Erasmus Policy Statement

Our main objective in the Erasmus program is to work within our Institution to reinforce the concept of UNION among the different European countries. The Escuela Superior de Diseño de Aragón (ESDA) is a public center of the Government of Aragon, one of the autonomous communities of Spain. The new curriculum for the Enseñanzas Artísticas Superiores de Grado en Diseño is designed to comply with the proposals of the Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior (EEES) and the evaluation measure are credits (ECTS). The ESDA offers DEGREE level studies (level 2 MECES) in the specialties of Graphic Design, Interior Design, Product Design and Fashion Design and MASTER studies (level 3 MECES)..

The ESDA is located in Zaragoza, a geographically strategic point halfway between Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao. Our history is very rich and multicultural, it places us in Aragon, related in Spain, in Europe, with Latin America and with the African continent. This cultural reality imprints the intrinsic character of our Institution whose lines of research focus on educational innovation and social and sustainable design.

Each year the ESDA hosts a Seminar on Design in Practice, attended by a number of lecturers with great influence in the design world. The events have achieved reputation in the design circles and attract an extensive audience. There is a collaboration agreement with the Universidad de Zaragoza in the area of Higher Artistic Teaching and a consortium to carry out internships with students. ESDA has a collaborative relationship with CADI (Aragonese Center for Industrial Design), an entity that connects us with the local business and industrial fabric. ESDA in its international dimension belongs to CUMULUS, Int. Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and Media, where thanks to the Erasmus program ESDA staff actively participate in its annual Congresses. ESDA participates biannually in the Encuentros BID, Ibero-American Design Biennial meetings held in Madrid, expanding contacts and sharing experiences.

The Erasmus program in our Institution is the platform that facilitates the connection and exchange between countries of the European Union, giving ESDA its international dimension. Thanks to the Erasmus program we have collaboration agreements with centers in other countries at the forefront of Graphic Design, Interior Design, Product Design and Fashion Design with which the exchange occurs, where we can complement the training of students and teachers, in addition to improving the knowledge of a foreign language, learning about other cultures, artistic expressions, communication skills and acquiring flexibility through contact with other forms of work. We collaborate with European companies and entities related to design that help us improve and increase our quality in research, education and artistic activities through a determined international collaboration.

We work in line to achieve the following objectives.

• Spending time abroad to study and learn should become the norm.
• Knowing two languages in addition to one's mother tongue should be standard.
• Everyone should be able to access high-quality education, regardless of socioeconomic background.
• People must have a strong sense of their identity as Europeans, of Europeone's cultural heritage and diversity.

The main activities are within the Key Action 1, the individual mobility of students for studies and internships and the mobility of staff for training and teaching.

The process of implementing KA1 mobilities is as follows:

• The annual Erasmus Call for participants is published on the project website, which defines the procedure that guarantees the fairness and transparency of the process.
• The compatibility of the Institutions is studied and the agreement with the number of exchanges and the duration of the stay is established.
• The participating students present a Portfolio and CV with the language level of the host country. Each student draws up his Work Plan, gathering the necessary information from the reception center through the Internet, from the program coordinator and under the supervision of the Degree Coordinator.
• The participating teachers present a CV with the language level of the host country. Each selected teacher establishes his Work Plan for the exchange of training and / or teaching.
• The Work Plan must be approved by all parties: the two institutions and the participant.
• Arrival and departure certificates are issued.
• Possible modifications to the Work Plan at the destination can be validated again by all parties.
• At the end of the mobility, select a certificate containing the numerical evaluation, number of credits and a qualitative evaluation.
• At the end of the exchange period for teaching staff, new teaching materials are developed to consolidate and expand the links between departments and institutions, as well as possible future cooperation projects.
• Participants fill out a final evaluation questionnaire.
• The results of each call are disseminated annually in a communication event open to the entire educational community.

Possible activities KA2 modality of strategic collaborations between institutions and companies are being studied within the ESDA Strategic Plan to develop more complex projects that enrich the research work of the center.

Activities at different stages of the project cycle:

ANTES de que comience el proyecto:

• Drafting the dissemination and exploitation plan.
• Definition of the expected impact and deliverables.
• Consideration of how and to whom dissemination and exploitation outcomes will be disseminated.

DURING the project:

• Contacting relevant media e.g. at local or regional level.
• Conducting regular activities such as information sessions, training, demonstrations, peer reviews.
• Assessing the impact on target groups.
• Involving other stakeholders in view of transferring results to end users/ new areas/policies.
• Adding a new specific tab for the project on the website within the International.

AT FINAL REPORT STAGE

• Uploading the final project results and an update of the project description on the Erasmus+ Project Results Platform.

DESPUÉS del proyecto

• Continuing further dissemination.
• Developing ideas for future cooperation.
• Evaluating achievements and impact.
• Contacting relevant media.
• Contacting policy-makers if relevant.
• Cooperate with the European Commission by providing useful inputs to its dissemination and exploitation efforts.

The participation in these actions will contribute to achieving the objectives of the ESDA Strategic Plan.

The results of each Erasmus call are released annually. Both tangible results, study reports, samples of work carried out, research reports, as well as intangible results, knowledge and experience gained by the participants, while welcoming incoming Erasmus students in a relaxed and festive atmosphere, are shared in a communication event open to the entire educational community.

All the students and staff of the school are the beneficiaries of this project, since the mobility of students generates an internal movement in the classrooms that is transmitted to the rest of the classmates and teachers. Newcomers learn from the experiences of older students who have completed Erasmus. The students in their last years carry out internships in a company abroad that makes it easier for them to enter the labor market. The impact assessment is an essential part of the process. It evaluates achievements and generates recommendations for future improvements. Indicators are used to measure progress towards goals. These are signs that help to measure performance. Indicators can be both quantitative relating to numbers and percentages as well as qualitative relating to the quality of the participation and experience. Questionnaires, interviews, observations and assessments are used to measure the impact

The indicators related to the different project activities that are planned at the start of the project and part of the general dissemination plan

• Facts and figures related to the website of project organisers (updates, visits, consultation, cross referencing).
• Numbers of meetings with key stakeholders.
• Numbers of participants involved in discussions and information sessions (workshops, seminars, peer reviews); follow up measures.
• Production and circulation of products.
• Media coverage (articles in specialised press newsletters, press releases, interviews, etc.).
• Visibility in the social media and attractiveness of website.
• Participation in public events.
• Links with existing networks and transnational partners; transfer of information and know how.
• Impact on regional, national, EU policy measures.
• Feedback from end users, other stakeholders, peers, policy makers.