FAQs

  1. What is a program country?
    A program country is a country that can participate fully in the Erasmus+ programs. The program countries include the 28 EU member states as well as five non EU member states (such as Norway, Iceland…). A complete list of the program countries can be found in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide.

  2. What is a partner Country?
    A partner country is referred to all the countries that are not a program country. The HEIs in these countries are allowed to participate in certain actions of the EU programs. Thus, Lebanon is a partner country and is eligible to participate in the International credit Mobility (ICM) program. A complete list of the partner countries can be found in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide.

  3. Can a student perform a mobility in any university in which he/she is interested?
    The students (studying/training), the Academic staff (teaching or training) and Administrative staff (training) cannot perform mobility at any receiving institution in the program countries. They have to apply, according to the certain defined procedures, to the universities with which the sending university (in this case the University of Balamand) has signed an Inter-Institutional Agreement. The applicant should contact the office dealing with international relations to find the universities in which he/she can perform mobility.

  4. What are the activities that can be performed within the Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility (ICM)?
    The program allows students and staff of a sending institution to perform the mobility at different levels at the receiving institution. The mobility include: student mobility (study and traineeship) and staff (teaching and Training).

  5. What is an Inter-Institutional Agreement?
    The Inter-Institutional Agreement (IIA) is an agreement which is signed between the University of Balamand and the host university in the program country. The agreement provides the possibility to perform student mobility between the two institutions at the level of undergraduate (short Cycle and First cycle), Master (second cycle) and PhD (Third cycle). It also allows Academic staff to perform a teaching/training mobility during a certain period as well as the administrative staff to perform a training mobility.

  6. How long the period for student mobility at the host University be in the framework of the Erasmus+ ICM program?
    The student is able to study at a host university for a minimum period of three months (trimester) and a maximum period of twelve months (year). The period is eligible for Undergraduate and graduate students.

  7. How long can the period for student traineeship at the Host University be in the framework of the Erasmus+ ICM program?
    For student traineeship at a Host institution, the duration varies between a minimum of two months and a maximum of twelve months.

  8. Can the study mobility and the traineeship be combined?
    Yes this is possible. Consequently, the duration of a combined study and traineeship can be a minimum of three months and a maximum of twelve months.

  9. How long can the period for staff mobility at the Host University be in the framework of the Erasmus+ ICM program?
    For staff, the minimum duration is five days excluding the two days of travel. The maximum duration is sixty days. This is applicable for staff performing staff mobility from a partner counter to a program country. If the mobility is performed from a program country to a partner country, the minimum duration is two days excluding the two days of travel and the maximum duration remains sixty days.

  10. What are the expenses that are covered by the Erasmus+ ICM program in the framework of student mobility?
    If a student is performing mobility, the Erasmus+ grant will cover a subsistence allowance (monthly amount) and travel expenses. The monthly allowance depends on the country in which the mobility is performed. For example, a student performing mobility in a Higher Education Institution in a program country receives a monthly allowance that varies between 800.00 Euros and 900.00 Euros (depending on the country).

  11. What are the expenses that are covered by the Erasmus+ ICM program in the framework of staff mobility?
    If a staff (Academic or administrative) is performing a mobility, the Erasmus+ grant will cover a subsistence allowance (a per diem) and travel expenses. The per diem depends on the country in which the mobility is performed. For example, a staff performing mobility in a Higher Education Institution in a program country receives a per diem allowance that varies between 140.00 Euros and 180.00 Euros (depending on the country) for limited period.

  12. Does the student (or staff) receives a grant support to travel cost?
    The student (or staff) receives a grant support to travel costs that depends on the travel distance in kilometers between the city where the sending university is closely located and the city where the sending University exists. Further information can be found in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide

  13. What is a Learning Agreement?
    The learning agreement is a formalized agreement that is signed by the student, the sending (home) institution and the receiving (host) institution before the beginning of the student mobility at the host university. The agreement will indicate the courses to be taken at the host university and the courses to be validated at the sending institution. In other words, the learning agreement facilitates the validation and the recognition of the credit mobility by the home institution if the credits are successfully passed.

  14. Is it possible to modify the Learning Agreement (a course or courses) during the mobility at the host university?
    Yes, it is possible to change the learning agreement during the mobility at the host University (before the semester begins) under the conditions that the intended modifications are approved by the involved parties, namely, the student, the sending institution and the receiving institution. Subsequently, the modifications require that the courses are available and are offered at the host university and they satisfy the requirements of both institutions, particularly the ending institution.

  15. Can any institution submit an ICM application?
    The universities in the program countries can submit an ICM application. Consequently, the University of Balamand cannot submit such application.

  16. What are the language requirements for a student interested in performing mobility at the University of Balamand?
    The language of instruction is mainly the English. However, some faculties offer programs in which the language of instruction is French. In this context, the minimum recommended language proficiency is usually B2 for students and C1 for staff (particularly the academic staff interested in performing a teaching mobility).

  17. As a student interested in performing mobility at a host university abroad under the Erasmus + ICM program, do I pay a tuition fee at the host university?
    According to Erasmus+ Inter-institutional agreement, the tuition fees are waived. Thus, the student does not pay a tuition fee under the Erasmus+ ICM program.

  18. When a student can perform mobility during his/her studies?
    The student registered in the first cycle at a particular university can perform a mobility starting the second year of his/her studies.

  19. How do I know as a student that I can perform a study or to do a traineeship at a host institution abroad?
    First, the student interested in performing mobility must be registered in a higher education institution (i.e. UOB) and following his/her studies to be awarded a university degree such as a Bachelor, a Master or a PhD. Second, the home institution must be located in a program country or a partner country. Third, the students should prepare and submit the necessary documents. Finally, the sending institution (UOB) will perform the select according to the defined selection criteria. The selection is performed in a transparent and clear manner. That is on one hand, the applicant should fulfil the selection criteria defined by the sending institution (UOB) in order to participate in a study or training mobility at the host university abroad On the other hand, he/she should satisfy the requirements of the host institution abroad. If the institution is located in a program country, the student should make sure that the institution has been granted the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education.