Higher education

Active citizenship is about engaging with society. From local to national or international activities, promoting active citizenship and solidarity has been at the heart of the Erasmus programme from the beginning. Erasmus+ funds strategic partnerships projects that support social engagement of higher education institutions. These activities enhance the intercultural and civic competences of students.

Erasmus+ alumni around the world are combining their talents for social projects. Through REALISE IT, members of the Erasmus Mundus Alumni Association and the OCEANS Network create innovative projects, dealing with issues such as refugee integration. Meanwhile, Erasmus Student Network's sections across Europe work day-to-day to enrich local communities through international volunteers who learn to understand society’s problems and to work on solutions in the SocialErasmus project.

Looking for information on how to manage your Erasmus+ projects? Want to know more about the Mobility Tool+? Check out the new guide for beneficiaries, now available online.

Tired of scrolling through long, PDF-based applications? Erasmus+ applications forms are moving from an old, PDF-based format to a web format. The first pilot to be filled in fully online will be the Youth application forms. Web forms for other sectors are coming soon!

This month, we are delighted to let you in on a little secret… The Erasmus+ app is nearly ready! While we don't want to give too much away just yet, let's just say that it is sure to enhance the mobility experience for generations to come. But before the big release date, scheduled for mid-June, we need your help…

The European Solidarity Corps is starting to take shape! Around 28,000 young people have registered, hundreds of organisations have used the portal, several thousand registered young people have been contacted and dozens of placement offers have been made. After these achievements, we are excited to find out what’s next in store.

There are many ways in which the Erasmus+ programme can get you socially engaged, whether by volunteering, participating in trainings, through exchange or by getting bright new ideas.

Erasmus+ Knowledge Alliances are innovative European projects bringing Higher Education Institutions and businesses together to work on highly relevant issues for both parties. These projects aim to strengthen Europe's capacity to innovate and to support the modernisation of Europe's higher education systems. Want to learn more or interested in applying for funding?

Culinary innovation, consumer behaviour, and packaging technology are just some of the ingredients of FIPDes, a master programme that is dedicated to training a new generation of international food professionals. Its graduates receive a holistic view of this vital sector of industry. This joint master degree equips students with the talent and vision required to create sound, sustainable and healthy food solutions for future generations. It is just one of 100 Erasmus Mundus joint master degrees funded by the Erasmus+ programme.

Spin-Off Lean Acceleration is ambitious – just like the students it aims to help. The project plans to "become the bridge between Europe and Latin America" that supports the modernisation of Higher Education Institutions. This inspiring project is funded by Erasmus+ as a Capacity Building project in Higher Education.

Providing students with real-life work experience is one of the main objectives of Erasmus+. Merging theory with practice should soon become the norm for most graduates and post-graduates in Europe, especially for those disciplines where work-based learning is not commonly used. This is precisely why the Erasmus+ programme supports traineeships abroad for students and recent graduates as well as strategic partnership projects that foster cooperation between the worlds of work and education.

Even though studying at university provides students with the skills needed to get a job, young people are often thrown in at the deep end when they enter the world of work. While they gain skills and knowledge, they are not necessarily prepared for the reality of the labour market. Erasmus+ is changing this by inviting business experts to teach at universities.

Want to sign up more than 1 person to use our services? There is now a new helpful feature in the "Participant Portal" that allows up to 10 additional users to be added. This means there will be constant access to an organisation's data even if one of the users leaves your organisation.

What is it that makes an idea fit for European funding? Check out our online platform where you can have a look at all projects that have been accepted for funding and make sure that your idea is innovative enough! The platform is updated on a daily basis and projects are shared there to inspire you and help you find new partners. Why not take a look?

Around 30 500 applications were received by National Agencies before the closing date of 2nd February 2017 for the first round of calls for mobility of individuals. The number of participants has been significantly rising since the launch of the Erasmus+ Programme in 2014.

Erasmus+ opens the door to a world of employment opportunities. Whether you find a job in a new country or sector, or build upon knowledge relevant to your field, Erasmus+ is proven to improve your prospects for a successful career. In fact, mobile higher education students are twice as likely to have a job one year after graduation compared to their non-mobile peers. Volunteering also boosts participants' chances of finding a job, as 75% of employers value such experience.

How we demonstrate the positive outcomes of student and staff mobility supported by Erasmus+ and help higher education institutions to improve the quality of mobility? How can institutions receiving Erasmus+ funding know where they stand with their projects and budgets? Mobility Tool+, a web-based support system, is the answer!

Check-out the toolkit were you will find a wide variety of resources including infographics, factsheets and videos. All are available to anyone who would like to promote the programme, organise events or debates and generally contribute to the future of the Erasmus+ programme! You can also create a direct link from your website to the Erasmus+ website by using the widget!

Celebrating 30 years of Erasmus is not the only European accomplishment we’re honouring this year. In March we’re also celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. These two anniversaries provide us with the perfect opportunity to reflect on the importance of openness, mutual understanding, and solidarity.

One of the newest possibilities offered by Mobility Tool+ to Higher Education Institutions involved in Erasmus+ is to export Participant Reports of incoming students and staff. Once you have accessed their feedback at the end of their mobility, your organisation will be better placed to improve further its welcome of exchange students, or to share good practices with your peers!