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UPCT Erasmus Policy Statement

Technical University of Cartagena (UPCT) is a young HEI situated in an area with good socioeconomic and development prospects. Since its creation and after a process of analysis of functions and capacities, UPCT's policy incorporates internationalisation on its management plans as a matter of priority, supporting any initiative with programmes and calls and advising about opportunities. Considering internationalisation as a transverse process, it impels and develops the global strategy of the University, in which Erasmus activities have a main role. The goals of UPCT's International Strategy are:

  • To establish strategic plans for international relations on each degree based on current mobility experience, its academics and the researcher projection on areas that offer added value on teaching. 
  • To foster new partnerships and visibility in order to improve teaching and research activity as well as the attraction of international students. 
  • To elaborate mixed Study Programmes that might lead to offer double degrees. 
  • To spread the results of international activities fostering the getting together of methodology, surveys and pedagogical material to be translated into other languages. 
  • To promote widening and strengthening actions in order to increase student mobility. 

From 1998 UPCT has actively promoted student exchange programmes as a result of our commitment to the Erasmus Programme. The number of students and teachers taking part in exchanges is increasing every year. Our ambition – based on our high standard of education - is to be an attractive alternative for foreign students. UPCT will continue to give priority to partnership projects within EU programmes.

Concerning the promotion of ERASMUS activities, the University has developed several computer tools for the information and management of programs and agreements as well as a Mentor Programme in order to improve the academic and cultural immersion of international students. The International Office has its own website with all the Lifelong Learning Programme information; the Erasmus University Charter and our institution EPS will be published in this web.

As we can see from the exchange results, our Institution ensures to comply with non discrimination objectives by making actions related to gender equality, integration of disabled students and staff, enhancement of social and economic cohesion and combating of xenophobia and racism.

To ensure high quality in mobility actions, UPCT develops a global strategy that reinforces the action lines used during the last years:

  • Continuous improvement of the mandatory internal regulations; evaluation and improvement of the agents management (coordinators, international offices, student services).
  • Facilitating the management of the academic recognition, coordinating the central administrative structures from the home and foreign University.
  • Updating management procedures of coordinators and students; updating of the international area on the web page.
  • Improving the integration of incoming and outgoing students through previous contacts, open days, free language courses, cultural and offer of sport activities, participation on the Mentor Programme and the use of surveys to evaluate exchange periods.

Our internationalisation efforts provide a good basis for the development of educational programmes in line with the Bologna Declaration. We are also improving the academic offer in English for incoming students and currently offering a Bilingual Bachelor Degree on Business Administration. The student placements are managed in cooperation with many regional and social agents and institutions (public and private ones) like the Chamber of Commerce, private companies, City Council, Regional Government, etc. Any of them ensures high quality of the process and makes sure that the project will prepare students to enter into the European Labour Market, will develop their linguistic skills and reinforce their knowledge of technologies.

The content of the work placement will be related to the training background of the candidate and grants will be distributed according to the different specialities of UPCT. The presence of the tutors and the evaluation of the final report by UPCT together with the partners will be part of the placement monitoring system. Concerning the partnership UPCT focuses on technical institutions in order to achieve and maintain international excellence in the following areas: Engineering, Architecture and Business. All Europe is a very important market for building and maintaining academic networks and a market for recruiting students. Inside EU geographical areas, we are especially interested on Mediterranean countries since the creation of Campus Mare Nostrum 37/38, the International Excellence Campus for Higher Education and Research, together with Murcia University. Latin America and Asia represent other regions of importance as emerging market for student and teacher exchange.