What does it mean “Erasmus”?

What do you know about history of the Programme?

The Erasmus exchange program is one of the greatest culture and character building programs that you can have in your whole life. The Erasmus Programme is a European Union (EU) student exchange programme established in 1987. Erasmus+, or Erasmus Plus, is the new programme combining all the EU's current schemes for education, training, youth and sport, which was started in January 2014.

The Erasmus Programme, together with a number of other independent programmes, was incorporated into the Socrates programme established by the European Commission in 1994. The Socrates programme ended on 31 December 1999 and was replaced with the Socrates II programme on 24 January 2000, which in turn was replaced by the Lifelong Learning Programme 2007–2013 on 1 January 2007.

Origins of the name

The programme is named after the Dutch philosopher Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam, known as an opponent of dogmatism, who lived and worked in many places in Europe to expand his knowledge and gain new insights, and who left his fortune to the University of Baselin Switzerland. At the same time, ERASMUS is a backronym meaning (E uropean R egion A ction S cheme for the M obility of U niversity S tudents).

Erasmus+ 2014–2020

Erasmus+ (2014-2020), also called Erasmus Plus, is the new 14.7 billion euro catch-all framework programme for education, training, youth and sport. The new Erasmus+ programme combines all the EU's current schemes for education, training, youth and sport, including the Lifelong Learning Programme (Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci, Comenius, Grundtvig), Youth in Action and five international co-operation programmes (Erasmus Mundus, Tempus, Alfa, Edulink and the programme for co-operation with industrialised countries). The Erasmus+ regulation was signed on 11 December 2013.

Where can I go on a Scholarship?

Put the verb in the correct tense

This __(be) up to the applicant to decide by researching Erasmus exchange partner intstitutions and suitability of the course on offer. It __ also (depend) on where you are wanting to go, with more scholarships available in places like the United Kingdom, Spain and France.

There __(be) over a thousand institutions that are partners in the Erasmus Exchange program __(base) throughout the world.

Students __(may) be awarded an Erasmus+ EU grant to help cover the travel and subsistence costs incurred in connection with their study period abroad.

Erasmus+ students - whether or not they __ (receive) an Erasmus+ EU grant - are exempted from paying fees for tuition, registration, examinations and access to laboratory and library facilities at the host institution.

The payment of any national grant or loan to outgoing students should be maintained during the study period abroad.

It's best to decide which partner institution __(suit) your needs as a student best before looking into Scholarships.

Limited Scholarships __(be) available, however often there are some that __(go) unawarded due to the lack of applicants. It's advised that you apply for every Scholarship that you are elible for as in some circumstances you may be the best candidate without thinking you are.

Details

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1. Students who join the Erasmus Programme study for a period of at least 2 months to an academic year.

2. Students pay extra tuition fees to the university that they visit.

Students who join the Erasmus Programme study at least 3 months or do an internship for a period of at least 2 months to an academic year in another European country. The Erasmus Programme guarantees that the period spent abroad is recognised by their university when they come back, as long as they abide by terms previously agreed. Switzerland has been suspended as a participant in the Erasmus programme as of 2015, following the popular vote to limit the immigration of EU citizens into Switzerland. As a consequence, Swiss students will not be able to apply for the programme and European students will not be able to spend time at a Swiss university under that programme.

A main part of the programme is that students do not pay extra tuition fees to the university that they visit. Students can also apply for an Erasmus grant to help cover the additional expense of living abroad. Students with disabilities can apply for an additional grant to cover extraordinary expenses.

Cultural phenomenon

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For many European students, the Erasmus Programme is their first time living and studying in another country. Hence, it has become a cultural phenomenon and is very popular among European students. The programme fosters learning and understanding of the host country. The Erasmus experience is considered both a time for learning as well as a chance to socialise.

Tutors are often keen for students of subjects such as Politics or International Relations to participate in Erasmus. It is seen as a great opportunity to study abroad while not having the expense of studying outside the European Union, since the grants available to Erasmus students are not available to those opting to leave the continent to study.

Some academics have speculated that former Erasmus students will prove to be a powerful force in creating a pan-European identity. The political scientist Stefan Wolff, for example, has argued that "Give it 15, 20 or 25 years, and Europe will be run by leaders with a completely different socialisation from those of today", referring to the so-called 'Erasmus generation'.