Coronavirus emergency / International Mobility

In light of a force majeure event such as the outbreak of Covid-19, the Erasmus+ INDIRE National Agency is responding to it through specific guidelines for both incoming and outgoing students and teachers, hence the reason for some compulsory procedures in order to safeguard the correct management of mobility suspensions, interruptions and cancellations due to a force majeure event caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 virus.

Please read as follows:

Any unpredictable occurrence of an event, which is outside the reasonable control of a party and which prevents that party from performing its obligations under the Agreement, hence not to be regarded as being caused by the negligence of the parties involved (such as a subcontractor, an affiliate and/or third parties receiving financial support). On the contrary, labour disputes, strikes, financial hardship, failure to either deliver or receive a service, defective goods, equipment or materials, delays in availability are not to be deemed force majeure events, unless they are a direct consequence of them.

With regard to the international mobility, Erasmus+ beneficiaries are expected to comply with the provisions referred to in the government decree signed by our Prime Minister in order to restrain the virus, whereby people have been ordered to stay at home and will have to be given special permission to travel if they have health reasons that cannot be postponed. People can only go out for food shopping and return home straight after. Until the end of the aforementioned decree, unless further restrictions are taken, no new Erasmus+ programme will be permitted to and from our country.

Overseas students and staff who are in Italy for the Erasmus+ programme and intend to return to their own home country they can do so as currently envisaged in the above-mentioned decree.

UNICT will always give you all the necessary information provided from Farnesina but if you do require any further assistance, please contact your embassy in the country of your residence.

Italian students and staff members who are currently abroad, please contact Unict (umi@unict.it) for any information. We strongly advise you to pay close attention to the instructions given by Farnesina (Health & Travel).

Erasmus students currently on the move

Student or staff members who are currently out of the country on Erasmus+ mobility may continue to stay in the host country if they cannot return, hence any extensions will be granted.

If staff members or teachers cannot deliver their related courses due to the outbreak of Covid-19, this shall not be regarded as an interruption of mobility period as long as it is certified by the host institution. Students and staff members who wish to temporarily interrupt their mobility and return to Italy, may of course resume it as soon as they can, within the deadline on May 31st, 2021 and, if necessary, until the end of the 2020 Call, provided that the University is authorized to do so by the National Agency (application procedure currently in progress) and, of course, there is already an agreement in place with the host partner.

Erasmus students and staff members not yet on the move

Students and staff members who were selected for the 2019 Call which had to be called off due to the outbreak of COVID-19, this may be postponed until May 31st, 2021 and, if necessary, until the end of 2020, provided that the University is authorized to do so by the National Agency and there is already an agreement in place with the host partner. Application procedure currently in progress.

In regard to newly graduated students who were selected for a Traineeship through the 2019 Call which had to be called off due to COVID-19, the Erasmus+ beneficiaries may postpone the programme until May 31st, 2021 and, if necessary, until end of 2020, provided that the University is authorized to do so by the National Agency and, of course, they already have an agreement in place with the host partner and no more than 12 months have elapsed since they graduated. Application procedure currently in progress.

All interruptions and/or suspensions because of a force majeure event such as the outbreak of COVID-19 must be authorized by the National Agency at the request of the beneficiary who is expected to write to umi@unict.it by using the online form available in the useful documents section.