From European Union student mobility to lockdown: “Virtual study mobility” in the COVID-19 era and a case study of transnational law in an international classroom delivered online

The chapter comprises a case study of the adaptation of an undergraduate law module, EU Criminal and Migration Law, necessitated by COVID-19. The short overseas study programme- field trip, incorporated in the module and shared by several European universities became, of necessity, an entirely online experience. Comprising a programme of lectures, workshops and presentations and placing considerable value on developing intercultural skills, the customary short study abroad programme could not take place in 2021 and was, therefore, replaced with a five-day online study week. The chapter surveys the literature, which consistently confirms key benefits of study abroad including and particularly for trips of short duration such as that delineated here. Ultimately, the authors of this chapter (the leaders of the module) seek to understand the extent to which, and the ways in which, an online experience can stand in for study abroad. The chapter aims to provide insights into how to design short term virtual study mobility, which as a result of COVID-19 is likely to become more widespread at least in the short term and possibly thereafter.