Erasmus programme

ERASMUS programme forms a major part of the European Union Lifelong Learning Programme  2007–2013. It is the operational framework for the European Commission's initiatives in higher education.

The aim of ERASMUS programme is to encourage and support academic mobility of higher education students and teachers within the European Union, the European Economic Area countries of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway as well as Switzerland and EU candidate countries (such as Turkey).

Students who join ERASMUS programme study for a period of 3 months to an academic year in another European country. The ERASMUS programme guarantees that the period spent abroad is recognised by their institution when they come back as long as they abide by terms previously agreed.

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.

For many European students, ERASMUS programme offers the chance of living in a foreign country for the first time. For this reason, it has become sort of a cultural phenomenon, and is very popular among European students. The programme fosters not only learning and understanding of the host country, but also a sense of community among students from different countries. The ERASMUS experience is considered both a time for learning as well as a chance to socialize.