I NTER CON TINENTAL ACADEMIC EXCHANGE PROGRAMME

1. INTERCONTINENTAL ACADEMIC EXCHANGE PROGRAMME

2. ABOUT ICON PROGRAMME • The ICon Programme - Intercontinental Academic Exchange Programme is an international mobility initiative between higher education institutions belonging to the Santander Group European Universities’ Association (SGroup) and their partner institutions from overseas. The Programme aims at the exchange of knowledge and experience between regions by promoting mobility at different levels: • Undergraduate • Graduate • Doctoral candidates • Academics • Administrative Staff • The ICon Programme intends to facilitate mobility between the participating regions and institutions to enhance academic and research collaboration and to develop intercultural competences of living and studying in the foreign environment.

3. COORDINATING INSTITUTION SGroup – European Universities’ Network • Non-Governmental Organisation seeking for cooperation in and between European Universities • Established in 1989 • 33 members from 17 European countries • Objectives: • Improve the excellence in university management, teaching and reserach. • Develop collaboration between members and associate partners in 4 areas: • Internationalisation, • Academic Collaboration, • Mobility, • Transfer of Knowledge.

4. GUIDELINES I • Universities that agree to participate in the programme are expected to send to the SG Secretariat their study offers and contact details of a person that will be in charge of the mobility; • All partner institutions will receive an access code to the platform through which candidates will apply. Each application will be evaluated solely by the host institution based on set criteria; • The general assumption is that all candidates for mobility will seek their own funding from institutional, governmental or international sources; • The duration of the mobility can range from short study visits of up to 3 months for teaching or administrative staff and doctoral candidates, and from 6 to 36 months for undergraduate or graduate students. The duration is conditioned by the available funding and also by the study offer provided by partners;

5. GUIDELINES II • Partner institutions can seek privileged treatment of their candidates on individual; • Institutions participating in the ICon project are provided with a unique opportunity of establishing bilateral relations with a university of their preference. With this aim, the platform is equipped with drafts of collaboration and teaching agreements in relevant language versions; • Exchanges are available in both directions and calls of applications will be announced twice a year; • All students will have their study periods recognised. Mechanisms for recognition have been worked out within the framework of the Erasmus Mundus projects.

6. BENEFITS • Foster bilateral collaboration between individual universities as well as the associations of universities; • Access to a wide range of reliable and recognised institutions with rich experience in mobility programmes; • Recognition of studies is guaranteed by mechanisms developed in the course of exchanges within the framework of the Erasmus Mundus Programme; • IConis a pioneering project in Europe reaching out in an organised way to dozens of European and overseas higher education institutions; • Wide international visibility and promotion of partner institutions ; • ICon is based on both state-of-the –art IT solutions as well as on the methodology tested out and recognised by the regulations of the Erasmus Mundus Programme; • Possibility of establishing bilateral collaboration that can seek funding in the next edition of Erasmus Mundus 2014 - 2020

7. Contacto: SGroup European Universities’ Network 119 Rue de Stassart, Brussels, Belgium www.sgroup.be www.iconmobility.eu icon@sgroup.be