Exchange and mobility in the year of coronavirus: annual report and statistics online

Growing demand for mobility projects and restrictions due to the coronavirus were the defining features of 2020 at Movetia. Could any exchanges at all still take place? Have any new forms of exchange emerged? Read the first results in our annual report and statistics.

As in many other areas, ongoing exchange and mobility activities were brought abruptly to a standstill from March 2020 onwards due to the health crisis. Although Movetia has been able to maintain continuous support for its projects, many of them have been halted or suspended: this is not necessarily reflected in our statistics, which are based on applications submitted.

Today, however, our focus is already shifting to the future – and to this question: how shall we move on from crisis management into the post-crisis phase?

This is because every crisis harbours new opportunities. In order to revive the very positive momentum seen until March 2020, we will need to take advantage of the lessons we will have learned from this period, and we must leverage the transformations that have taken place in the system. To take one example: the pandemic has acted as a major catalyst for digitalisation in the educational sector, and it will have defined some sound benchmarks for this purpose. This is also an opportunity – which should be grasped – to consider and rethink the future of exchange and mobility.

Likewise, the crisis will have highlighted the critical part played by exchange and cooperation in opening up to the world and achieving mutual understanding. There are several signs that favour these objectives at present – not only because individuals in education will want to "get moving" again, but also because it is now established that mobility enables people to acquire essential skills, and that exchange and cooperation enhance the quality of our educational system and make it more innovative.

We hope you enjoy reading these documents.