Activities of the programme were focused on the study and research-related mobility of young researchers and master’s students and also promoting Estonian universities abroad with the national initiative "Study in Estonia".
"Internationalization has a lot of components - understanding other people and other countries are some of them. In a small country like Estonia we know that we cannot manage alone," stressed the importance of Higher Education Internationalization Mr Margus Haidak, Head of the Higher Education, Vocational Education and Training Policy and Lifelong Learning Department.
During these seven years the Dora Plus programme contributed to more than 4000 study visits and long-term mobility scholarships giving an option to students to study abroad in more than 90 countries in the world.
"Studying abroad provides significant added value to the student's learning journey, broadens the worldview of young people and brings fresh ideas and knowledge to Estonia. However, foreign students arriving in Estonia make an important contribution to internationalization at home. "Estonian students, who cannot go abroad to improve themselves, can get international experience at home thanks to foreign students," commented Carmen Raudsepp, the Head of the Scholarships and Grants Office.
The programme also helped to make Estonian higher education visible all over the world with the national initiative "Study in Estonia". Seven years ago more than 3,000 foreign students studied in Estonia. Today this number has increased by 50 percent, and in total there are nearly 5,000 foreign students studying at the universities in Estonia.
"International cooperation is an everyday part of learning and teaching at a higher education institution - it makes an important contribution to the quality of higher education. When it comes to the development of Estonia's economy and society, it is important that we receive motivated students from all over the world," explained the importance of the internationalization of higher education, Eero Loonurm, head of the Higher Education International Marketing.
The next programming period will include priorities such as increased support to universities, supporting Higher Education, internationalization and doctoral studies quality, including higher education international marketing and the institutional cooperation, and Erasmus+ and Kristjan Jaak scholarship opportunities.
The Estonian Education and Youth Board organized a conference for 100 participants from Estonian universities, Estonian Ministry of Education and Research and Estonian State Shared Service Centre. Besides our main stakeholders there were participants from the Estonian Police and Boarder Guard Board and Estonian Research Council and our collegues from Erasmus+ and Estonian Education Quality Assurance departments.
Photos of the conference can be visible in Estonian Education and Youth Board photo album
More information
Eero Loonurm
Programme Dora Plus
[email protected]
Estonian Education and Youth Board
