Erasmus
What are its Aims, and Why is the Programme Named Erasmus+?
The Erasmus+ Programme, which will be implemented between 2014 and 2020, aims to equip individuals with new skills, strengthen their personal development, and increase their employment opportunities, regardless of their age or educational background. The Erasmus+ Programme covers the fields of education, training, youth, and sport. The main reason for naming the programme Erasmus+ is to benefit from the name recognition of the previous Erasmus programme, which is more widely known to the public and strongly associated with studying abroad and European cooperation.
What is Changing with the Erasmus+ Programme?
The Erasmus+ Programme does not feature major differences from the current programme in terms of its basic aims and activities. However, some changes are foreseen to increase the existing programme's efficiency, make it easier to implement, and achieve a simpler structure. The innovations brought by the Erasmus+ Programme can be listed as follows:
The Comenius, Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci, and Grundtvig programmes, which were carried out under the Lifelong Learning Programmes, along with the Youth Programme and 5 international cooperation programmes (including Erasmus Mundus, Tempus, Alfa, Edulink, and the Industrialised Countries Cooperation Programme), are now brought together under the Erasmus+ Programme title. This single programme simplifies application rules and procedures, putting an end to the fragmented structure and duplications.
A grant guarantee scheme is being implemented to support students who have completed their master's degrees in acquiring the necessary skills to continue their education abroad and to work in knowledge-intensive jobs.
The Cooperation with Industrialised Countries in the Field of Higher Education (Bilateral Cooperation), which was implemented in the previous period, maintains its presence among the central projects of the Erasmus+ Programme, now including the field of youth. However, the scope of countries with which cooperation can be established is expanding (For detailed information on eligible countries for cooperation, please consult the Erasmus+ Programme Guide).
It provides the opportunity to create large-scale partnerships to increase creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship between higher education institutions and workplaces by introducing new teaching methods (Knowledge Alliances), and partnerships between education and training institutions/organisations to increase employability through innovative vocational education and training methods for sectors (Sector Skills Alliances).
Mobility and partnership opportunities are significantly strengthened in the new period, and grant opportunities are increased, especially for higher education/vocational training students, teachers, trainers, and youth wor
kers.
Which Areas Will the Erasmus+ Programme Support?
The activities supported under the Erasmus+ Programme are primarily grouped under 3 Key Actions (KA) and 2 Special Actions: "Key Action 1: Learning Mobility of Individuals" forms the part relevant to higher education.
KEY ACTION 1: LEARNING MOBILITY OF INDIVIDUALS
The Erasmus+ Programme provides learning opportunities for over 5 million people, within and/or outside the EU borders. Activities for individual learning mobility can take the following forms:
Education
Study/Teaching
Traineeship
Professional development
Non-formal learning-based youth activities
Volunteering
In the field of higher education, beneficiaries in programme countries will have the opportunity to study and teach in higher education institutions within Europe or anywhere else in the world. In this way, the Erasmus+ Programme will increase interest in higher education in Europe and simultaneously create a favourable environment for the development of higher education in non-European countries.
For detailed information on the subject, please visit the website: