SEPIE, the mouthpiece for Spanish universities throughout the world
The Spanish Service for the Internationalisation of Education, the mouthpiece for Spanish universities throughout the world
The Spanish Service for the Internationalisation of Education (SEPIE) is an autonomous body associated to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport, in charge of the management, dissemination, promotion and impact studies for the new Erasmus+ programme in the sphere of education and training (2014-2020), and the Lifelong Learning Programme (PAP)- (2007-2013 until 2016). It also coordinates and participates in national and international projects.
The SEPIE's functions include contributing to a greater internationalisation of the Spanish university system, highlighting its importance in all international spheres, promoting the educational and research offering of Spain's universities and research institutions abroad, contributing to improving the reception and stay of foreign students, teachers and researchers in Spain –and of Spaniards abroad. It is also instrumental in advancing towards the European higher education area and the Ibero-American knowledge area, and generates actions and procedures that enable the effective recruitment of foreign students, researchers and teachers for Spanish universities.
In 1 January 2015 the SEPIE took over the function previously carried out by Universidad.es, the public sector foundation for the international promotion of Spanish universities. It is now well established as an instrument of the Spanish university system for the promotion and dissemination abroad of the educational, research and teaching offer of Spanish universities.
The SEPIE is present at all the most important international higher education fairs, it manages grants and programmes aimed at promoting international academic mobility, and signs collaboration agreements with foreign institutions to encourage the mobility of a greater number of international students to Spanish universities –thereby in turn contributing to consolidating the Spain brand.
The people at SEPIE work actively to implement the strategy for the Internationalisation of Spanish Universities, and –in partnership with other ministerial departments and in permanent contact with the Spanish universities– to develop actions designed to eliminate any possible obstacles that might hinder the arrival and stay of international students, researchers and teachers, while doing everything possible to ensure they gain the maximum benefit from their stay in Spain.
The SEPIE's activities
To achieve its established objectives, its activities include:
1. Providing advice, support for mobility and reception of students, teachers and researchers who wish to spend a period of academic study in Spain.
2. Providing advice on educational internationalisation for Spanish and foreign institutions.
3. Compiling reports, studies and analyses on the international situation of Spanish education and its degree of internationalisation.
Portfolio of services
SEPIE also offers a series of services for governments, ministries and international institutions:
1. Centralised intermediation with Spanish universities as a whole (both public and private) for managing specific programmes.
2. Search for places in specific knowledge areas (sciences, humanities and so on) and in all the Spanish universities in the Spanish University System (SUE) according to the demands of the institution or government promoting the programme.
3. Processing of students' applications for admission to Spanish universities.
4. Sending of the admission letters issued by universities by mail/diplomatic pouch to the students' country of origin.
5. Contracting medical insurance for students, offering policies with extensive coverage and special discounts.
6. Generating action protocols for the application and granting of student visas, in coordination with the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.
7. Financial management of the programme's funds including actions such as the payment of enrolment fees in Spanish universities, monthly payment of grants, practical work experience in companies and institutions and so on.
8. Coordinating the proper reception of students through academic and social tutors, accommodation advice and so on.
9. Monitoring students' academic performance through reports sent to the institution or government promoting the programme.
10. Managing the announcements for grant renewal s.
11. Support and guidance to the programme's students for opening a bank account in Spain.
12. Legal guidance for the programme's students for obtaining the Study Stay Permit (NIE).
13. Arranging work experience at the end of the course, or summer courses for the programme's students.
14. Processing the issue, legalisation and sending of degrees (diplomas) to the students' country of origin.
Online presence and service
The website http://www.sepie.es/internacionalizacion.html is a tremendously useful tool for anyone planning an academic stay in Spain. International students and researchers will find both practical tips and guidance for studying and living in Spain, along with a complete map of Spanish universities, a course search engine, contact information for international students, and information on grants, research projects, practical work experience and volunteering.
SEPIE is also present on all the main social networks so students can keep up to date with the latest developments in the area of education in an immediate and much more interactive way, as they can submit their queries and questions in real time.
There are also other channels of contact available to enable students to seek advice at any time throughout the whole of the process of studying in Spain.
- Telephone: (+34) 91 377 83 84
- E-mail: info.uni@sepie.es