The Project has 6 intellectual outputs (IOs). The first IO will provide the first systematic mapping of the status of digitization in the HEIs of the countries involved in the project. The primary purpose of the output is to develop a shared understanding of the existing situation in HEIs associated with digitalization, under the framework of Erasmus+ Programme. To develop the first systematic mapping within this context, a comprehensive survey will be conducted to all relevant stakeholders involved in the Erasmus Mobility Programme in HEIs. Through this survey, it will be possible to gather fresh data on the state of play, find out the strategic development areas and highlight the challenges in digital transformation. The current report concerns the first deliverable of this first intellectual output of the SUDTE project.

The first step in the project is this desk research which is prepared to set the framework and guide the consortium partners. It aims to assist the understanding of the current approaches in methods of handling the Erasmus Mobilities at the universities. This preliminary investigation will reveal a wider research and policy context and ensure that the mapping exercise is based on firm evidence. The main areas for this desk research were identified through the extensive discussions between the partner universities, the Turkish National Agency and the European University Foundation.

The third section of the Desk research presents the results of the interview that has been issued among the international relations offices of the Consortium Beneficiaries. The aim of this interview is to determine the means of Erasmus mobility management that the different HEIs may have. This would enable to highlight the possible challenges and issues that different software users have in the new digital era. The prepared questions form one of the vital sources on which it was prepared and an important point as the technical infrastructure of Erasmus Mobility management among the consortium Beneficiaries.