Other programs
FORTHEM Alliance innovative mobility programs, mobility outside the university curriculum
Several opportunities, offered by the FORTHEM Alliance and the Erasmus+ program in particular, enable students to enrich their international experience. For example, you can follow online programs, take part in civic engagement projects or develop your network of international contacts.
Mobility outside the university curriculum
There are many ways of enriching your international experience outside the university curriculum, including civic missions, volunteer work, internships for young graduates, and so on.
Some schemes may even be undertaken in complement to academic mobility.
Consult the resources published by the various organizations that summarize the different possibilities for international mobility to find the one that suits you best. Then contact the organization in charge of the mobility scheme in question to find out about the formalities involved.
- Volunteering in Europe.
- The Eurodyssey work placements for young graduates.
- Working Holiday
- Wwoofing, Helpx: unpaid work for a few hours a day in exchange for free accommodation and food.
- French International Internship Program.
- French Ministry of Education and Youth website Discover the world.
- Bourgogne-Franche-Comté regional platform for international mobility and their guide Partir à l’étranger (Go abroad).
- Worldinternships in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, for young graduates.
- Euro-working brochure by Eurodesk.
- Office franco-québécois pour la jeunesse.
- Office franco-allemand pour la jeunesse.
Search also for similar organizations in your own country which may provide possibilities and guidance for the country you would like to go.
- EURES: the European portal on mobility and employment.
- EPSO: become a European civil servant.
- Czech emploi: a pilot project run by the French Embassy in the Czech Republic to help young French speakers find their first job in the Czech Republic.
- France Travail – international mobility (French Employment Office for International Work).
- France Diplomatie: becoming an international civil servant.
- We also advise you to search for similar information and resources provided by your own country.
See also our section on finding an internship abroad, which may be useful in your job search.
Don’t forget that it’s also possible to apply for a gap semester or gap year at the UBE – between your bachelor’s and master’s degrees, for example – in order to undertake international mobility outside your university course.
To find out more about the procedure for requesting a gap year, go to the section on Gap Year. Think about which international mobility project you would like to carry out and submit your application according to the procedure described.
You don’t need to contact the International Office of the UBE in advance, as they will receive your application by default and give their opinion as to whether or not it is authorized. We cannot help you plan your gap year abroad, as it will not be part of your studies at the UBE, but you can take inspiration from the examples of international mobility given above.
- Read Dylan’s account of his 10-month internship at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute laboratory (University of Cambridge) as part of his gap year in 2017/2018.
Would you like to study abroad on an individual basis, i.e., outside an exchange program? In this case it’s a personal project in which the Université Bourgogne Europe or other organizations in France can’t necessarily support you.
We advise you to:
- find the university where you want to study;
- check their website for information on the admission procedures for individual international students (degree-seeking students/international non-exchange students…);
- if necessary, contact the international relations office of the university in question and/or the academic and/or administrative head of the course program you wish to enroll in for details of the admissions procedures.
Studying abroad on an individual basis can be very enriching for your career, since you’ll be awarded a diploma from the foreign university at the end of your studies, but there are several important points to bear in mind – hence the need to start the process at least a year in advance:
- an individual application is much more complex and selective than an exchange application;
- application documents will undoubtedly have to be translated into the language of instruction of the university where you will be studying;
- you’ll probably have to take special language tests before you can apply;
- in some cases, you’ll need to obtain a visa or residence permit in order to study in the country in question, as well as a work permit if you have to complete an internship as part of your studies;
- tuition fees at foreign universities can be much higher than in France. It’s important to plan financially for your trip abroad. Scholarships for exchange students are not available to individual students. Check with the embassy of the country where you wish to study, and possibly with the embassy of your country of origin situated in the host country, to find out whether scholarships exist for individual students.
Exemples
- Fulbright scholarships from the Franco-American Commission
- REFEB French Network for Brazilian Studies scholarships
- Scholarships for mobility in Germany
- Eole Excellence Scholarships from the Franco-Dutch Network
- Vulcanus program in Japan
- Canon Foundation scholarships
These scholarships, offered by various organizations or governments, can sometimes finance a study or internship mobility program as part of your UBE university course, in addition to the usual financial aid.
