A delegation from the Belarusian State University (BSU) has visited the University’s Canterbury campus to mark the launch of an Erasmus+ project.
The Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility project is the first large-scale mobility and co-operation programme between a higher education institution in the UK and Belarus.
The Belarus delegation was led by Professor Siarhei Khozin, Vice-Rector for International Affairs at BUS. Also included were Mr Oleg Ermolovich, Minister-Counsellor, and Mr Kirill Zemtsov, 1st Secretary Consular Affairs, from the Belarusian Embassy in London.
During their week-long stay in March, the BSU delegation met with heads of schools and professional services, as well senior members of the University’s management team. Included in discussions were extending network opportunities and the visit culminated in the delegation participating in Kent’s first International Partners Week. Organised by International Partnerships, this allowed the BSU delegation to meet with Kent’s partners from around the world.
The Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility project follows a successful bid for funding in autumn 2016. Kent was awarded funding by the European Commission, via the British Council as the UK’s National Agency for Erasmus+, to support bilateral student and staff mobility between Belarusian State University and Kent.
Professor Elena Korosteleva, Deputy Head of the School of Politics and International Relations and academic project coordinator, said she was ‘delighted’ for the opportunity to establish cooperation with ‘a top university in the eastern region’.
She added that Kent looked forward to developing staff and student exchange and ‘expanding our research collaboration with the eastern neighbourhood’.
Alongside the planned project activity, a group of undergraduate students from the School of Politics and International Relations will visit BSU in April, supported by faculty internationalisation funding.