What is short mobility?
Short-term mobility is an academic, educational or professional stay, generally lasting between a few days and 1 month, in a foreign establishment or structure.
Short-term mobility can take several forms:
- Intensive study stays :
Summer or winter schools, intensive programs, international seminars, workshops. - Training mobility:
Short courses, thematic schools, international interdisciplinary programs. - Hybrid or blended mobility:
Combination of distance learning courses and a short period of physical mobility abroad. - Research mobility :
Short stays in a laboratory or research team abroad, fieldwork.
This type of mobility is usually :
- Validated pedagogically (ECTS, attestation, recognition in the diploma)
- Supervised by the university
- Sometimes financed (depending on the program)
What are the specific advantages of short-term mobility?
Accessible, inclusive mobility:
- Lower costs than long-term mobility (transport, accommodation, etc.)
- Greater compatibility with personal life (short mobility can be combined with a student job, family obligations or an internship).
- Greater accessibility: students unable to spend a full semester or year abroad can still enjoy an international experience.
Innovative teaching methods:
- Flexible, cross-disciplinary teaching, thanks to a hybrid format combining the best of digital technology and immersion.
- The development of specific knowledge and skills, focused on a specific project or theme
- Active, collaborative experimentation, with workshops, hackathons and group projects.
When and where to go?
Short-term mobility is always part of an institutional and supervised framework, generally recognized as part of the university curriculum. It can take place :
As part of the Erasmus+ program, Aix Marseille Université (amU) offers you the chance to take part in hybrid mobility programs: the Blended Intensive Programme (BIP).
Depending on your career path, other types of mobility may be possible (field surveys, conferences, summer schools, etc.).
For further information on these opportunities, please contact your course coordinator.
Destinations vary widely, depending on the program or partnership:
- In Europe
- via programs such as Erasmus+
- partner universities, thematic schools, European institutions
- Internationally (outside Europe)
- partner universities in America, Asia, Africa, Oceania
- international summer schools
- research laboratories and organizations
BIPs (Blended Intensive Programme)
What is a BIP CIVIS?
This type of short mobility is based on a hybrid format consisting of a virtual part and a face-to-face part. More specifically, it combines online courses with a minimum of 5 consecutive days of physical mobility at one of the 11 CIVIS universities. BIP programs are open to all students from the second year of study up to doctorate level.
BIPs enable participants to experiment with innovative teaching and learning methods (including online collaboration and research-based learning) to address societal challenges. They are designed by teachers from at least 3 CIVIS member universities.
How to apply for a BIP?
Interested in participating in a BIP?
There are two application periods during the year: one in autumn and one in spring. Each application period offers a different selection of BIP programs.
Submit your application on the CIVIS portal. You can access it directly from the course catalog lists.
To apply, you'll need :
- A CV
- A cover letter
- Your passport number
- Your language level
As with all types of mobility, it is the student's responsibility to develop his or her project.
Before submitting an application for a BIP, please make sure that you :
- Have the agreement of your department: check that the BIP fits in with your study program and that the mobility period takes place outside exam periods. To do this, contact your course coordinator.
- Your eligibility for an Erasmus+ mobility program: ask your outgoing mobility manager.
- That you are aware of the grants available.
Once you've chosen your BIP, you'll need to draw up your Erasmus+ study contract and have it validated by your department or doctoral school.
Please make sure your application is complete before you leave.
" My BIP was split between the online sessions [...] and the week of face-to-face sessions at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.
The online course was very interactive. We had to develop small presentations and do group research with our colleagues, based on the content of the session. This not only energized the course, but also enabled us to network and get to know students from other universities right from the start of the program.
During the week of activities in Madrid, we also had classes, but with cultural outings organized for teachers and students. These outings enabled us to get to know the culture, culinary specialities and life in Madrid, and also to delve deeper into the course subjects [...]. With my group, we chose to study international cooperation between the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region in France, and Costa Rica for environmental protection."
We all came from different academic backgrounds, cultures and levels of study. Learning to work with this group, considering and valuing each perspective on the same subject, was one of the main lessons. The opportunity to get to know a new country, its culture, university and fields of study broadened my professional and academic outlook. The course content gave me a more critical and interdisciplinary view of the subject, complementing my Master's degree in Public Management at Aix-Marseille University.
I also had the opportunity to work on my oral and written expression in English, and practice my Spanish. "
How can you finance your short-term mobility?
-> There are a number of grants available to help finance your short-term international mobility:
Length of stay financed: between 5 and 30 days (5 days for BIP CIVIS).
The Erasmus+ allowance is calculated according to the duration of the mobility and on the basis of a fixed daily amount + a financial inclusion supplement (if conditions are met) + a fixed amount for travel expenses:
-> Contribution to living expenses
Amounts:
- Up to 14th day of activity: €79 per day
- From the 15th to the 30th day of activity: €56 per day
Additional days :
As part of BIP mobilities, additional days may be granted for travel time, for journeys made outside activity days only.
> In order to benefit from these extra days, the trip must be made in accordance with the following conditions (regardless of the type of transport used):
- The outbound trip must start at the earliest on the weekend (Friday evening, Saturday, Sunday) preceding the start of the mobility.
- The departure city must be consistent with the location of an amU campus (e.g. Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, etc.).
- The RETURN trip must begin no later than the weekend (Saturday, Sunday) following the end of the mobility.
> The number of extra days granted is determined according to the following conditions:
- Students traveling by STANDARD transport (plane, boat, private car, etc.) can benefit from a maximum of 2 extra days.
- Students traveling by ECO-RESPONSIBLE transport (train, bus, carpooling, etc.) can benefit from up to 6 extra days, only if this is deemed relevant to a particularly demanding journey. This allocation will remain exceptional.
Students wishing to take advantage of these extra days must be able to provide proof of their outward and return journeys prior to departure.
These additional days are included in the amount of the contribution to living expenses.
Please note: payment of the grant is made on return from the mobility program, subject to uploading of supporting documents.
-> Financial inclusion supplement
> The Erasmus+ program offers an Inclusion financial supplement of :
- 100€ for mobility ≤ 14 days
- 150€ for stays between 15 and 30 days
> If you meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Have a disability or long-term illness (ALD)
- Living in a commune classified as a rural revitalization zone (ZFRR)
- Live in an address classified as a priority urban district (quartier prioritaire de la ville)
- Be a higher education grant holder on social criteria, grades 6 or 7
-> Contribution to travel expenses
The contribution to travel expenses is calculated on the basis of the distance between amU and the school where you will be working:
* If you have made at least half of your journey (outward + return) between amU and the host establishment using an eco-responsible means of transport, you will switch to the ECO RESPONSIBLE MEANS OF TRANSPORT package.
Length of stay funded: short stays of less than one month.
Amounts :
- In Europe zone (all member states of the EU, the European Economic Area, the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the UK):
- Up to the 14th day of activity: €70 per day
- From the 15th to the 30th day of activity: €50 per day
- Outside Europe :
- 30 € / day for living expenses plus a flat rate for travel expenses:
- European area and Maghreb (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia) = €400
- Other countries = €900
- 30 € / day for living expenses plus a flat rate for travel expenses:
Please note: contact your department head to find out whether your course is eligible for the TIGER grant (eligibility from Master 1 level upwards).
Applications for financial assistance are always subject to prior validation of your file and its completeness. Make sure you scrupulously respect the timetables and procedures you are given.
Please note: not all grants can be combined. Please refer to the table below for more information.
* These grants help finance your mobility, but are not intended to systematically cover all expenses related to your stay.
What steps to take after selection?
For a CIVIS BIP, your selection for a program will take the form of an e-mail sent via the CIVIS application platform. This message will prompt you to reconfirm your intention to take part in the chosen program in its entirety (virtual part and face-to-face part). This confirmation will constitute a commitment on your part, and will imply that you will complete the various stages of the program within the allotted time.
Both before and after your mobility, you will be asked to complete several follow-up forms on the amU mobility portal. These forms will enable our international relations administrative services to:
- collect the information and documents needed to compile your mobility file
- validate your mobility
- Examine your eligibility for a grant and pay the grant if you are eligible.
- Receive additional documents relating to your mobility upon your return.
Here are the main stages in monitoring your short-term mobility:
-> Complete the short mobility registration form (before the start of the program)
This form will enable you to :
- Indicate the planned dates of your mobility (virtual and face-to-face part)
- Submit the mandatory documents for your mobility file:
- Your personal accident, civil liability and medical repatriation insurance certificates
- Your European Health Insurance Card (if you are a national of the European Economic Area or Switzerland)
- Your school attendance certificate for the current year
- Your Erasmus+ inclusion documents if you are eligible
- Submit your bank details if you are eligible for a grant, and your conditional or definitive Crous notification if you are concerned.
These steps must be taken before the start of the first session of the BIP program in which you will be participating. After this date, your application will not be accepted, nor will you be eligible for funding.
During the month's Scholarship Committee meeting, our departments will assess your eligibility for the various funding options offered by Aix Marseille Université.
Following the Scholarship Committee meeting, you will receive :
- A notification of grant award or, if applicable, a notification of non-award of grant.
- An Erasmus+ financing contract if you are eligible for an Erasmus+ grant.
-> Finalize your study contract (as soon as you have been selected)
Your study contract must be signed digitally via your mobility portal.
If your host university has not yet set up this digital procedure, you can download your study contract in PDF format from your portal and send it to the BIP organizing university for signature.
Contact details for the organizer can be found in the "Practical details" tab on the BIP presentation page.
-> Complete and sign your Erasmus+ funding contract - Before the start of the face-to-face part of BIP
If you are eligible for an Erasmus+ grant, it is imperative that you sign your Erasmus+ funding contract and hand it in to your mobility manager at your local international relations office before your departure abroad.
-> Complete the follow-up form
This form will enable you to upload the documents required to finalize your mobility file. You will be able to submit :
- Your attestation of the actual dates of your mobility, signed by the host establishment
- Your proof of outward and return transport
This step is proof of your return to France, and will enable amU to set up the payment of your scholarship and any financial supplements if you are concerned.
What other general steps should you take?
Have you been selected for a mobility program abroad?
Before embarking on a mobility program outside France, it's important to prepare your stay and find out all you can about your destination!
For stays in the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Turkey and Switzerland: a valid identity card or passport is all you need.
For other destinations, a passport valid for 6 months after the end of your stay, and a student visa, are required. Contact the embassy and/or consulate of the foreign country in France to request one.
Other documents may also be required, so find out more beforehand.
In Quebec, for example, we recommend that you obtain a study permit, even if your mobility is for six months or less, as well as a Certificat d'Acceptation du Québec.
Except in cases where a specific exchange agreement guaranteeing accommodation has been signed between amU and the student's host university, it is the student' s responsibility to find local accommodation.
We strongly recommend that you take the necessary steps as early as possible in advance of your international mobility trip. Some destinations tend to become overcrowded very quickly, and booking accommodation at the last minute can entail considerable costs.
Before you leave, and for your own safety, we recommend that you register on the Ariane website , which enables you to register easily and free of charge with the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. Once you've registered, you'll be able to
- Receive safety recommendations by e-mail or SMS if the situation in the country warrants it
- Be contacted in the event of a crisis in your destination country (your designated contact person can also be alerted if necessary).
For stays of more than 6 months, we advise you to register with the register of French nationals established outside France and apply for a consular card. This step is free, voluntary and not compulsory, and may prove useful (for example, to obtain a passport renewal, or in the event of the implementation of a security plan in the country).
Only by registering can the consular post be aware of your presence in the country. Don't forget to bring your identity card, proof of French nationality and a certificate of residence in the consular district with you when you register.
If you're going to Switzerland or any other member state of the European Economic Area (EEA), you'll need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC ) to cover the cost of medical treatment. You can request it online from theAméli website.
If you are leaving outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you must have valid medical insurance cover in the country where you will be staying. Some universities offer social security coverage on advantageous terms. You can also contact your student mutual insurance company to arrange suitable health cover.
If you need medical care during your stay, you'll have to pay for it locally. Remember to keep all invoices and proof of payment, and present them to your mutuelle étudiante when you return to France. They may be able to reimburse you according to the terms of your insurance contract.
Good to know: French nationals studying in Quebec are eligible for Quebec health and hospitalization insurance benefits, under the same conditions as Quebec students. Before leaving, students must request and have their university complete form SE 401-Q-106 for studies and form SE 401-Q-104 for unpaid internships. This will enable them to register with the Régie de l'assurance maladie in Quebec upon arrival.
Before you leave, we advise you to check the need for vaccinations and advice on the state of hygiene in your host country on the government website.
It's also a good time to check that your vaccination records are up to date.
Before you leave, check the validity of your civil liability insurance for the host country, and take out additional cover if necessary, particularly for medical repatriation. Don't forget that if you choose the HEYME mutual insurance plan, you can benefit from a 10% discount by entering the following partner code: 13AMU, thanks to our partnership with Aix Marseille University.
If you're traveling by car, remember to take out an insurance extension for transit countries and the host country, and make sure that your vehicle's equipment complies with current regulations (safety vest, warning triangle, fire extinguisher, breathalyser, etc.).