MOBILITY AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

The Department of Food and Drug Sciences participates in the "Erasmus+" Program with mobility activities for students and teachers. The Mobility is possible with the Departments of several European countries, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, England, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Spain, Turkey, Hungary etc ...

The program allows students to carry out a period of study and/or internship and/or thesis and/or doctoral studies abroad, up to a maximum of twelve months for each cycle of study and to receive a financial contribution for the travel and subsistence expenses. The program is divided into:

1. Single Call for European and International Mobility for study;
2. Erasmus+ Traineeship (SMT);
3. Selected European and international Summer Schools;
4. The Blended Intensive Programmes ERASMUS+ (BIP).

In general, if you are interested in carrying out a period abroad, always check the site: The international dimension where all the possibilities that the student enrolled at the University of Parma has to carry out a period abroad are published.

To get DETAILED INFORMATION ON HOW TO PLAN YOUR INTERNATIONAL MOBILITY EXPERIENCE READ THE VADEMECUM ERASMUS. 

To facilitate access to mobility for an ever-increasing number of students, starting from the academic year 2022-2023, the new Call for Applicants - European and International Exchanges for study purposes integrates the opportunities of the  European ERASMUS+ Program  and the OVERWORLD University Program in a single call.

Within the new Single Call it will be possible to find all the information necessary to participate in a mobility to European and non-European universities, for:

• attend courses and take exams in order to acquire credits;
• attend courses and take the related exams together with curricular internships at the destination location;
• carry out research activities and attend courses for PhD students;
• prepare the degree and doctoral thesis;
• participate in double degree programs within degree programs that offer this opportunity;
• participate in special projects active within the University.

So it allows students to carry out part of their studies abroad. The mobility takes place within the framework of agreements signed with universities for which the student is selected. The Department guarantees full recognition of training activities like attending the courses, exams (with the minimum passing score) and research carried out abroad as agreed in the Learning Agreement, through the use of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

The programme also allows foreign students enrolled in partner universities to attend courses taught within the Department and take the relevant examinations, with the activities carried out in their home universities being recognized.

The call is usually published at the end of November/December and applications must be made by February/March. Applications are screened by a commission composed of the Coordinator and the Referents for international mobility of the Department [see below] who makes a selection by March, based on criteria previously indicated in the call. The evaluation criteria may include, for example, motivational aspects, the average of the marks of the exams taken and the number of exams taken, consistency with the educational path that the student presents with the application.

In any case, it is advisable to look the UNIPR website for Erasmus updates constantly for the recent study mobility programs.
 

allows university students of all levels (first, second and third cycles), and even after one year of graduation, they can carry out an internship or traineeship lasting between 2 and 12 months, in companies or in sectors such as education or in laboratory,  training and youth present in one of the Countries Participating in the Erasmus Plus Programme. The Erasmus+ SMT call is published on the university website (see "International – opportunities for students"). Applications are screened by the commission composed of the Coordinator and the Department's Referents for International Mobility, which draws a list of suitable candidates.

Interested students can apply for one, and only one time, of the two lists mentioned below:

1. LIST A: candidates who independently propose the internship location.
   The candidate proves that he/she has been accepted by an organization (University or Industry) through the official letter (Company Agreement Form) according to the regulations, provided by the UOS Internationalization – Erasmus and International Home, which the candidate can acquire in original or fax or scanned in PDF format by e-mail.
2. LIST B: candidates who have not found the internship location.
   The list is composed of candidates who have not found an hosting organization yet. These students can apply for the call and find the internship location successively. The awarding of the scholarship will be subject to acceptance by the host office, which will evaluate the candidate's dossier (CV and motivational letter in the foreign language and any other attachments).

Students enrolled in single-cycle Master's Degree Courses in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology can carry out part of the internship in pharmacy (maximum 3 months) at a pharmacy present in one of the Member States of the European Community, presenting the application under the Erasmus+ SMT call.

Students enrolled in the Bachelor's Degree in Gastronomic Sciences, Bachelor's Degree in Food Science and Technology and Master's Degree in  Food Science and Technology, Master's Degree in Human Nutrition Sciences. Master's Degree in Food Safety and Food Risk Management,  can carry out the internship (as provided in the study plan) at a university or at a company in the sector present in one of the Member States of the European Community, presenting the application under the Erasmus + SMT call

In any case, it is advisable to constantly monitor the UNIPR website for Erasmus+, constantly updated regarding the Erasmus + Call for Study: INTERNSHIP ABROAD

the student is given the opportunity to carry out particular programs / courses of study with foreign universities that collaborate with the University of Parma for the summer period. Depending on the Summer School for which you apply, the topics that will be dealt with during the Summer School and the methods of the lessons change. The teaching activities can be delivered in presence or blended or in virtual mode. 
The call usually opens and closes in April. For more information, consult and regularly monitor the website: EUROPEAN AND INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOLS.

these are intensive mixed programmes – blended intensive programmes, BIP. Developed by groups of HEIs with an innovative pedagogical approach, BIPs provide short periods of face-to-face activities combined with online learning and cooperation activities, in which joint groups of students, teaching staff and administrative staff from different countries can participate to collaborate on specific tasks collectively and simultaneously. In this type of program the virtual component is mandatory.

Usually the call opens at the beginning of April and closes at the beginning of May. In any case, it is advisable to constantly check and monitor the UNIPR website that regularly publishes the information and when the BIP call is opened.

Pharmaceutical students from the Department of Food and Drug Sciences and PhD students in drug sciences are offered the opportunity to participate in a Blended Intensive Program sponsored by the European community entitled "GLOBAL HEALTH CHALLENGE - SUSTAINABILITY IN PHARMACEUTICS".

TITLE 
GLOBAL HEALTH CHALLENGE - SUSTAINABILITY IN PHARMACEUTICS

COORDINATOR 
UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI

Local contact point: Marco Pieroni

BIP Ref.: 2023-1-BE02-KA131-HED-000117677-8

Blended Intensive Programme coordinated by the University of Helsinki.

PARTICIPATING UNIVERSITIES

• University of Helsinki (https://www.helsinki.fi/en): SF HELSINK01
• University of Copenhagen (https://www.ku.dk/en): DK KOBENHA01
• Université Paris-Saclay (https://www.universite-paris-saclay.fr/en): F PARIS481
• University of Parma (https://www.unipr.it/eplus_bip): I PARMA01

PROGRAM DETAILS

• Host university for the in-person component: UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI
• In-person attendance period: May 25–29, 2026
• Virtual attendance period: April 20 – May 22, 2026
• Language of teaching: ENGLISH
• Credits awarded (CFU/ECTS): 4
• Available spots: 24 (at least 6 reserved for Parma) + 1 mentor

Admission Requirements

• Each participating university will define its internal criteria for the selection of candidates, including the number of participants and selection requirements. For the University of Parma, applicants must meet the following conditions:
• Be regularly enrolled for the academic year 2023/2024 in the fourth or fifth year of a master's degree in the LM-13 class (Pharmacy or CTF) or a doctoral program.
• Six spots are available.
• Applicants must score a minimum of 30 points during the selection process. Master's students will have priority over doctoral students if they meet the eligibility criteria.
• At the time of application, candidates must demonstrate English proficiency at a B1/B2 level (CEFR). A B2 level will be considered a preferential criterion.0

Call Status: OPEN  
Deadline: February 23, 2026

Program Description

The University of Parma (Italy), in collaboration with the Université Paris-Saclay (France), the University of Helsinki (Finland), and University of Copenhagen (Danmark), offers students the opportunity to participate in a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP). The program has been officially approved by the EU under the ERASMUS+ 2021/2027 framework.

Now in its forth edition, the course is coordinated by the University of Helsinki, which will host the in-person sessions. In the current historical moment, human well-being and healthcare have taken center stage in public interest. The development of new technologies and the ability of small entrepreneurial entities to meet clinical/therapeutic needs necessitate dynamic teaching methodologies sensitive to the changing labor market.

The program's overarching goal is to facilitate the transition from student life to active and professional roles in the pharmaceutical and biotechnological fields. To achieve this, it aims to enhance skills such as initiative, self-confidence, and the effective application of students' knowledge, including fundamental (hard skills), transversal, and soft skills.

Participants will be required to connect these competencies and adopt an entrepreneurial mindset, managing the creation of a business while collaborating with team members. Positive emulation and pressure will stem from the competition between teams, each formed around a common project in the health sector.

👉 To participate in the selection process, it is necessary to complete the following form
https://forms.office.com/e/at10KWckDD

Project coordinator at UniPR:  Giovanni Sogari
Blended Intensive Program coordinated by: (University) University of Parma
Co-organising Universities: University of Angers (France), University of Extremadura (Spain), Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences (Poland)
Program Details:
•    Hosting University: University of Extremadura
•    In-presence period: 06/07/2026 to 10/07/2026
•    Virtual attendance period: 8/06/2026 - 30/09/2026
•    Language of instruction: English (B1 minimum level required)
•    Awarded ECTS credits: 6
•    Number of places available: 43 (23 for University of Angers, 5 for University of Extremadura, 5 for University of Parma, 5 for University of Wroclaw, 5 for other Universities) 
•    Admission conditions: To apply for this program, students must be regularly enrolled at one of the participating universities (EU GREEN partner universities). Applicants must be enrolled in a Bachelor, Master’s or PhD level degree.
At the time of the application submission, applicants must demonstrate proof of English language competence at the B1/B2 level (CEFR). This can be certified by the University of origin (see application procedures below). Level B2 will be a preferential criterion.
Participation to the program is open to students of the following disciplines and/or degree programmes:
University of Parma: Any discipline related with contents related to the BIP
University of Angers applicants: Any discipline related with contents related to the BIP
University of Extremadura applicants: Any discipline related with contents related to the BIP
Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences: Food Sciences and Environmental Sciences
Universitatea din Oradea: Any discipline related with contents related to the BIP
Atlantic Technological University: Any discipline related with contents related to the BIP
Otto-von Guericke Universität Magdeburg: Any discipline related with contents related to the BIP
Högskolan i Gävle: Any discipline related with contents related to the BIP
Universidade de Evora: Any discipline related with contents related to the BIP
Selected students must communicate their acceptance or withdrawal within 10 days from the publication of the selection results by contacting their university program coordinator. Selected students will be contacted with further instructions upon completion of the selection procedures.
•    Call for applications: OPEN
•    Application deadline: 17/04/2026
•    Link to the application form: https://eugreenalliance.eu/eu-green-blended-intensive-programmes-2026/food-sustainability/

Program description:
The world population has reached the mind-boggling number of 8 billion people. Food production is running into an increasing demand for quantity and quality, but agro-livestock activity and the processing industry have a heavy impact on the environment and on Earth’s health. With this BIP, we aim at making students conscious of the problems that must be tackled from different perspectives: sustainable and healthy diets, environmental protection and other related aspects. These will be discussed from an environmental, food production, business, consumers and legislative point of view. The program will be divided in five sections: the ecological, the food, the nutrition, the business/consumers, and the law modules. The ecological module supports students in understanding how the production of food may impact on environment and how to protect the environment while producing food. Students will be involved in case studies and a field trip presenting real case scenarios for which they will be asked to apply knowledge acquired during the BIP. The food module addresses the topics of sustainable food production integrating solutions for waste recovery, efficiency and sustainability of food production, food safety and food security, while also considering the environmental impact. The nutrition module will cover aspects related to the nutrition of food, including the relationship between healthy diet and sustainable consumption. Key issues of the business/consumers module will be the concept of transition in terms of potential contribution of innovative policies, localised production and distribution approaches, novel technologies and foods, and alternative consumption scenarios. The law module aims at familiarising participants with the holistic approach the European Union (EU) is undertaking towards food sustainability and novel foods regulation.
 

Students (both incoming and outgoing) can contact the following Referring Teachers:

• Marco Pieroni (Contact person for PHARMACEUTICAL/ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - COORDINATOR)
• Annalisa Bianchera (Contact person for HUMAN NUTRITION SCIENCES)
• Alice Rosi (Contact persono for HUMAN NUTRITION SCIENCES)
• Andrea Sartori (Contact person for GASTRONOMIC SCIENCES)
• Elena Bancalari (Contact person for FOOD TECHNOLOGY - First cycle degree Course)
• Barbara Prandi (Contact person for FOOD TECHNOLOGY - Second cycle degree course)
• Alessandra Rossi (Contact person for PHARMACEUTICAL TECHNOLOGY/ ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY/PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY)
• Ilaria Zanotti (Contact person for PHARMACOLOGY/BIOCHEMISTRY/PATHOLOGY/MICROBIOLOGY)
• Barbara Prandi (Contact person for FOOD SAFETY AND FOOD RISK MANAGEMENT)

The CMI faculty members are assisted in the activity of supporting the preparation of applications for the ERASMUS+ and OVERWORLD calls by two Tutors, who can be contacted via e-mail

• Drug Area: Ilaria Davolio
• Food Area: Emanuele Greco ; Arjun Mohanakumar

For a list of consortium universities, information on admission criteria and Erasmus+ calls, see the The International Dimension and The University's Single Call for European and International Mobility for study purposes of the University website.