For the University of Maribor (UM), the Erasmus+ programme represents the cornerstone of implementation of the Internationalization Strategy adopted in 2013. The Strategy recognizes the mobility of students, professors, researchers and other non-teaching staff as an important driver in attaining excellence in education and research, all while increasing the recognition of the institution in the international environment of higher education.Students, as well as teaching and research staff of UM, continue to express great interest in cooperating with institutions outside the EU, in particular due to excellent cooperation in past programmes (MUNDUS, TEMPUS) during which the parties developed strong ties in academic and scientific research fields. The project Erasmus+ (KA107), therefore allowed us to continue existing relationships with our partners and develop new strategic partnerships across the globe.The project materially contributed to the development of internationalization at UM, having allowed 116 mobilities, 81 of which were incoming mobilities. The volume of incoming mobilities had a material impact on internationalization at home, a matter of great importance at UM. The University hosted 54 students from 6 countries and provided them plenty of opportunities for active involvement in study and extracurricular activities alongside our students, who, in turn, were given a chance to develop soft skills without undergoing mobility and a chance to meet other (predominantly non-European) cultures. Another important aspect of internationalization at home are visiting foreign professors and researchers who partake in the teaching and scientific research process. In the period concerned, we hosted 27 experts from 10 countries. Visiting experts materially enrich the study process at UM and encourage cooperation in scientific research.The project allowed 7 UM students to study abroad. In addition to new knowledge, these students were able to acquire significant soft skills (language and communication competences, the ability to understand and adjust to new cultures, teamwork skills in intercultural teams, etc.) that are becoming increasingly important to Slovene employers. International experience therefore allows graduates to improve their employability and competitiveness in the job market. Professors, researchers and UM administrative staff took part in 28 mobilities, where they were given a chance to get a closer view of how foreign institutions operate, the advantages and shortcomings of their own university, and discover new opportunities for cooperation in the field of education and research, which our University sorely lacks. The Erasmus+ programme facilitates the setting up of science and research partnerships, which later materialize in joint projects (Erasmus+ KA2, Horizon 2020), as well as joint and international study programmes.The implementation of Erasmus+ KA107 also has a material impact on the internationalization of UM faculties and challenges them set for themselves, especially in light of the steadily decreasing number of domestic full-time students. The Erasmus+ programme serves as a confirmation that faculties’ study programmes are of a high quality and draw the interest even of students outside of Europe. As a result, we are currently taking steps to realize the accreditation of study programmes in English in order to ensure their international relevance. International relevance in general is also one of the key strategic objectives of UM.A major focus of this project was to adequately prepare UM students for mobility, and to integrate foreign students into the academic environment, so as to ease their integration into the environment as a whole and increase the quality of study results, as the latter directly contributes to an increase in the quality of mobility programmes. Another material factor affecting mobility in general is regular monitoring of students in mobility programmes with our tool, by means of which students can report on their progress in terms of study obligations, provide feedback regarding mobility, and give a short impression of their experience with mobility.All the factors outlined above help us in disseminating project results, a task we devote greater focus to year after year. Social network presence, websites, organizing various dissemination and promotional events, as well as the encouragement and support of our professors, materially influence students’ awareness and understanding of the importance of international mobility.In all activities implemented under this project, we received generous support from ESN Maribor. Their help truly is indispensable to high-quality implementation of the Erasmus+ mobility programme at UM. The support, proposals and ideas they have provided were of great help both in the promotion and dissemination of mobility, as well as in the implementation of the entire Erasmus+ programme at UM.

This is a higher education student and staff mobility project, please consult the website of the organisation to obtain additional details.

"The proposed module aims to implement teaching, research and awareness-raising activities in the field of sustainable development, the protection and management of natural and cultural heritage in the EU. In March 2021, heritage, climate and financial organisations and experts initiated the European Cultural Heritage Green Paper ""Putting Europe's shared heritage at the heart of the European Green Deal"". This stresses the importance of heritage not only for cultural needs but also as integrative tools to take climate action and achieve sustainability, the cornerstone of the European mega plan on a green future: the Green Deal. Combining heritage and climate action in order to raise awareness will help Europe to become the first emission-free continent and a sustainable development champion. Maintaining the promise of the Paris agreement to hold global warming under 1.5C and safeguarding heritage without damaging their economic input to the national GDP is a challenge the EU is taking with the Green Deal. The impact of cultural and natural heritage on society is very positive. In the pre-pandemic years, natural and cultural heritage was used as an anchor to promote the rich European traditions and stimulate the pride to be part of the EU. Moreover, heritage accounted for the biggest tourist attraction and were the reasons why tourism was able to play a very positive role in the economy of many European countries, making the EU the number 1 visited continent. Numerous studies have shown the positive relationship between natural and cultural heritage and economic growth. Moreover, the World Bank's Carbon Finance Unit (CFU) has said that the tourism industry is relatively environmentally friendly compared to other polluting sectors."

European energy union is considered as one of the top priorities of the past and present European Commission (and it is reasonable to expect that it will retain that status in the future). Such public policy orientation is supported by extensive and complex corpus of energy related supranational legal acts and documents. In other words, nowadays energy law simply cannot be ignored anymore. Yet, before the disussed project the existing study programmes at the parent organization did not deal with the energy law and policy, at least not systematically. Similarly, the parent organization's research activities in energy law and policy have been underdeveloped. The said situation in the fields of teaching and research, proves to be a real shortcoming which shall be overcome, inter alia, with the 'Jean Monnet Chair of Energy Law and Policy: Energy Market Regulation, Competition, and Climate'. The structure of the project has been described in the 'Detailed Project Description'. Thus, the latter shall be consulted for the detailed description of the project and its planned activities while at this point the summary is provided.The structure of the planned project's activities is adjusted to the aforementioned aim regarding the teaching and research in the field of energy law and policy, and the associated topics (e.g. energy market regulation, competition and climate or more general, sustainable development), as follows:a) teaching activities: a.1) main teaching activities consisted of lectures, seminars and tutorials in the extent of 95 hours per academic year (i.e. 90 hours per academic year shall be carried out by the holder of the project (leader) while the remaining 5 hours per academic year shall be carried out by three foreign experts); a.2) additional teaching activities consisted of supervision of master theses, the co-coatching of student's team participating the European Law Moot Court, and the lecture for non-lawyers.b) research activities: b.1) preparation of a book on energy law; b.2) preparation of three research papers dealing with topical supranational issues; b.2) preparation of a draft curriculum for new study course on energy law and policy; b.3) modification of the existing curriculum in a way that energy law and policy issues are newly included by considering the nature and function of the study course in question; b.4) consultations regarding the doctoral study and/or a supervision of doctoral work; b.5) supervision of student's research papers in the context of seminar work and access to best three papers; b.6) organization of events, i.e. two conferences and one roundtable discussion; b.7) preparation of participation certificates or confirmations.Moreover, the project is designed in a way that the core (primary) activities, where appropriate, are supported by additional (secondary) activities, e.g. the project's website and materials (PPt-presentations, book, research papers, questionnaires or case studies, etc.).The project is designed in a way to generate positive effects even after the project is already finished, e.g. by carrying out a new study course on energy law and policy as well as by carrying out energy law related topics within other study courses (where appropriate). Moreover, in the field of research it is anticipated that the project, i.e. the Jean Monnet Chair on Energy Law and Policy, shall evolve in the energy law hub.

This action supports physical and blended mobility of higher education students and staff from EU Member States and third countries associated to Erasmus+ to any country in the world. Students in all study fields and cycles can take part in a study period or traineeship abroad. Higher education teaching and administrative staff can take part in professional development activities abroad, as well as staff from the field of work in order to teach and train students or staff at higher education institutions.