SUNBEAM

SUNBEAM – Structured UNiversity mobility between the Balkans and Europe for the Adriatic-ionian Macro-region is an Erasmus Mundus Action 2 – Stand 1 project coordinated by Marche Polytechnic University including a total of 20 partner Universities (9 EU Universities and 11 non EU Universities) and 6 Associate partner.

Composition of the partnership

  • Marche Polytechnic University – Italy
  • Università degli Studi di Urbino Carlo Bo – Italy
  • Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia – Italy
  • Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna – Italy
  • University of Split – Croatia
  • University of Zadar – Croatia
  • Univerisity of Ioannina – Greece
  • University of Primorska – Slovenia
  • University of Ljubljana – Slovenia
  • Agricultural University of Tirana – Albania
  • “Aleksander Xhuvani” University of Elbasan – Albania
  • “DÂļemal Bijedić” University of Mostar – Bosnia-Herzegovina
  • University of Banja Luka – Bosnia-Herzegovina
  • University of Sarajevo – Bosnia-Herzegovina
  • University of Tuzla – Bosnia-Herzegovina
  • Riinvest College – Kosovo
  • University of Novi Sad – Serbia
  • University of Arts in Belgrade – Serbia
  • University Mediterranean Podgorica – Montenegro
  • University of Montenegro – Montenegro

The project offered scholarships for students, researchers, academic and administrative staff to carry out a period of study (for exchange or to attend a full degree course), research or training. Launched in 2015 and finished in January 2019, SUNBEAM implemented around 200 mobilities of students, teachers, researchers and staff of the partner institutions of the project. Through these mobilities and also thanks to the exchange of experiences, academic cooperation has been consolidated and a network of relationships has been created which constitutes the scientific background of the Adriatic-Ionian Macroregion. The total grant was about 3,000,000 euros.

The SUNBEAM project fitted into European higher education policies by sharing the main objectives of these policies, such as the promotion of European higher education, the improvement and enhancement of students’ career prospects, the promotion of intercultural understanding through cooperation with third countries and the development of third countries in the field of higher education. It was also functional to the supranational strategic objectives from a geopolitical point of view. The project was developed in compliance with the important strategic events that occurred in the Adriatic-Ionian area, mainly the creation of the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region, whose strategy (EUSAIR) was developed by the European Commission on a mandate from the European Council and whose establishment came into effect in 2014.