Each year Indiana University – BCSP offers exchange opportunities for eligible University of Bologna students at the following consortium member universities:

University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

Director: Dr. Andrea Ricci, ricci@bcspbologna.it
Exchange coordinator: Danielle Di Leo, dileo@bcspbologna.it

Indiana University-BCSP
Via Malcontenti, 3
40121 Bologna
Tel. 051 236486

The office is open Monday through Thursday from 10am to 5:30pm and Friday from 10 am to 1pm.

Students interested must apply through the University of Bologna Overseas exchange program.

Faculty Exchange Between the University of Bologna (UNIBO) and Indiana University’s Bologna Consortial Studies Program (BCSP)

The BCSP Agreement states: “Each academic year, two faculty members from the UNIBO and two faculty members from BCSP institutions may be exchanged for periods of up to two weeks. The exchanges will be based on a mutually agreed upon plan for professional development, teaching and research. Each faculty’s home institution is responsible for covering travel expenses (In US an estimated $1,500 for each outgoing professor; in Italy, an estimated € 1,200) while the host institution will cover the cost of housing incurred during the visit, depending on the availability of the necessary financial resources and administrative regulations of each institution.” Exchange faculty should not expect for all their on-site costs to be fully funded.

Each professor could utilize the opportunity primarily for didactic purposes and for personal research and to make or renew professional contacts, for any time period desired, up to two weeks during the host academic year. All applicants must be regular faculty at their home institution (i.e. not visiting or non-tenured). Faculty selected must have a demonstrated research involvement, which could be pursued relevantly at the host institution and should be competent in the language of the host country, though this may be waived by the host institution if not deemed essential for the project proposal.

All exchange professors must give at least one lecture/seminar on site, and submit a written report on the exchange experience to the Managing Director of BCSP. BCSP Faculty are expected to meet with the BCSP Resident Director and with the students from his/her home institution. UNIBO Faculty are expected to meet with the host institution study abroad and international scholars offices and with the students from UNIBO on that campus. If additional lectures/seminars are desired, some honorarium might be arranged between the host institution and the professor.

Final selection will be made by the AFORM office at the University of Bologna and requires a formal invitation from a host department (History, Italian Studies, Geology, etc.) where the course, lecture/seminar is to be given. Temporary office space will be provided if possible, but cannot be guaranteed.

Each professor (incoming or outgoing) must present a proposal which will be evaluated by a UNIBO Committee (nominated by the UNIBO Giunta di Ateneo) and eventually approved according to its academic validity and available funds at the time of the application.

We cannot insist on absolutely parallel payments or housing quality but should try to establish roughly similar conditions. For scholars traveling to the US, housing will be arranged by the host institution, either gratis or paid for from the funds provided by the host, up to $1,500 to cover housing for each incoming professor.

For scholars traveling to Italy, the University of Bologna provides accommodation in a U Bologna selected residence.

Flight Costs: In US an estimated $1,500 to cover airfare for each outgoing professor. In Italy, an estimated € 1,200. These amounts are covered by the professor’s home institution.

Guidelines for faculty at BCSP Institutions:

• Faculty at BCSP institutions interested in the faculty exchange should contact the BCSP representative on their campus as well as Jennifer Engel, Managing Director of BCSP (engeljl@iu.edu) to express their interest. Inquiries should be made at least six months in advance. The home institution should have an internal mechanism for putting forward its best candidate to BCSP.
• Interested faculty need to have a formal letter of invitation from a host department at U Bologna well in advance but it should be prepared after the publication of the Bando at the end of each calendar year. This letter should state that the individual will give a series of lectures /seminars at U Bologna.
• Once the contact between the US and the Italian faculty member has been started, the Italian professor will have to complete all the paperwork to apply for the bando. Applications are generally limited to 2 exchanges per year each way (but only 1 per year each way for any individual BCSP institution). Consideration will also be given to the balance of the exchange over time at each institution.
• Faculty members selected should plan on going to Italy on tourist visas if possible.
• Faculty selected should contact Ricci (ricci@bcspbologna.it) prior to arrival. The DIRI (Area Relazioni Internazionali) will facilitate the paperwork to bring the faculty scholar to Bologna.
• The study abroad office at the faculty member’s BCSP institution will cover airfare costs up to $1,500.  Faculty members should check with them for the appropriate way to arrange assistance with travel costs.
• Upon arrival in Italy the exchange professor should inform of their arrival Andrea Ricci, BCSP Resident Director. Housing will be in U Bologna faculty apartments.
• Faculty members in collaboration with the BCSP office should arrange a meeting with students from his/her institution at the U Bologna.
• The faculty member should write a report on the exchange experience to the Managing Director of BCSP upon return to the U.S.

Guidelines for U Bologna Faculty Members:

• U Bologna Faculty interested in the BCSP faculty exchange should contact Andrea Ricci and Maria Chiara Battistini (AFORM - Settori Accordi e Mobilità extra UE) to inquire about the process. Inquiries should be made after the publication of the Bando that is sent to the Presidi di Facoltà in the Fall and in the Spring of every calendar year. Applications should be sent to all’Ufficio Accordi del Settore Accordi e Mobilità Extra Europa di AFORM (aform.extraeuagreements@unibo.it). U Bologna Faculty will also be responsible for filling out paperwork for the Faculty member they may want to invite from BCSP Consortium institutions to participate in the exchange.
• U Bologna faculty need to have a formal letter of invitation from a host department at a BCSP institution. This letter should state that the individual will give one or a series of lectures/seminars at the BCSP institution. This invitation should be arranged by the faculty member who wishes to participate in the exchange.
• While the UNIBO Committee approves the project proposal (as specified on the bando) Ricci will check with the BCSP Managing Director if there are available slots for the exchange among the BCSP institutions. Decisions will be made regarding which invitations are the most compelling, generally limited to 2 exchanges per year each way (generally only 1 per year each way for any individual BCSP institution). Consideration will also be given to the balance of the exchange over time at each institution.
• Ricci will inform the BCSP representatives at the host universities as well as the Managing Director of BCSP with the names of the final candidates.
• The exchange professor should plan on coming to the U.S. with a J-1 Faculty/Researcher visa which will involve going to a U.S. Embassy, paying a $180 SEVIS fee (Student and Exchange Visitors Information System) in addition to a $130 Visa Processing fee. These fees must be paid by the exchange faculty member.
• The exchange professor should contact the international scholars office at the host BCSP institution as well as the study abroad office prior to arrival.  At some campuses, this may be the same office but at other institutions, these will be two separate offices.  These offices will facilitate the paperwork to bring the faculty scholar to the campus.
• U Bologna AFORM will cover airfare costs. Faculty members should check with Settore Accordi e Convenzioni of AFORM (Dr. Maria Grazia Battistini) for the appropriate way to arrange assistance with travel costs.
• Staff at the host BCSP institution should be able to give guidance in advance to the faculty member regarding temporary housing on campus as well as research/office space and e-mail and library access.
• Upon arrival in the U.S. the candidate should visit the international scholars office at the BCSP institution as well as the study abroad office.  Payment for housing and per diem is up to $1,500, depending on the length of stay. Each institution will handle this payment, as per their campus regulations. It may involve a combination of a per diem and reimbursement for housing receipts.
• The international offices at the host BCSP institution should arrange a meeting for the faculty member with the students from U Bologna at the BCSP institution.
• The UNIBO faculty member must write a final report on the exchange experience to be sent to the AFORM office upon return to Italy.

FAQs

1 – Can a foreign faculty or researcher submit his/her mobility project proposal directly to the offices of Bologna University?
No. The application for mobility projects can be submitted only by professors/researchers of the University of Bologna, who are responsible to prepare the documents required. The invitation of a foreign scholar must be completed by a deadline set by UNIBO.

2 – How can a foreign faculty / researcher get in contact with a colleague at the University of Bologna in order to receive a formal invitation?
If the faculty member does not already know some professor or researcher at the University of Bologna, he/she can try start a contact (e-mail-personal website- professional network) to create the connection that can develop into a formal invitation for teaching purposes.

3 – Is there a minimum or maximum length required for the exchange period?
No, but usually the average period of mobility vary from one to two weeks. Allocated funds don’t always allow for full refund of expenses for longer periods of stay.

4 – What kind of activity can be planned to be carried out during the exchange period in Bologna?
During the period of exchange the foreign faculty/researcher must carry out educational activities (lectures, seminars or conferences). Exchange proposals involving only research activities will not be accepted.

5 – What kind of expenses can be refunded? According to the BCSP-UNIBO agreement, the sending institution provides reimbursement for travel funds while the inviting institution provides the funds for the accommodation costs.