About the Erasmus + Program: The origins

Activities in the field of education and training play a fundamental role when it comes to providing people of all ages with the necessary means to actively participate in the labor market and in society in general. It is why 33 years ago, in 1987, on the initiative of European student association AEGEE and with special support from the governments of France and Spain, the European Region;Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students was launched, and whose acronym, ERASMUS, coincided with the Latin name of the humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam. Thus, the foundation was laid to allow international mobility exchanges of both students and teachers, between higher education institutions in Europe.

When the program was approved through a Decision of the European Council of June 15, 1987, only twelve countries participated, but what began as a contact between a few universities, has become one of the best-known European mobility programs.

As of 2014, the Erasmus program was included in the Erasmus + program, whose time frame will last until the end of 2020. This program had a budget of more than 14.7 billion euros and currently offers study opportunities, acquisition of experience and volunteering to more than 4 million people.

About Erasmus+

Erasmus+ is the European Union program for education, training, youth and sport for the period 2014-2020. In the field of Education and Training, it offers opportunities in all educational sectors: Higher Education, Professional Training, School Education and Adult Education.

The Erasmus + Program offers opportunities to:

  • Higher Education and Vocational Training students who wish to study, train or obtain work experience abroad (including mobility to and from Europe in the field of Higher Education).
  • Secondary Education students who wish to study abroad.
  • Teachers, trainers, administrative staff who wish to teach, train and achieve new professional perspectives abroad, or share their experience (including mobility to and from Europe in the field of Higher Education).
  • Organisations or institutions in the fields of education and training that wish to cooperate and exchange good practices in order to innovate and modernise.
  • Companies and Higher Education institutions to collaborate and strengthen the business potential, both of staff and students, as well as to help organisations improve their response to the needs of the labour market.
  • Organisations or institutions in the fields of education and training with the aim of contributing to the reform of policies in the field of education and training.

The goals Erasmus+

  • Improve the level of basic skills and competences, especially taking into account their relevance in the labour market and their contribution to the cohesion of society. This is intended to increase mobility opportunities for learning purposes and strengthen cooperation between the world of education and training and the world of work.
  • Promote improvements in quality, excellence in innovation and internationalisation in education and training institutions, in particular by promoting transnational cooperation.
  • Improve the teaching and learning of languages ​​and promote the wide linguistic diversity of the European Union and intercultural awareness.
  • Promote the emergence and awareness of a European area of ​​lifelong learning, designed to support national policy reforms and the modernisation of education and training systems, in particular by promoting political cooperation and a better use of transparency tools and recognition of the EU, as well as the dissemination of good practices.
  • Promote the international dimension of education and training, in particular through cooperation between the program and the institutions of partner countries in the field of Vocational Training and Higher Education. This will increase the attractiveness of European Higher Education institutions and support the external action of the European Union, including its development objectives, by promoting mobility and cooperation between the program and the Higher Education institutions of the partner countries and capacity development envisaged in partner countries.

Key actions

The Erasmus + Program is integrated with 3 Key Actions with opportunities for all people and in all educational sectors (School Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Adult Education):

  • Mobility of people for learning reasons (Key Action 1 - KA1).
  • Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices (Key Action 2 - KA2): Strategic Associations.
  • Policy reform of education, training and youth systems (Key Action 3 - KA3).

More detailed information on ERASMUS+ is available on the European Commission website.