Satisfaction and intercultural competence during an Erasmus program: a case with industrial engineering undergraduate students at the university of Minho, Portugal

Abstract

Every year, European higher education institutions have numerous Erasmus opportunities for students who wish to embrace the experience of study abroad and intercultural exchange. The high involvement of the Portuguese University of Minho in the promotion of the Erasmus Program has resulted in many undergraduate and graduate students being interested in participating in the program. In light of this, the Erasmus coordination of the university’s Department of Production and Systems (DPS) has decided to develop a continuous improvement tool that brings together information from its Erasmus students in mobility “out” and shares individual experiences with future participants. To this end, three different online questionnaires were developed and applied before, during, and after the experience. Results from the second questionnaire applied during the Erasmus Program suggest difficulties with academic support from host professors and in relationships with host university staff. Despite that, results also suggest high levels of satisfaction and identification with the host university, positive host campus non-discrimination experiences, and good levels of intercultural competence, particularly in awareness. No significant relationships were identified considering respondent gender, type of class, or language of the class (only two exceptions were identified). The results show an overall positive “during Erasmus” experience.