All research institutions (universities) are developing a culture within themselves (Dill 1982) and their institutional culture is expressed by academia (faculty). However, universities are transnational institutions per se and students and faculty have always transferred between them. Erasmus Mundus I (the first generation of a student mobility programme developed by the European Commission) was supposed to attract talented students with a good first degree earned at a non-European university in third countries and held the core objective of developing intercultural competences.

The case study is devoted to a number of graduates who arrived with several talents and much relevant experience. They met in Copenhagen with European academia and with other international students. However, graduates from South Asia experienced certain difficulties when they were included in this mix of academic cultures.

Research questions

1)   Why did graduates with a good first degree from their alma mater university experience difficulties in their interaction with European academia?

2)   What is the core of these first semester difficulties?

3)   Which instruments are recommended to overcome such difficulties?

Objectives

Student mobility is high in the agenda of the European Commission and the new EU strategy (Education and Training 2020) mentions especially mobility besides lifelong learning. The former strategy (Education and Training 2010) had lifelong learning only.

The change in the EU strategy for education and training makes studies of “other” academic cultures relevant.

Theoretical framework

The study is defined as a pilot and is based on the assumptions that:

1) clashes between academic cultures are inevitable in a time with expanding global mobility and

2) a relevant strategy for students and faculty is to respect the otherness within academia and develop knowledge about the academic cultures of the world.

Faculty and students need to learn from each other. This approach makes learning theory relevant. Transformative adult learning (Mezirow 1991) is chosen as theoretical framework.

References Dill, D. D. (1982), The Management of academic culture: note on the management of meaning and social integration. In: Higher Education. Vol. 11, p. 303-320. Jarvis, P. et al (2007), The theory and practice of learning. 2nd edition. London/New York: Routledge. Mezirow, J. (1991), Tranformative dimensions of adult learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities (2009), Bologna Process in Higher Education in Europe. Luxembourg Popkewitz, T. (1987) (ed.), Critical Studies in Teacher Education. Its Folklore, Theory and Practice. London/New York/Philiadelopia: The Falmer Press Stenhouse, L. (1967), Culture and Education. London: Nelson University Paperback.