Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE) 2014-2020

Teramo, a dynamic and multidisciplinary University with its 5 Faculties [Law, Social/Political Science, Communication Science, Veterinary Medicine (accreditation EAEVE) ,Biosciences and Food and Environmental Technology (accreditation EQAS)] and an interfaculties course in Biotechnology, has made internationalization one of its main priorities and in these last years has realized an extensive network and an increasing number of programmes finalized to an international dimension policy, essential component of the training and research process.

The cooperation, with over 234 Erasmus agreements pertaining to different areas, has permitted during these 20 years of exchange mobility activity a continuous flow of incoming and outgoing students. Concerning the incoming students their sending institutions are mainly Spanish, Turkish and from different countries of East Europe; concerning our outgoing students their destinations are mostly Spain, Germany, Portugal and East Europe. For teaching mobility: incoming from Turkey, Spain, Romania, Portugal and Bulgaria and outgoing to Spain, Croatia, Portugal and United Kingdom.

Always in the field of mobility the Teramo University has carried out, as partner, 2 Erasmus Intensive Programmes "Mediterranean Identities" with the University of Capodistria (Slovenia); "Fisioterapia e Reabilitacao em Animais de Companhia" with the Insituto Politecnico de Viana do Castelo; as coordinator "Promised Lands: Cities, Citizens and Citizenship across the Euro-Mediterranean" with the Universities of Tirana, UNED Madrid and Tecnica Lisboa.

It is also necessary to remember the possibility offered to Teramo students to utilize Erasmus Placements, Consortia Placements and internships proposed by the Conference of Rectors of Italian Universities.

Always in the frame of LLP Teramo has a Jean Monnet Program.

Teramo University has also made possible the practice realization of some European and International Ph.D as: European Ph.D in "Science of Foods" with the Université de Bourgogne and the University College of Cork; International Joint Ph.D Programme in "Sociology of Regional and Local Development" with the University of Zadar; "Scienze Politiche e Sociali Internazionali" with the Universidad Mundial de La Paz (Mexico); "Critica storica, economica e giuridica dello sport" with the International Network IRNST (Université de Lille and Universitè Joseph Fourier de Grenoble (France), Alexandru Ioan Cuza University and University of Craiovia (Romania), Charles University (Czech Republic), Higher Institute of Maia (Portugal), Canisius College of Buffalo (USA).

Teramo University offers also a Joint International Master/Programme of II level LLM "International cooperation against transnational financial organized crime" (6 editions) with 20 Academic Partners EU and 10 not EU. The nationalities of the candidates have been: EU (Italy, Romania, Greece) and not EU (Kenia, Iraq, USA, Canada, Brasil, Indonesia, Ukraine, Byelorussia, Albania, Kosovo, Switzerland, Mexico). The European Commission-Directorate General Justice has appreciated the value of the Master with a grant (Just/2009/JPEN/AG0667) and transformed the program in a dynamic circular training with lectures held not only at Teramo University, but also at Universities of Seville, Prague and the A.I. Cuza Police Academy of Bucharest.

In order to develop a program of high education the University of Teramo has arranged the following international agreements finalized to increase the students and professors training mobility: Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (Mendoza, Argentina), Universidad Nacional de Rosario (Argentina), Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina), Centro de Desenvolvimento Sustentavel Universidad e de Brasilia (Brazil), Universidade do Oeste de Santa Catarina (Brazil), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (Brazil), Universidade Federal do Pampa (Brazil), Universidad de Concepción (Chile), Universidad Valparaiso (Chile), Universidad de Caldas (Colombia), Universidad del Valle (Colombia), University of Jordan (Giordania), Ministry of Higher Education (Iraq), Instituto tecnologico y de studios superiors de Monterrey (Mexico), Universidad Mundial La Paz ( Mexico ), State Agrarian University of Moldova (Moldavia), University of Montenegro (Montenegro), 18. Universidad Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Lima (Peru), Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina (Peru), Saint Petersburg State University of Engineering and Economics (Russia), National Maritime University of Odessa (Ukraine), Kent State University, Ohio (USA), Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (USA), University of Central Arkansas, Conway (USA), Hastings College, Nebraska (USA).

Considering, as mentioned before, the International perspective of the Teramo University has run the following lines:

• the EU and international cooperation partners are chosen according academic relations, scientific and specific study interests;
• the geographical areas are chosen according the specific cooperation plan;.
• to guarantee the major opportunities of study and training mobility to students and teachers;
• the strong academic relations often consent to be the instrument for other agreements related to doubles degrees and joint titles program.

The Teramo strategy, utilized to organize and implement the international EU and non/EU cooperation projects, is finalized:

a) to increase research projects, and students/teachers/staff mobility through new agreements with foreign Institutions of excellence, especially in the area concerning the strategic topics of Europe 2020 document, like environment and resource protection, sustainability and quality of the life, as yet focused in the major researches undertaken by the University of Teramo - VII Progetto Quadro (Programmi Ideas, Cooperation, Cooperation, People, Cooperation, People).

• LLP ISEKI FOOD-4, project towards the innovation of the food chain through the modernization of food studies.
• IPATECH, Miniaturization Technology: synergies of research and innovation to enhance the economic development of the Adriatic.
• R.I.S.C.A - "Ricerca industriale per la stabilizzazione del colore e dell'aroma durante la conservazione degli alimenti" Polo Agire POR FSR Abruzzo.
• Progetto Vapraq (in collaboration with the Food Italia and University FSC).
• Erasmus Academic Network, Innovation in the teaching of sustainable development in life science in Europe (ISLE).
• European Network for the Baroque Cultural Heritage.
• E.C.O.S.Me.G. European Cosmopolitanism and Sites of Memory through Generations.
• Integrated Actions "Italy-Spain".
• n.15 research projects realized by Biomedical Comparative Science Department.

b) to increase students placement mobility involving public and private Institutions;
c) to utilize the outcomes of the mobility in order to boost new mobilities;
d) the outcomes of the mobility may have a strategic value to improve mobility activities through an acknowledgment in the personal career and also as an evaluation element.
e) the qualitative feedbacks in favour of home Institution and host Institutions

f) to establish a strong link between University strategy and Region.

In the perspective of the five priorities of the Modernization Agenda, the Teramo University aims to realize the following policy objectives:

• to train in the University field experts with wide theoretical and practical approaches connected to profession and labour market in order to realize consistent transferable skills; the academic programs focus on a system of multilevel activities centred on learning, teaching and training in double dimension of mobility (education and internship);
• to educate and to train, from an international point of view, in order to give opportunities to internationalize students and staff in a multilateral interchange in new humanistic and technological fields in third countries too;
• to implement the curricula, according the Bologna process, and to restructure degree programmes and to promote research projects in cooperation with EU and non EU partners;
• to favour the quality of teaching in offering new opportunities for professional development in order to strengthen the competence and motivation of academic staff, reinforcing centres of excellence, promoting teacher and research awards.
• to develop and to realize strategic partnerships as joint double degree/double degree programs, international PhD, transnational innovative dynamic didactic/internship finalized to a intensive and full collaboration;
• to utilize the high education, placement, mentoring programme, career counseling, learning platform and a specific new plan "Patto con lo Studente" (Agreement with the Student) to improve the employability of the graduates especially in the international dimension;
• to promote and intensify a strict link among University and Institutional and private entities in local, regional, national and European level in funding activities above mentioned with a particular attention to assure non-discrimination policy and equal opportunities.

The realization of the above mentioned objectives testifies the Teramo University aim to enhance its internationalization spirit as strong and enthusiastic support given to the development of culture and knowledge.