MoMo: The Mobility Counselor’s Profile Exploratory Research on Interviews

According to Mobility Counselors their Main Goals are: a. To inform, to orient, to assist and to guide people who are interested in a mobility experience (this is their job, their duty) b. To increase the number of participants & to involve them in the mobility process (this is their aim) c. psychological follow-up (this what they sometimes actually do) d. Create network & exchange best practices (this is what they would like to improve)

Background There was no HOMOGENOUS Background profile Still, most mobility counselors were bilingual or trilingual (their language + English + “x”) they had learning/teaching/working experience abroad A lot of them had completed studies in social sciences

Competences There was consensus on the need for: – Having an experience abroad (also background) – administrational and analytical skills, – social /intercultural/ listening skills, – empathetic approach,

Discussion Topics On frames of programs: – All programs included language courses (Isn't this old fashioned? Are there any new ways of teaching individuals how to speak another language? - Sheherazade) On selection: – Counselors looked for people who where motivated, psychologically strong and who had an intercultural sensibility. How do we evaluate these competences? More importantly, how do we develop them?

Discussion Topics On preparation: Different strategies: most of counselors insisted on the importance of having: – Intercultural awareness/seminars – organizational details given in advance – interactive preparation (such as presentations on the destination country – need of innovation?) On monitoring: – Every counselor contacted and monitored participants through E-platforms contact → Is it mandatory to manage social media resources?

Discussion Topics On evaluation: – They all agreed on the need of evaluation before, during and after their mobility. – Participants need different kinds of reports (after + t) On re-integration: – There’s not much. Almost no mobility counselor has a re- integration program: This has to be a problem for at least some participants (?). But is it the mobility counselor’s duty?

Discussion Topics On participants’ difficulties: Most participants have high/low expectations that won’t match reality. On a practical level, transportation to destination seems to be a common problem (psychological content of having problems in transportation when you are travelling, seems paradoxical) On obstacles: economic - financial (Erasmus+) On what to change: The need for working with a staff (in group)