Blended Intensive Programmes

Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP) are short, intensive exchange programs that combine brief physical mobility with a mandatory virtual component. The physical mobility component must last between 5-30 days, while there is no specified duration for the virtual component.

A BIP may involve case-based or problem-based learning where multinational and multidisciplinary teams collaborate to address global challenges. These challenges could relate to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals or other societal issues affecting both regions, cities, or industry. 

A BIP should add value compared to existing educational offerings.

BIPs are a new initiative within the Erasmus program, and since January 2024, educational institutions in Denmark have been legally authorized to offer (and participate in) virtual exchange, including BIPs.

1. A BIP must be developed and organized by at least three higher education institutions (one coordinating institution, two participating institutions) from three EU member states and/or third countries associated with the program. You can find an overview of participating countries in Erasmus+.
2. There must be a minimum of 10 external Erasmus participants who will take part in the entire program, both the physical and virtual components. Participants from the coordinating institution are not counted because they are not "mobile" (they do not travel).
3. Participants in a BIP can be either students or staff.
4. You and your academic community can either be coordinators or partners in a BIP, with the coordinator typically hosting the physical component and receiving participants from the partners.
5. The physical component of a BIP must be between 5-30 days for participants (i.e., students or staff) and 2-30 days for instructors (with a minimum of 1 day for instructors from industry) and can only be offered in one location per BIP.
6. The virtual component of a BIP can take place before, during, or after the physical part, and there is no requirement for duration. The virtual part should facilitate collaborative online learning, knowledge exchange, and teamwork. It should bring participants together online to work simultaneously on tasks integrated into the overall program, aligned with the overarching learning objectives.
7. A BIP must offer at least 3 ECTS credits for students according to the Erasmus program guide. If Aarhus University coordinates a BIP, it must award a minimum of 5 ECTS credits because that is the minimum allowable ECTS weighting at Aarhus University.
8. A BIP must award credits and a transcript of records. 
9. A BIP is an exchange opportunity and must therefore be recognized as part of students' education. It must be pre-approved by the student's board of studies and exchanged for another course of equal weight. In principle, a BIP cannot be incorporated as a component of an existing course, as that would be "udlagt undervisning" ("teaching held outside AU") rather than an independent exchange program.
10. There must be an Erasmus exchange agreement between the partners in a BIP, sending and receiving participants.

As the coordinating part of a BIP at Aarhus University, you can apply for organizational support (OS) at €400 per external participant. A minimum of €4,000 can be granted for 10 participants, and a maximum of €8,000 for 20 external ("mobile") participants on Erasmus scholarships.

The organizational support for BIPs are a grant to cover the expenses incurred by the coordinating institution (typically as the host of the physical component). These expenses may include coordination, development, implementation, and follow-up of the programs, including both the physical and virtual activities.

Each year in February, the International Office (International Uddannelse) applies for both organizational support funds and Erasmus scholarship funds from the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science, in advance, for a funding period of 26 months.

The organizational support is transferred to the coordinating BIP institution after the program is completed, and after the coordinating institution has submitted a report to the International Office.

External participants eligible for Erasmus scholarships must apply to and receive payments from their home institution.

The coordinating academic community at AU is responsible for handling registrations and applications for admission to a BIP from both internal participants at AU and external participants from BIP partners.

A minimum of 10 external participants is required to trigger the organisational support. It is the responsibility of the external participants' home institution to report their external BIP participants through Beneficiary Module (the Erasmus+ reporting system), as it is always the home institution that allocates Erasmus+ scholarships.

The coordinating academic community at AU must ensure that the external participants' home institution is aware of their participation and that they intend to report the external participants (from their institution) in Beneficiary Module. If this reporting does not occur, there is a risk that the participants will not be associated with the BIP, and consequently, it may mean that the organisational support can not be disbursed.

In February 2024, the International Office (International Uddannelse) at Aarhus University applied for two BIPs (Blended Intensive Programmes) with the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science for the period from June 1, 2024, to July 31, 2026.

Academic communities at Aarhus University have the opportunity to express interest in one of these two BIPs on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please send an inquiry to AU's coordinator at the International Office, Steffen Madsen slm@au.dk, where you describe:

• The coordinating and participating parties in the BIP (contact person, educational institutions, and member countries)
• Responsible coordinator at AU (name, faculty, department, program, contact information)
• Program title and description
• Timeline and duration

We aim to respond to your inquiry as quickly as possible. You will receive confirmation regarding your application for the organisational support by June 2024.

In February 2025, a new application round will open, where the International Office will seek new funding for the period from June 1, 2025, to July 31, 2027.

Following the completion of a BIP program, the BIP coordinator is required to submit a report to the International Office using a form within MoveON.

Subsequently, the International Office forwards the reported data to the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science, and only then can the organizational support funds be disbursed.

Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP) are short, intensive exchange programs that combine brief physical mobility with a mandatory virtual component. The physical mobility component must last between 5-30 days, while there is no specified duration for the virtual component.

A BIP may involve case-based or problem-based learning where multinational and multidisciplinary teams collaborate to address global challenges. These challenges could relate to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals or other societal issues affecting both regions, cities, or industry. 

A BIP should add value compared to existing educational offerings.

BIPs are a new initiative within the Erasmus program, and since January 2024, educational institutions in Denmark have been legally authorized to offer (and participate in) virtual exchange, including BIPs.

1. A BIP must be developed and organized by at least three higher education institutions (one coordinating institution, two participating institutions) from three EU member states and/or third countries associated with the program. You can find an overview of participating countries in Erasmus+.
2. There must be a minimum of 10 external Erasmus participants who will take part in the entire program, both the physical and virtual components. Participants from the coordinating institution are not counted because they are not "mobile" (they do not travel).
3. Participants in a BIP can be either students or staff.
4. You and your academic community can either be coordinators or partners in a BIP, with the coordinator typically hosting the physical component and receiving participants from the partners.
5. The physical component of a BIP must be between 5-30 days for participants (i.e., students or staff) and 2-30 days for instructors (with a minimum of 1 day for instructors from industry) and can only be offered in one location per BIP.
6. The virtual component of a BIP can take place before, during, or after the physical part, and there is no requirement for duration. The virtual part should facilitate collaborative online learning, knowledge exchange, and teamwork. It should bring participants together online to work simultaneously on tasks integrated into the overall program, aligned with the overarching learning objectives.
7. A BIP must offer at least 3 ECTS credits for students according to the Erasmus program guide. If Aarhus University coordinates a BIP, it must award a minimum of 5 ECTS credits because that is the minimum allowable ECTS weighting at Aarhus University.
8. A BIP must award credits and a transcript of records. 
9. A BIP is an exchange opportunity and must therefore be recognized as part of students' education. It must be pre-approved by the student's board of studies and exchanged for another course of equal weight. In principle, a BIP cannot be incorporated as a component of an existing course, as that would be "udlagt undervisning" ("teaching held outside AU") rather than an independent exchange program.
10. There must be an Erasmus exchange agreement between the partners in a BIP, sending and receiving participants.

Students can apply for Erasmus+ grants for BIPs held abroad provided that a) AU is a partner or b) a Circle U. partner is coordinator. 

The grant is €79 per day for up to day 14, and €56 per day from day 14 to day 30.

For students with special needs, there is an opportunity to apply for a supplement "Fewer opportunities top-up" of €100 for a BIP lasting 5-14 days and €150 for a BIP lasting 15-30 days. Students can find more information on their study portal (under Study abroad > Other travel opportunities > BIP).

It is important to note that students are not guaranteed Erasmus scholarships (the same applies to semester exchanges). It depends on the availability of Erasmus funds.

Staff can learn more and apply for Erasmus+ grants on this page.

Staff (VIP and TAP) can find more information and apply for Erasmus+ scholarships on this page.

Students can apply for a grant for a BIP using a MoveON form on the Erasmus+ BIP portal: https://au.moveon4.de/form/662765f0132670f24f034a0a/eng 

Applications are ongoing but must be submitted no later than three months before the start date of the BIP.

If there are students traveling without a scholarship (zero grant), they still need to submit all the required Erasmus+ documentation.

Participants from Aarhus University (students or staff, VIP and TAP) in a BIP abroad must be registered on the Erasmus+ platform Beneficiary Module. It is a requirement that participants from AU are registered on the Erasmus+ platform so that the coordinating BIP partner reaches a participant count of at least 10 to be eligible for the disbursement of organizational support.

The International Office at Aarhus University ensures that participants are registered in the Erasmus+ platform after they have completed the application for Erasmus+ scholarship in MoveON.

Participants must be registered regardless of whether they are applying for a scholarship or not, to enable the coordinating institution in the BIP to reach the minimum requirement of 10 participants in order to receive organizational support for hosting the BIP.