Since 2017 ABADIR has been a member of the Erasmus+ programme, the European Commission initiative that promotes the student mobility and of school and university staff through study and training opportunities in Europe.

After the numerous experiences gained over the years in the fields ofErasmus Student Mobility for Studies (which allows you to study for a semester or for a whole academic year at one of ABADIR's partner universities),Erasmus Student Mobility for Traineeship (which offers the possibility of doing an internship in a European country) and Staff Mobility for Teaching and for Training (reserved for teachers and staff members), this year we have experimented with a new form of mobility: the Short Mobility, hybrid, intensive and short-term mobility, lasting between 5 and 30 days, which integrates an in-person part and a virtual component.

From July 15 to July 19, 2024 we were at Matosinhos, in the district of Porto in Portugal, thanks to the collaboration with ESAD – Escola Superior de Artes e Design, with a group of 10 male and female students.

La Short Mobility was organized within the framework of the EMN Consortium – Erasmus Mobility Network (of which ABADIR is part together with the association non-profit Education in Progress – lead institution – and the universities of Catania and Messina) and financed with funds from the 2022 Call.

After a tour of the ESAD campus we stopped at esad—idea, the unit of Research and Development of the university. It deals with Design, Architecture, Graphics and Art and promotes the dissemination of knowledge developed in these disciplinary fields through a series of publications such as magazines, exhibition catalogues, essays and monographs, as well as through residencies for artists and designers.

House of Design it is instead the exhibition space of ESAD, the result of a partnership between esad—idea and Municipality of Matosinhos. Symbolic place of the project culture, organizes regularly exhibitions and events – with a particular focus on Portuguese design – and hosted the first Porto Design Biennial (we were there too with the project MIGRA-N-TI. Practical and Symbolic Experiments in Design).

Thanks to the synergy with the Câmara Municipal de Matosinhos, ESAD has also created a incubator Developed within the city's covered market, this is a center of innovation and creativity where students can bring their projects to life and start businesses.

The Erasmus+ Programme aims not only to enrich the educational curriculum, develop professional skills and strengthen cooperation between higher education institutions, but also to improve knowledge of the cultures and languages ​​of EU countries and to promote the sense of European citizenship. For this reason it was also important get in touch with the territory and local realities.

We were guests of the designer and art director Eduardo Aires, author – among various projects – ofvisual identity of the city of PortoHis studio deals with multidisciplinary projects, from brand identity to visual communication, including contemporary art, with a strong connection to the local area.

We also visited the Casa da Música designed by Rem Koolhaas, one of the most important concert halls built in the modern era, home to three different orchestras and numerous cultural events. A building with multifaceted architecture and stunning interiors, capable of hosting performances of every musical genre: from jazz to rock to opera, from electronic music to fado, from major international productions to small experimental projects.

Our Short Mobility ended on July 23rd with an online meeting (virtual component).

The following participated in the activities: Gabriele Alecci, Paola Chiarenza, Samuele Federico, Rachele La Bruna, Cristian Laganà, Leonardo Marletta, Gaia Patti, Yasmine Pellegrino, Aurora Piazza, and Daniele Pizzonia, with the support of Margherita dall'Oglio.