The International Educational Programmes Office/Erasmus+, of the University of Thessaly is divided into three branches that operate in the cities of Volos, Larissa and Lamia, in order to provide better administrative support for the Erasmus programme in all the 35 Academic Departments of the Institution.
The Academic Departments that are located in the city of Volos are supported by the Erasmus Office of Volos.
The Academic Departments that are located in the cities of Larissa, Karditsa and Trikala are supported by the Erasmus Office of Larissa.
The Academic Departments that are located in the city of Lamia are supported by the Erasmus Office of Lamia.
The structure and the personnel along with several usefull information for the incomers can be found in the following info sheet .
University of Thessaly
Founded in 1984, the University of Thessaly is a non-profit public higher education institution located in all the four cities of the Thessaly region (Volos, Larissa, Trikala, Karditsa) as well as in Lamia (Sterea Ellada region). Officially accredited and recognized by the Greek Ministry of Education, the University of Thessaly (UTH) is a dynamic higher education institution that offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees in several areas of study. Its ultimate goal is the promotion of knowledge through teaching and research, as well as the general contribution to the cultural and economic development of the society.
The envisioned development is expected to occur by creating a learning environment which will be steadily fostering and promoting critical thinking, innovation, unhampered creation, exchange of ideas and faith in democratic ideas.
The University of Thessaly has followed a rapid ascent within its 40 year span and nowadays enjoys a highly rated position in the Greek and international map of the scientific research, even in comparison to much older Universities.The constant support of research and educational projects as well as the international recognition of this relatively new and regional University are some of its major priorities.
The University of Thessaly, with the continuous scientific interaction, the researchers' mobility, the cross-fertilization among the different disciplines and fields and the interaction with the local society, promotes in a promising way culture and science, in the region of Thessaly and in the whole country. In www.uth.gr an overview of the University’s historical development can be found, along with its academic, institutional, and administrative structure and function.
Taking part to the Erasmus+ mobility is one of the keys to improve the quality of European competiveness, as mobility contributes to build up a knowledge-based society where awareness of cultural diversity and traditions is an incentive, rather than an obstacle, to innovation and international cooperation.
Studying in the University of Thessaly can not only enrich one's studies experience but also broaden their cultural background and improve their professional skills.
International Educational Programmes Office/Erasmus+
The International Educational Programmes Office/Erasmus+ centralizes, coordinates and manages international cooperation activities at the University of Thessaly:
- Providing information & advice to the University community about the international programs available, within the scope of higher education.
- Promoting, encouraging & managing the mobility to and from foreign institutions.
- Coordinating exchange within bilateral agreements and providing administrative-financial assistance to UTH students, recent graduates, teaching & administrative staff.
- Providing information & assistance to prospective international students, recent graduates, teaching & administrative staff on the procedure to be followed, and the necessary documentation.
- Connecting the foreign exchange students with the Academic Departments, and assisting them with practical issues concerning their stay in Greece.
- Ensuring the presence of UTH at international educational meetings and forums.
- Supporting activities related to initiating and coordinating international cooperation of UTH with other universities and research institutions.
- Preparing bilateral scientific cooperation agreements and providing support to UTH units that are willing to make such agreements on faculty and institution level.
- Organising Erasmus Staff Training Weeks.
Erasmus+ Programme
Erasmus+ is the EU's programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe providing opportunities for several million of students, teaching & administrative staff all over the world to study, teach, train, gain experience, and volunteer abroad.
Erasmus+ opportunities expand to a wide variety of individuals and organisations as well.
- Individuals: Erasmus+ offers opportunities to people of all ages, helping them develop and share knowledge and experience at institutions and organisations in different countries.
- Organisations: Erasmus+ has opportunities for a wide range of organisations, including universities, education and training providers, think-tanks, research organisations, and private businesses.
The aim of Erasmus+ is to contribute to the strategy for growth, jobs, social equity and inclusion, as well as the aims of the EU's strategic framework for education and training. Erasmus+ also aims to promote the sustainable development of its partners in the field of higher education, and contribute to achieving the objectives of the EU Youth Strategy.
Specific issues tackled by the programme include:
- Reducing unemployment, especially among young people
- Promoting adult learning especially for new skills and skills required by the labour market.
- Encouraging young people to take part in European democracy
- Supporting innovation, cooperation and reform
- Reducing early school leaving
- Promoting cooperation and mobility with the EU’s partner countries
More information can be found in:
http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/about_en
Erasmus Charter for Higher Education 2021-2027
Erasmus Policy Statement
The participation of the University of Thessaly in the Erasmus program aims at the contribution of the quality improvement and quantity increase of student & staff mobility along with the increase of multilateral cooperation between HEIs wordwide, enhancing the degree of transparency and compatibility between the formal qualifications acquired through higher education and advanced vocational education in Europe, along with improving cooperation between HEIs and enterprizes, and facilitating the development of innovative practices in higher education and their training and transfer from one participating country to another. UTH aims to promote scientific knowledge through teaching and research, and to contribute to the cultural and economic development of the local community, and the society at large. UTH fervently values high quality scientific research, considering it a necessary requirement in developing and sharing knowledge. It promotes scientific and academic excellence in all fields of expertise and rewards outstanding individual performances. Honoring a long historical tradition and rich cultural heritage, but also acknowledging the tremendous challenges and potential of contemporary times, we actively pursue internationalization on many levels:
- Internationally educated & transnationally networked teaching & research staff.
- Offering an internationally minded education.
- A growing international student body
- Internationally networked research teams
- Enhancing the international exposure of our academic community
- Promoting multilingualism
- Shared access
- Extracurricular activities and engagement.
UTH recently merged with the Univ. of Applied Sciences of Thessaly and the Technological Educational Institute of Central Greece under the University of Thessaly name, becoming a single university with a wide array of international projects and partners, and the 3rd largest HEI in Greece while ranking among the 850 best universities internationally.