What is the first thing on your mind when you think of Erasmus? I'm no psychic, but I can tell that it's probably students gaining academic experiences and friends for life in various European countries. But is there more to one of the European Union's most successful programmes? With the new seven years of the programme ahead of us, let's see some general facts about the programme that will motivate you to consider it and apply!
1. Erasmus is for everyone!
Are you an educational institution of any profile? Elementary school, vocational institution, youth organization, adult learning centre? These organizations and institutions can find their place in one of the Key Actions of the Erasmus programme. What if you want to include a local authority, a Ministry or even a company? They can also find their place in certain types of these educational programmes. Erasmus is about international and cooperation between sectors and institutions of different profiles – all in the name of more quality education and capacity building
2. Inclusion is important
Erasmus takes pride in promoting equity, and it will do even more so in the next programme. Inclusion is broadly defined, and the participation of various participants from disadvantaged backgrounds and fewer opportunities will be encouraged. Disabilities, educational difficulties, social and geographical obstacles, health problems, etc., are all covered by the term "inclusion" in Erasmus. It will be even more relevant to show that either the project topic addresses these issues or that the participants' selection aims to accommodate their application and participation. The focus on inclusion will be followed by financial incentives to enable these partakers' involvement, and it can help institutions work on their inclusivity in general.
3. Out with formalities, in with the content
Some Erasmus projects have a bad reputation for being too demanding with paperwork and reporting, but one thing is for sure: the new programme will try to streamline all of these and focus on the content. The application process is already fairly simplified: budgets are easy to create, application forms are online and user-friendly, and a minimal amount of documentation is needed. It's all about your idea! Now, the reporting process will seemingly go in a similar direction: focus on results will prevail over bureaucracy. So, focus on your idea and give Erasmus a chance!
How about joining our free webinar 'Erasmus 2021-2027: An Introduction' on 12 April? Register here.
And if you would like to have more in-depth knowledge, join us on 16 April! Register here.
