Materializing global academic mobility through the eyes of program coordinators: Comparative insights from a Romanian-U.S. institutional Erasmus+ agreement

Abstract

Erasmus+, the European Union’s mobility program has been researched extensively (e.g., De Wit, 2020), yet mobility program coordinators at higher education institutions responsible for student, faculty, and staff exchanges remain under-researched. This comparative study showcases a Romanian-U.S. Erasmus + partnership established between Universitatea Babeş-Bolyai in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, and North Dakota State University in Fargo, United States. The study draws on (auto-)ethnographic explorations to investigate two coordinators’ roles, responsibilities, and experiences and explores the infrastructure and qualifications needed to facilitate mobility programs. It concludes that the materialization of mobility agreements relies on a combination of personal and institutional motivations, interests, and goals. High levels of individual initiative, linguistic/cultural knowledge, connections, and consistent involvement on the part of the coordinators facilitating the process are required. We advocate for more institutionalized incentives and recognition for coordinators to continue shaping the future of global mobility in higher education.