ERASMUS partners in conversation: Psychology at the University of Wroclaw and University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (original) (raw)

I N THIS EDITION devoted to understanding how psychology is constructed and positioned in different countries we offer an account of a free-ranging discussion highlighting common features of psychology provision and that considers the differences between two departments and two distinct programmes. The discussion took place between ERASMUS partners during a Teacher Exchange visit to the University of Wroclaw, Poland, in March 2011. ERASMUS exchange programmes have been running since 1987 and offer students opportunities to travel and learn in universities across Europe where agreements are signed between member institutions. The European Higher Education Area looks to bring comparable academic standards and quality assurance to universities and thus enable greater movement between countries. In practice this means that students can have their work in one country recognised as being equivalent to that in another through the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). In 2010 over 22000 students visited the UK as part of an ERASMUS exchange (European Commission, 2011). Since 2006 there has been an agreement between the psychology departments in the