Joint call for Arqus Twinning 2.0 projects

Arqus on the Move launches a call for Twinning projects for the academic year 2025-26.

Arqus Twinning 2.0 aims to strengthen subject-related collaboration of staff and students and create possibilities to carry out joint learning and teaching activities through piloting short-term mobility schemes.

Twinnings 2.0 are based on the mobility of two groups from two different Arqus universities, reciprocally visiting each other’s partner institution to carry out a common programme and share mutual learning experiences.

Twinning activities may vary in their mode and type. They have to consist of activities with learning objectives and may include group trips, participation in international contests, joint workshops, summer schools, group projects, conferences, etc. Twinning activities might be implemented through regular (physical) mobility or blended teaching/learning.

Arqus Twinning 2.0 activities are carried out in reciprocity between the partners involved in two phases, meaning that each university will send its group to visit the counterpart to carry out the programme foreseen in the application. The additional virtual component is not mandatory but highly recommended.

Furthermore, Twinning 2.0 promotes the Alliance’s main themes: European Identity heritage; Artificial intelligence and digital transformation; Climate change and environmental sustainability.

The call is open until 15 July 2025. 

Funding

The Alliance has agreed on the general financial terms on which the minimum contribution for travel and subsistence costs is calculated. However, financial conditions may vary depending on the availability of funding at each partner institution.

This activity is funded through the Arqus Innovation Fund and the universities’ own funds. Lecturers are responsible for the funding of their travel and living costs, which can be covered through Erasmus+ dedicated funding schemes or other funds that each institution may have allocated to increase the impact of the action.

The Selection Committee aims to approve a minimum of 8 Twinnings 2.0 (16 groups involved), taking into account the overall balance of partners involved and the availability of funds from Arqus and universities. If necessary, the Selection Committee may opt for funding a project only partially.

Application deadlines and procedures

Academics can apply for Twinning activities by submitting their applications via this dedicated form.

The application form has to be filled in jointly by 2 representatives of the Arqus universities participating in the call. Applicants will be required to provide their contact details and information about their study field, as well as to present the overall project, its genesis, aims, learning outcome and impact, along with a provisional programme for the implementation.

Lecturers can look for an Arqus partner through the specific padlet.

Timeline

• The call is open until 15 July 2025
• Start of period eligible for Twinning visits: September 2025
• End of period eligible for Twinning visits: 30 June 2026

Selection criteria

• Learning outcomes (clearly explained and linked to the field of study of the students);
• Implementation strategies;
• Sustainability of the action (follow-up and further development of the project);
• Expected impact on the participants and the institution;
• Applications related to the main Arqus II themes (European Identity heritage, digital transformation and artificial intelligence, climate change and environmental sustainability) are prioritised. Applications based on other topics will also be considered.

First editions will be prioritised.

The Selection Committee will take into account the maximum possible balance in the ratio between funded activities and partners involved. An eligibility check of applications will be made by Arqus reference staff in each partner university prior to the selection.

The number of eligible applications approved for funding will be subject to the availability of funds. The Selection Committee may propose adjustments to the selected projects in terms of the number of days and/or students participating, according to the available funds. A reserve list will be made out of the eligible applications not approved for funding.

Selection Committee

The Selection Committee will be composed of academic experts in different study fields and/or members from the Arqus on the Move working group. Each university should nominate at least one member. The Selection Committee will nominate one of its members as coordinator before starting the selection process.

Grant notification will be provided to applicants by 30 July 2025 and duly launched on the Arqus website accordingly.

Obligations of the selected applicants

Successful applicants will be required to inform the Selection Committee of their acceptance of the grant. The deadline for acceptance will be specified in the grant notification. Those who accept the grant are responsible for implementing the programme in accordance with the minimum eligibility requirements.

If scheduled visits need to be postponed or cancelled, the applicants must inform the Selection Committee no later than 1 month before the date of departure. The Selection Committee can reallocate unused funds to any other eligible project proposal not previously selected.

The applicants will be in charge of selecting the students who will take part in the activities, following the internal regulations of their institutions and respecting principles of equality and transparency.

After each visit, applicants are required to report on the final results of their Twinning 2.0, detailing the actual results in comparison with the expected outcomes. The report should be submitted within 1 month after the visit to the concerned contact person (see below).

Contact Information

In case of any questions related to Twinning 2.0 activities, please refer to the contact person of each University:

University of Granada	Álvaro de la Hera Luis alvarodlhl@ugr.es
University of Graz	Julia Trattnig julia.trattnig@uni-graz.at
Leipzig University	Isabelle Maringer isabelle.maringer@zv.uni-leipzig.de
University of Lyon 1	Geraldine Yon geraldine.yon@univ-lyon1.fr
Maynooth University	Alena Jurikova Alena.Jurikova@mu.ie
University of Minho	Natália Antunes usai@usai.uminho.pt
University of Padua	Mobility Unit mobility.out@unipd.it
Vilnius University	Skirmante Savickaite skirmante.savickaite@cr.vu.lt
University of Wrocław	Urszula Broda urszula.broda@uwr.edu.pl

For general inquiries and in case of appeal (within 15 days from the publication of the results): mobility-hub@arqus-alliance.eu

Call published on 30 May 2025