELECTION FOR TRAINING AND TEACHING VISITS

How to apply for an Erasmus training visit to a higher education institution or a company/organisation

Staff members wishing to participate in an Erasmus training or teaching visit must submit an electronic application. The application must include all information required for the mobility agreement (host institution, motivation, planned activities, etc.).

Applications may be submitted at any time and for any period within the academic year. However, it is recommended to apply no later than 40 days before the start of the visit, taking into account the selection rounds listed below.

Selection process

Selection is carried out by the non-academic units of the university and the faculties three times per year:

After the visit is approved

Once the visit is approved, the signed mobility agreement should be submitted to the mobility coordinator (Rita or Gina) within two months, but no later than three weeks before the start of the mobility.

-FUNDING FOR ERASMUS STAFF TRAINING

The following expenses are covered for participants:

• Travel expenses: a fixed amount calculated according to the European Commission’s distance calculator;
• Subsistence expenses: a fixed amount depending on the destination country.

Travel expenses:

IMPORTANT: The travel distance calculated using the European Commission’s distance calculator refers to the distance between the place of departure and the place of the mobility activity. Participants receive a fixed amount intended to cover the cost of travelling to and from the mobility activity destination.

* Green travel – when the participant chooses to travel the majority of the journey using one of the following sustainable modes of transport: train, bus, or carpooling with at least two people travelling

Subsistence expenses

After the staff member and the mobility coordinator have signed the grant agreement, but no earlier than 20 working days before the start of the mobility, an advance payment of 80% of the total grant may be transferred to the participant’s account upon request, in accordance with the University’s procedures.

The remaining part of the financial support is transferred to the participant’s account after the visit, upon submission of a report in Avilys (the University's data management system) and a report in the EU online survey tool.

If the advance payment is not requested, the total grant is transferred to the participant after completion of the visit.

-AFTER RETURNING FROM ERASMUS+ VSIT

After returning, the following documents should be submitted:

• Via the Avilys data management system:
• • A travel (mobility) expense report (in XLS format)
  • A copy of the visit confirmation (teaching or training) (PDF format; a document issued by the host institution is acceptable if it contains all required information)
  • Copies of flight boarding passes or train/bus tickets (PDF format) (not required if travelling by car)
  • A declaration of honesty when travelling by car with two or more participants, signed by all travellers (PDF format)
• EU online survey. The invitation to complete the survey is sent to the staff member’s email after the visit.

-ERASMUS+ TEACHING VISITS BY INVITED STAFF FROM FOREIGN COMPANIES/ORGANIZATIONS

An Erasmus teaching visit is a period during which an invited staff member from a foreign company or organisation comes to the University to teach students, aiming to:

• Enrich and expand the content of university courses
• Strengthen collaboration, including student Erasmus internships

Who Can Invite Staff for a teaching visit?

Invitations can be made by the faculties and equivalent academic units (Centres with faculty status, Research institutes, other University units with a justified need)

Eligible Companies/Organisations

Staff can be invited from any company or organisation in a country participating in Erasmus+, regardless of size, legal status, or sector. Examples include:

• Public or private companies (including social enterprises)
• Local, regional, or national public institutions
• Lithuanian diplomatic missions
• EU institutions
• Research institutes or centres engaged in private practice
• Educational institutions (pre-school to secondary, including vocational and adult education)
• Non-profit organisations, associations, NGOs

Staff cannot be invited from companies situated in countries that are not associated with the Erasmus+ Programme countries.

Eligible activities during the teaching visit

• Lectures
• Seminars

All teaching visits follow a programme agreed in advance and approved by both the University and the invited staff member. This programme outlines the objectives and content of the visit.

Duration and workload

• Recommended duration: 2–5 working days + 2 days for travel
• Minimum teaching load: 8 hours per week
• Visits can last from 2 days to 2 months (excluding travel time)

How to apply for funding

• Contact your faculty/unit’s coordinator responsible for Erasmus cooperation with companies to discuss objectives and funding
• Once funding is confirmed, coordinate with the invited staff member to agree on:
  • Visit dates
  • Teaching programme
  • Signing the teaching agreement (signed by the coordinator or unit head on behalf of the University)
• After the agreement is signed, the institutional coordinator at the Students’ Services and Career Centre will contact the invited staff regarding:
  • Grant arrangement
  • Other necessary documentation

Funding Priorities

Priority is given to visits that:

• Is the first visit of the invited staff to the university unit
• Have a teaching programme aligned with the faculty/unit’s courses/modules or relevant non-academic activities
• Enrich course content and strengthen collaboration, including Erasmus internships for students

-CONTACTS

For training and teaching visits to higher education institutions:

Rita Vienažindienė

International Relations Office

Email:

Tel.: +370 5 268 7150

For training visits to companies/organisations and Erasmus teaching visits by invited staff from foreign companies/organisations at the University:

Gina Jagelavičiūtė

Students’ Services and Career Centre

Email:

Tel.: +370 5 236 6011