Higher education

Sport provides millions of people with direct physical benefits if they practise it, and hours of pleasure and excitement if they are a spectator. Sadly, however, organised sport – from local amateur sports to the highest professional level – can be plagued by discrimination, abuse, and practices such as doping and match-fixing. Learn more about a new Masters programme preparing sport professionals to confront these issues.

There is an ever-increasing recognition that sport can play a major role in boosting the well-being of individuals and fostering socio-economic development. With this, comes a new approach to the way universities teach in this sports sector. Learn more about what the SPEED project has achieved!

Erasmus+ Strategic Partnerships can foster long-term cooperation to enhance language skills and sport partnerships. Learn how higher education institutions, relevant key players and the wider society have become involved in exciting projects!

30 years ago, one of the most ambitious and successful projects of the European Union was born. Today, you have a chance to shape its future! Join the discussion on the Erasmus+ Generation Online Meeting Point and contribute to the Erasmus+ Generation Declaration!

The European Language Label initiative, launched by the European Commission in 2002, rewards excellence and innovation in language learning. Erasmus+ supports the Label and wants to spread the word about inspiring winners.

In August, Erasmus+ Online Linguistic Support (OLS) hit the milestone of almost 1,000,000 users! Future updates promise bespoke access for Erasmus+ beneficiaries and brand new Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) tailor-made to the needs of participants going abroad. Check out these updates and learn about the results of other Erasmus+ projects focused on enhancing language skills.

The European Day of Languages, held yearly on 26 September, celebrates Europe’s linguistic diversity. Many Erasmus+ initiatives take part to honour the wide variety of languages spoken. Find out which public events are going on in your country this year!

When was the last time you were active? Have you awakened your volleyball or Frisbee skills with some friends in the park lately? How about going for a run after work or simply taking the stairs instead of the lift? Join us for the European Week of Sport, 23-29 September. It is a great opportunity to discover the many fun ways for all of us to be – and stay – active.

Did you know that 9 in 10 Erasmus+ participants say that their experience has helped improve their language skills? Or that there were more than 140 sports projects funded by Erasmus+ in 2016? Language learning and sports activities are key elements in promoting intercultural exchanges in the framework of the Erasmus+ programme. Through language learning, people experience cultural nuances, while physical activity and working towards common goals are great ice breakers.

Instead of throwing bottles in a landfill, Erasmus Mundus scholarship-winner and graduate Tateh Lehbib Braica has found an innovative way to build homes for refugees. Costing less than a mud hut, the Saharawi engineer creates shelters with the hope of easing the suffering of those who had to flee their homes.

With the global population set to reach almost 10 billion people by the middle of this century, making the best use of our finite resources and solving the challenges of over-population are high priority issues.

Much still needs to be done to preserve the Earth’s precious resources and higher education Institutions are at the forefront of this work. From encouraging staff and students to recycle to providing cleaner forms of transport, action is being taken to reduce their impact on the environment. Their next challenge is encouraging others to follow the same steps. Be one of them!

Does Erasmus+ improve skills and the chances of finding a job? How can we measure the impact of Erasmus+ on institutions? These are all questions tackled in the second Erasmus+ Impact Study in the field of higher education. Following the success of the first, a new study has been launched to discover the benefits of the mobility programme.

On 30 May, the Commission published a strategy paper known as 'Communication', setting out its perspective on how higher education needs to adapt to a changing world and help shape the Europe of the future. The new strategy identifies four main priority areas, and proposes specific EU-level activities to complement the work done by national authorities and by higher education institutions.

It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for: the new Erasmus+ application is now available to download! The app allows participants to easily track their progress before, during and after their mobility; to share and vote for their preferred tips to help others integrate into the local community; and to improve their language skills.

A blend of Slack, Facebook and LinkedIn has been created to encourage the Erasmus+ generation and key actors to have their say about the future of Europe and Erasmus+. Unveiled last month, the Erasmus+ Generation Online Meeting Point gives young people and Erasmus+ stakeholders a space to meet, debate, propose topics, identify problems and put forward solutions to collectively shape and build the future of the programme.

In line with the United Nations 2030 Sustainable development Goals, the Erasmus+ programme contributes to a greener, equitable and fair society. Ensuring that Europe can continue to grow and improve in a viable way is crucial for our future. This is why Erasmus+ supports education, training and volunteering for a sustainable economy.

To mark the 30th anniversary of the Erasmus Programme and to celebrate its success, a celebratory event was held in Strasbourg on June the 13th. Among debates on the future of the programme, an awards ceremony and an interactive exhibition, consensus for a larger budget was reached at the heart of the European Parliament's plenary session.

A recently completed project has shown how universities working across borders not only develop better programmes but they also give the graduates and social services practitioners a better understanding of the needs of the people they will support.

The "European Horizons" project is one of the most innovative and successful projects supported under the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet activities in the last few years. By sharing knowledge about the EU abroad, the project looks to build solidarity and democratic participation.