Blended Mobility
Blended Mobility: What?
During blended mobility initiatives, students undertake a course unit at a foreign partner institution that includes both an online component and a short-term on-site component. These components are flexible in their sequence and duration. Students earn credits through a Transcript of Records, which their home institution recognises.
There are two methods for implementing blended mobility: Ghent University students can enrol in blended course units at a foreign partner institution, and vice versa.
The Erasmus+ Programme supports blended mobility initiatives through ‘Blended Intensive Programmes’ (BIP). BIPs are created and enacted by at least three participating higher education institutions. To qualify as a BIP, the blended mobility initiative must include an on-campus component of five to 30 days, combined with a virtual component that facilitates collaborative online learning and teamwork. Funding is available for travelling participants, staff and the co-ordinating institution. Usually, a BIP has participants from the co-ordinating institution and the partner institutions.
Ghent University staff can read up on Blended Intensive Programmes here.
The Erasmus+ Programme also offers an alternative short-term physical mobility initiative for Bachelor’s and Master’s students in exceptional circumstances: ‘Blended Short-term Mobility’. This opportunity is available to students with a recognised disability, students with a job or scholarship, or students who cannot participate in longer-term physical mobility initiatives for study or work placement reasons. An online component must accompany this brief stay abroad. Contact the FCI staff at your faculty for more information.
The remainder of this Education Tip highlights Blended Intensive Programmes.
How to (Re)Design a Course Unit for Blended Mobility?
The purpose of a BIP is to foster strategic innovation and the internationalisation of education through joint learning activities that add value for students. Ideally, a BIP is designed to dovetail with a course unit in the curricula of all the student groups involved.
Organising a BIP and putting it into practice requires quite some preparation. The administrative side - funding requirements, student enrolment, inclusion in the course catalogue - is covered in our guidelines ‘How to Organise a BIP at Ghent University’ and Participating in a BIP Abroad’.
This Education Tip emphasises the didactic side. How to design a powerful virtual component? How to set up effective assessments for students from different institutions? How to deal with the diversity of an international student audience in your teaching practice?
Look at the figure below. Click on the elements for more information.
Ghent University Practices
Need Help?
Lecturers and study programmes can contact the University Services for Education and Research when initiating Blended Mobility. We will assist you in exploring options, finding partners and funding sources for designing your course units, and navigating bureaucracy. We can support you with the following topics:
- Orientation: does blended mobility suit our context?
- Partners: which ENLIGHT partner is eligible for collaboration?
- Funding: what are the funding opportunities for visiting a partner institution? What are the Erasmus+ funding opportunities for the co-ordinating partner and the participating students?
- Administration: what does the admission procedure for students look like?
- Teaching: how to keep students motivated during the online component? How to teach effectively in an (online) international classroom?
- Assessment: what are the options for assessment in Blended Mobility?
Get in touch with our colleagues at onderwijs@ugent.be, and they will assist you.
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Last modified Dec. 3, 2025, 12:34 p.m.