Erasmus Placements - Incoming Students Giudelines

These guidelines are addressed to university students, of all levels (Ph.D. students included), selected under the EU LLP Erasmus Programme for a mobility period, within inter-institutional Erasmus Placement Bilateral Agreements, signed between their institution and the University of Catania, in thematic areas indicated in the agreements.
The programme enables students to spend a traineeship period in an enterprise or organisation in Catania. Students receive an Erasmus grant from their own institution and the placement period is recognized in their academic career.
Objectives of student placements are:

  • help students to adapt to the requirements of the EU-wide labour market;
  • enable students to develop specific skills including language skills and to improve understanding of the economic and social culture of the country concerned in the context of acquiring work experience;
  • promote cooperation between higher education institutions and enterprises;
  • contribute to the development of a pool of well-qualified, open-minded and internationally experienced young people as future professionals.

Only incoming students belonging to foreign universities that have an Erasmus Placement Bilateral Agreement with the University of Catania are accepted to do a training in Catania. Students with an Erasmus Study grant can ask to do a training only if it is indicated in their learning agreement.
 

 

Application and arrival procedures

Before departure, students must:

 

  1. check if there is an Erasmus Placement Agreement between their home University and University of Catania and, if it is that case, contact the professor in charge of the agreement in order to verify his availability to accept them. Once accepted by the professor, they jointly define the content of the training agreement and finally fill in the document;
  2. fill in the application form available on-line and wait for the IRO official acceptance sent by e-mail;
  3. search for a provisional accommodation consulting the information provided on the International Mobility section of the website. Erasmus foreign students have to contact autonomously institutions proposing accommodation solutions that are glad to accept them at special prices through an e-mail reservation  in English.
    Furthermore, students can get in contact with Italian student associations helping them in getting familiar with the Italian culture and environment and assisting then in finding a stable accommodation for all their mobility length.
     

Mobility instructions

As soon as Erasmus Placement students arrive in Catania, they must:

  1. go to the IRO, on receiving hours, with
    - one passport-size photograph
    - a copy of the training agreement signed by all the parts.
    They will receive the student card and all useful information for their stay in Catania.
  2. meet their tutors and complete the registration process at IDU.
  3. begin their training in the host institution according to the programme defined in the training agreement.
     

Departure procedures

At the end of the training and before the departure, students must go to the IRO – personally and in receiving hours – in order to give back their student card and get the transcript of records and the attendance certificate in a closed envelop addressed to the partner university. Students are responsible for the envelope that has to arrive undamaged to the International Relation Office of their home university. On planning their departure trip, students must take into consideration IRO public opening days and hours.
Students do not have to meet neither the tutor nor the IDU, because the certificate stating the exact dates of the training period, the amount of the working hours and a brief description of the activities carried out is sent directly by  the tutor to IDU, that issues the transcript of records and sends it to IRO by e-mail.
 

Italian Language Course

Every year, within its didactic programme, the University of Catania can organize Italian Language courses for Erasmus students. These courses will be free of charge for Erasmus students and could be activated both in the first and second semester. Each student will be allowed only to one course. Further information will be provided on the web site.
 

Insurance and medical assistance

The University of Catania will take out and insurance policy limited to participation at didactic/formative activities, excluding sport activities, for all incoming students.
Students can benefit from medical assistance only if they have the European Sanitary Card.
 

Accommodation

The University of Catania verifies, every year, available accommodation and catering services. For updated and detailed information please click here.