ERASMUS PROGRAMME

ERASMUS PROGRAMME

The Erasmus Programme is a European Union programme designed to encourage cooperation among European higher education institutions. It provides non-repayable financial support enabling higher education institutions to develop and implement joint projects, and to carry out short-term student and staff exchanges.

In addition, the programme encourages closer relations and cooperation between higher education institutions and the world of work, with the aim of developing higher education systems in line with labor market needs and increasing the employability of university graduates.

What Is the Erasmus Programme?

Who Was Erasmus?
Desiderius Erasmus (1465–1536) was a Dutch philosopher. As one of the foremost pioneers and representatives of the humanist movement that emerged with the Renaissance, Erasmus was chosen as a fitting namesake for the programme because of his contribution to uniting Europe under a shared framework of art and science, as well as his influence on the educational philosophy of his era. Having lived as a traveler across various European countries throughout his life, Erasmus's most notable work, "In Praise of Folly" (Moriæ Encomium), remains relevant today and is regarded as one of the most important works ever written against dogmatism.

What Is the Aim of the Programme?
The aim of the programme is to enhance the quality of higher education in Europe and to strengthen its European dimension. This objective can be summarized as making good practices from different European countries available to Europe as a whole. The Erasmus Programme pursues these aims by encouraging transnational cooperation among universities, facilitating the mutual exchange of students and educators across Europe, and contributing to the academic recognition of studies and qualifications, as well as to greater transparency, among participating countries.

Who Can Benefit from the Programme, and How?
The Erasmus Programme is open to higher education institutions in the 27 member states of the European Union that participate in the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP), as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway (members of the European Economic Area but not the EU), and Croatia and Türkiye (EU candidate countries).

Universities, institutes, academies, and similar institutions officially recognized as higher education institutions by the relevant national authorities may apply to the European Commission's Directorate-General for Education and Culture for an Erasmus University Charter (EUC). Once granted, students and academic staff of these institutions become eligible to benefit from the Erasmus Programme. An awarded EUC remains valid until the end of the current LLP period. Institutions may apply from the date the Commission opens applications each year, with November 1 as the final application deadline.

The Erasmus Programme is a European Union education programme aimed at encouraging multifaceted cooperation among higher education institutions across Europe. It provides non-repayable grant funding enabling institutions to jointly develop and implement projects, and to carry out exchanges of students, administrative staff, and academic staff. The programme takes its name from the Dutch scholar Erasmus (1469–1536), one of the leading figures of Renaissance Humanism, who himself lived and studied in various European countries both as a student and as an academic.

What the Erasmus Programme Is Not

1. The Erasmus Programme is not a "foreign language learning programme."
2. The Erasmus Programme is not, strictly speaking, a "scholarship" programme.
3. The Erasmus Programme is not a "diploma" programme.
4. The Erasmus Programme is not a "research" programme.

ERASMUS: ADVANTAGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

• Flexibility: Given the importance of flexibility in today's professional world, it is easy to see how a programme that fosters flexibility in education and learning helps prepare students for working life. The best preparation for a modern professional environment that constantly demands adaptation to new conditions is to experience that same adaptation during one's education.
• Adaptability: Developing adaptability is likewise an important part of preparing for professional life. Today, key determinants of success in the workplace include the ability to work in a foreign country, adapt to a different culture, and possess advanced foreign language skills. Even if you are certain you will remain in the same profession for a long time after graduation, you will still need to engage with different cultures within that profession — making Erasmus an invaluable opportunity to develop your social adaptability.
• Maturity: Living and working in another country, dealing with its administrative procedures and bureaucracy, filling out dozens of forms while becoming familiar with European bureaucracy, and successfully completing all these processes will boost your self-confidence — and the experiences you gain will make an invaluable contribution to your personal maturity.
• Career: Having become familiar with the concept of flexibility during your higher education, developed your adaptability, and reached the necessary level of maturity, the advantages you will bring into working life are clear. The experience you gain abroad will add new lines to your CV, enriching the professional path you embark on after graduation with new opportunities.

ERASMUS COORDINATORS

For more detailed information about the Erasmus Programme, please visit the T.C. Bozok University International Office website.