ERASMUS for Students – experiencing Europe from a new perspective
As a student of higher education, ERASMUS offers you the possibility to go abroad to both study and do a placement/traineeship. Your study or training programme abroad will be agreed before your departure by all parties involved to ensure you get recognition after your mobility period.
Have you ever wanted to get to know a different European culture, study at a foreign university, do a traineeship in an enterprise abroad, make new friends, learn another language? Then ERASMUS may be what you are looking for!By mid 2009, two million European students have experienced what it means to do an ERASMUS term in one of more than 4000 higher education institutions in 31 participating countries. These include all the EU member states as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Turkey. You can go on a student mobility period abroad both for studies and for a placement lasting from three to twelve months each with a combined total of 24 months.
ERASMUS student mobility is open to you if you are enrolled at least in your second year at your home institution while placements may be authorised from the first year. In addition, you must be a citizen of one the participating countries or be recognised as having an official status of refugee or stateless person or permanent resident according to national legislation. If you have been selected by your home university, you may be awarded a grant that contributes to additional costs for living abroad and travelling. But even when a grant has not been awarded the ERASMUS period has to be fully recognised by the home institution, or in the case of a placement, at least in the Diploma Supplement issued by the home institution. In all circumstances, tuition fees at the host university will be waived.
To participate in ERASMUS student mobility, you should first contact the international office of your home institution. The international office will inform you about possible host institutions and host enterprises, the selection procedure and financial support.
The ERASMUS programme promotes the learning of other European languages. Therefore, ERASMUS students can benefit from ERASMUS Intensive Language Courses (EILCs) in less widely used and taught languages in the host country. Students with special needs such as disabled ones may get extra funds to cover additional expenses related to their stay abroad.
Mobility for studying abroad differs in certain aspects from the mobility for work placements:
- Student mobility for studies: You can study at partner institutions of your home institution if both institutions have concluded an inter-institutional agreement in your field of study. ERASMUS students do not have to pay any fees abroad for tuition and access to library or laboratory facilities. An important document is the Learning Agreement, which sets out the agreed programme of courses to follow abroad. The Learning Agreement must be signed before leaving. You may want to have a look at the ERASMUS Student Charter, which spells out your rights and obligations as an ERASMUS student. During the academic year 2007/2008, some 162,700 students studied abroad thanks to ERASMUS.
- Student mobility for placements: Introduced into ERASMUS in 2007, student placements give you access to the world of business in Europe. For placements, you can go abroad to companies, research or training centres or any organisation including higher education institutions. A placement must be connected with your studies and it can be either optional or an integral part of the studies. Before leaving, a Training Agreement which sets out the tasks you will be responsible for must be signed. It will serve as a basis for the recognition of the placement by the home institution. This includes a quality commitment outlining the rights and obligations of all the parties. During the academic year 2007/2008, some 20,000 students did a placement/traineeship abroad thanks to ERASMUS.
Intensive Programmes (IP): In addition to longer-term study mobility, you may also participate in ERASMUS Intensive Programmes if your institution is involved in one of the more than 250 IPs that take place yearly throughout Europe. These are short study programmes, last between two and six weeks and are organised by at least three higher education institutions in different countries. An IP offers you a first-hand experience in studying in an international environment. Participation in different IPs is possible.
