Jorge Elso Torralba obtained the degree of Industrial Engineer from the Public University of Navarra in 2005, and the Doctor of Engineering degree from the same university in 2012. Currently, Jorge is vice-chancellor of Internationalization and Cooperation of this university, so in this interview he talks to us, among other things, about the importance of internationalization and mobility programs.
How important is internationalization today?
In today’s globalized world, an internationalization strategy is essential in many organizations, and essential at the university. Internationalization means incorporating the international dimension in all areas of university activity – training, research and extension – so it must involve the entire university community – students, faculty and administration and services staff. It is an ongoing process that requires a great boost, and takes new forms every day: double international degrees, Erasmus projects, European universities, etc.
What are the differences between the current Erasmus+ mobility programme and the previous Erasmus mobility programme?
The current Erasmus+ programme (2014-2020) integrates for the first time all education sectors – school education, vocational training and adult education – in addition to the original higher education sector. Its budget increased markedly: from the EUR 6.970 million of the 2007-2013 Lifelong Learning Programme, it was reduced to a total budget of EUR 16,454 million, an increase of 236%.
The program is structured into 3 key actions that finance all kinds of educational projects:
1. Mobility of individuals for learning reasons: the traditional Erasmus stays of students and staff of schools.
2. Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices: it is a novel action that allows the creation of international consortia of educational institutions (universities, colleges, adult training centres, etc.), for the implementation of joint educational projects in each of the consortium members
3. Policy reform support: this new action funds the formation of international consortia for the implementation of projects that impact the development of government education policies.
In addition to the 3 key actions, Jean Monnet, which funds international education on European Union-related issues, is maintained and Action for Sport is incorporated for the first time.
A final novelty is the incorporation of the so-called international dimension, which has allowed the Erasmus programme to rise from the limits of the European Union, to enable the previous actions to be carried out in virtually any country in the world.
For the new programme cycle (2021-2027), the EU has already approved a budget that triples the amount allocated to the previous cycle, which will allow the number of young participants to be expanded. To this end, a number of measures have been proposed to remove all economic, social and cultural barriers that hinder access to the programme.
In addition, over the next years 2021-2027 it is proposed to increase synergies with other European programmes to cover activities that cannot currently be financed under Erasmus+. The budget from other programmes will be used to adjust the amount of scholarships, transport and maintenance costs for the most vulnerable groups, or to finance new projects.
How are they promoting internationalization, cooperation or mobility programmes such as Erasmus+ at UPNA?
The university has adapted its internal structures to align them with the promotion of internationalization in a broad sense, including both international relations and development cooperation. The existence of a Vice-Chancellor and an Internationalization and Cooperation Area Directorate, as well as vice-deans/subdirectories of internationalization in each centre, ensure that internationalization is always present in decision-making at the highest level. In addition, UPNA has provided a network of coordinators of international relations by degree, and mobility managers by partner university, which guarantee the quality in the internationalization of degrees, a rigorous and personalized academic management of mobility, as well as a careful and individualized relationship with each of our more than 300 partner institutions. At the administrative level, the Internationalization and Cooperation Section implements the institution’s internationalization policies, managing mobility programmes for students and staff and providing technical support in the management of Erasmus and cooperation projects.
This internal structure allows for an internationalization policy that surpasses the mere physical mobility of students or staff, incorporating elements such as work in international consortia in research projects and educational innovation, the promotion of international doctoral co-guardianships, internationalization at home, teaching in English, international practices and a scholarship policy both with own resources and through collaboration agreements with bank entities , which currently allows the international mobility rate of UPNA students to exceed 26%, one of the highest in Spain.
What does it bring to a student to participate in mobility programs?
First, maturity. We have extraordinarily academically brilliant students, but on many occasions they have not faced unknown situations or left their comfort zone. Mobility forces them to do so and in a few weeks the change is noticeable: they gain security, autonomy, adaptability, tolerance to uncertainty… Mobility is also linked to a greater capacity for communication, creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, etc. Employers know it and value it. In this sense, mobility can be considered as one of the best opportunities available to students to develop so-called cross-cutting competencies.
What is the current relevance of foreign language knowledge?
Today English proficiency is a minimum requirement that is expected of any top graduate in Spain and that companies demand in much of their selection processes. In this sense, and after ensuring fluency in English, mastery of a second foreign language can make a difference in the labour market. The most requested options are French and German, although other languages may also be important in specific sectors. In Navarra, the usefulness of these languages is particularly evident, given the closeness with France and the presence of Volkswagen’s headquarters. On the other hand, the acquisition of fluid communication skills in foreign languages generally demonstrates a high capacity to adapt to other cultures and environments, a very valuable skill in the current work landscape.
Do you offer any support to young people participating in these mobility programs at UPNA?
UPNA manages external and internal scholarship programs. The former include the payment of Erasmus grants, scholarships granted by banks (Caja Rural, Banco Santander), the allocation and payment of scholarships from the Santander-Ibero-America and Santander-Erasmus Programme, the processing of acquimb scholarships for students to Aquitaine (France), etc. On the other hand, UPNA implements an internal policy of international mobility promotion grants that compensates for differences in the amounts provided by external funders in each programme. This way, regardless of the program and its external funders, students can count on a common minimum to fund their mobility. In addition, UPNA manages a specific scholarship program for students with fewer financial resources, which funds 100% of the cost of international mobility and is announced annually well enough that no student will self-exclude the international selection process because they do not, a priori, have sufficient financial resources in their family environment. Finally, the language training aid program funds tuition at the UPNA Higher Language Centre for students selected for international mobility in the course following the training course.
How would you encourage young students to participate in mobility programs?
The truth is that in UPNA we have few problems of participation in these programs, as they are extraordinarily popular. I think every student has their own reasons for participating. Sometimes they are more pragmatic, such as improving the curriculum, developing certain skills, or learning languages. In others, it may be cultural concerns or the simple desire to meet other people and places. Certain universities may represent a motivation in themselves, due to their prestige in a certain field of knowledge. Finally, an impulse of exploration can prevail, that is, the challenge of living a year of total independence in a completely different environment than you have known until that moment. Sometimes there are several or all of these reasons. But in general, I would tell you that you are going to live one of the most intense and enriching experiences of your lives, which will make you different people than you would have if you had not participated in the program.
What kind of cooperation do you encourage and offer at UPNA?
UPNA has been promoting activities related to university development cooperation for many years. The Vice-Chancellor of Internationalization and Cooperation has successfully developed two programmes called Solidarity Training and CREAS. The first aims to promote the mobility of our students to countries where, with the hand of a partner university, they can participate in international cooperation projects, prioritizing certain countries and areas of work. The second points to a work experience in internships for those students with concern in social issues, to whom the program offers the possibility of internships, both curricular and extracurricular, linked to an alternative entity of a solidarity nature. In addition, we offer a course in development and international cooperation, linked to the two previous programs, but also open to the entire university community, in which internal and external experts provide an excellent introduction to these topics.
What benefit does a young woman participating in cooperation programs have?
The most palpable benefit is the acquisition of a series of cross-cutting competencies related to social responsibility, intercultural perspective, critical thinking towards global problems, or entrepreneurship aimed at initiatives that transform reality and generate social, economic and environmental value, at national or international level.
Do you think that young people who participate in these programs that we have talked about have greater facilities to find a job?
I have no doubt about this and, in fact, there are a number of studies that support this. One of the best known, the one carried out by the consultancy CHE for the European Commission, showed that the unemployment rate five years after graduation is 23% lower in Erasmus students, and their chance of long-term unemployment is 50% lower. In the same vein, 64% of employers see international experience as an important aspect of the selection process
