Erasmus+ supports short-term teaching stays at partner universities in programme countries that hold a valid Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE). General information about the ECHE is available on the DAAD website.
A prerequisite is an existing Inter-Institutional Agreement (bilateral agreement) between HCU Hamburg and the host university, which explicitly provides for staff mobility for teaching purposes.
You can find the current list of HCU partner universities here.
Teaching activities can take various forms, including seminars, lectures, tutorials, colloquia, and supervision of doctoral candidates. Please note that the physical presence of the teaching staff is required.
The following groups are eligible for funding, for example:
- Professors and lecturers with a contractual relationship to the sending institution
- Research staff involved in teaching
- Doctoral candidates engaged in teaching
Teaching stays within the framework of Erasmus+ make an important contribution to the internationalisation of HCU Hamburg. They enhance the intercultural and international competencies of teaching staff and facilitate the exchange of subject-specific knowledge and teaching methods in a European context. Furthermore, they provide the opportunity to gain teaching experience in an international environment and to actively participate in the development of cross-border networks and collaborative projects.
The International Office highly encourages you to use your teaching stay to inform students at the host university about the possibility of studying at HCU Hamburg. If you require informational materials about HCU for this purpose, please contact the International Office.
Participants receive financial support for travel and subsistence costs (Erasmus+ Grant). The amount of the grant depends on the destination country and the duration of the stay. Grant rates are determined by the European Commission and vary according to the country category of the partner country.
Travel costs are calculated using the Distance Calculator. The departure point is always the participant’s home institution.
The financial support for sustainable transport aims to increase the number of mobilities using environmentally friendly means of transport and to reduce the ecological footprint of the Erasmus+ programme. The “Green Travel” funding consists of an increased travel grant (depending on the distance band) and can additionally be combined with funding for up to two extra travel days. An overview of the “Green Travel” funding measures can be found here.
If the standard travel grant according to the distance band does not cover at least 70 % of the actual costs of sustainable travel, participants can be reimbursed for 80 % of the real costs of environmentally friendly travel. If exceptional costs for more expensive journeys are approved, they replace the standard travel support. The application must be justified by the applicant and approved by the National Agency. This requires some lead time. Therefore, we ask that supporting documents be submitted at least two months before departure to hcu-staff-mobility(at)vw.hcu-hamburg.de.
- Additional Support for Higher Education Staff with Disabilities or Chronic Illnesses:
Staff at higher education institutions with a disability or chronic illness, who are funded for an Erasmus+ mobility, can apply through their home institution for reimbursement of additional actual costs upon submission of the appropriate request (real cost application). Further information can be found here.
- Additional Support for Participants Undertaking Mobility with Children:
Staff at higher education institutions who are funded for an Erasmus+ mobility and travel abroad with their child/children can, from Project 2022 onwards, apply through their home institution for reimbursement of additional actual costs upon submission of the appropriate request (real cost application). Further information can be found here.
Detailed information is available in the current Criteria Catalogue for Additional Financial Support.
- Personnel mobility in programme countries is funded, provided that the destination country is neither the country of the sending higher education institution nor the main country of residence of the individual concerned.
- Teaching assignments within Europe last a minimum of 2 days and a maximum of 60 days (travel days not included).
- The required teaching workload per stay is 8 hours for the first week of the stay. If the mobility period lasts longer than one week, the minimum number of teaching hours for an incomplete week is calculated proportionally to the duration of that incomplete week.
- If teaching activities are combined with training and professional development, the required teaching workload is reduced to 4 hours per week.
Further information is available from the DAAD at www.eu.daad.de/sta
Applications for teaching mobility (STA) can be submitted on an ongoing basis as long as funding is available; there are no fixed application deadlines. However, applications should be submitted at least two months before the planned start of travel.
Applications for an Erasmus grant for a short-term teaching assignment must be submitted via the Mobility-Online database application. Please register in Mobility-Online and complete the online application form for an international stay. When applying, please use only your HCU email address (e.g. xxx@hcu-hamburg.de). Applications cannot be processed without the official HCU email address. If you are already registered in Mobility-Online, the system will automatically recognize your details, provided you enter the same personal data as in your previous application. Please complete your personal data or check it for accuracy and completeness if you have already been registered in the system.
To apply for STA funding, an invitation or confirmation from the host institution must be uploaded in Mobility-Online. The invitation letter should include information on the host institution, the period and purpose of the mobility, including the teaching workload in hours.
Please answer all questions regarding your planned stay in Mobility-Online as thoroughly as possible. Your responses will form part of the Mobility Agreement and the Grant Agreement.
Selection for Erasmus+ staff mobility for teaching purposes (STA) is carried out by the International Office as part of an assessment of the applications received. Funding decisions are made on the basis of the following criteria:
- Academic relevance and institutional benefit (HCU & partner institution)
- Contribution to the internationalisation of teaching and studies
- Expected benefits for the travelling teaching staff member and the students
- Sustainability / follow-up activities
Staff members who are participating in an Erasmus mobility programme for the first time receive additional points during the evaluation process. In principle, repeated funding is possible.
The aim is to fund staff members from as many different departments and areas as possible.
Severely disabled persons and persons with equivalent status are given priority over applicants without statutory preference who have equal qualifications.
An Erasmus+ grant does not provide any insurance cover. Neither the European Commission, the NA DAAD nor HafenCity University Hamburg (HCU) accept any liability for damages arising in connection with Erasmus+ stays abroad, in particular for illness, death, accidents, personal injury or loss of or damage to property. Statutory accident insurance cover remains in place.
Under the Grant Agreement, grant recipients commit to obtaining adequate insurance cover themselves, in particular:
- Health insurance
In the case of inter-European mobility, the participant’s national health insurance provides basic cover during their stay in another EU country via the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This cover may not be sufficient for all situations, e.g. in the event of return transport or a specific medical procedure; supplementary private health insurance is therefore recommended. For mobility outside Europe, private international health insurance must be arranged.
- Liability insurance
Participants are generally covered for occupational risks through their employer’s liability or accident insurance whilst on approved business trips. For private risks, private liability insurance is recommended.
- Accident insurance and cover for serious illnesses
Statutory accident insurance cover applies to work-related risks during approved business trips. However, this does not replace personal responsibility for other risks, particularly private risks abroad. Participants should consider taking out supplementary cover for accidents and serious illnesses (including total or partial incapacity to work).
- Term life insurance
This can cover return transport in the event of death, in particular.
- Optional: Insurance against loss or theft of documents, travel tickets and luggage
In many cases, this cover may be included as an add-on to travel insurance, but should be taken out separately if necessary.
- Optional: Travel insurance
As the HCU is only permitted to use funds for trips that have actually taken place, we are unfortunately unable to cover costs incurred in advance for a trip that has not been undertaken. Please bear this in mind when planning your trip and, if necessary, take out suitable travel cancellation insurance. Travel insurance can cover additional risks, e.g. trip cancellation, trip interruption or loss of luggage.
It is possible to be included in the DAAD group insurance scheme , which offers comprehensive cover. This includes health, liability and accident insurance (including repatriation), tariff 720. Further information is available from the DAAD, Insurance Office 0228/882 – 8770. Applications can be submitted via My DAAD.
Note: The above information is provided for general guidance only and is subject to change. All participants are responsible for ensuring they have adequate insurance cover.
Please note that you must declare the lump sums listed in the Grant Agreement as income in your tax return. The actual costs incurred may be claimed as work-related expenses. The Grant Agreement serves as proof of income. In addition, please keep all receipts for your expenses carefully so that you can provide evidence in the event of any queries from the tax authorities.
Material costs (e.g. printing costs) cannot be covered from the mobility funds.
Any changes (e.g. shortening of the mobility period, changes to arrival or departure dates, place of departure [outbound journey], or postponements) must be reported immediately by email to hcu-staff-mobility(at)vw.hcu-hamburg.de
There is no legal entitlement to funding. Approval is subject to the provision and availability of funds.
Cancellation costs cannot be reimbursed. We recommend taking out travel cancellation insurance.
Please book travel and accommodation only once the “Mobility Agreement for Teaching” has been signed by all three parties and the Grant Agreement has been signed by both parties. Any bookings made before these documents are in place are at your own risk. Please also note that in the event of short-notice cancellation, any lump sums already paid may have to be reclaimed.
If private holidays are combined with the Erasmus+ mobility, the costs for these periods must be borne by the mobile participants themselves.
Please observe the current travel advice and conditions issued by the German Federal Foreign Office. If interested, you are advised to register in the crisis preparedness list “ELEFAND” (Electronic Registration of Germans Abroad).
Fact Sheet Erasmus+ Staff Mobility – Teaching Assignment (STA)
Checklist for Erasmus+ Staff Mobility - Teaching Assignment (STA)
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