Erasmus – helping student mobility for 25 years

More and more students are choosing to study abroad with the Erasmus programme, which supports cooperation and mobility in higher education.

This year marks the programme's 25th anniversary. On 9 May, the programme will be celebrated with a European conference marking Erasmus' significant impact on Europe and European education.

HRH Princess Marie will open the conference, which will feature 66 Erasmus ambassadors, together with representatives of institutions, student organisations and other relevant higher education parties from across Europe discussing the future education programme.

Higher Education Minister Morten Østergaard is hosting the conference together with the European Commission.

– For Denmark and Europe, education and internationalisation is one of the most important paths to growth and prosperity. The Erasmus programme has great meaning for internationalisation in Denmark and Europe. Students obtain a global outlook and knowledge of other cultures and languages.  They expand their networks and form friendships – creating opportunities for the individual and boosting the higher education sector in general. It contributes to the exchange and development of ideas and skills, says Morten Østergaard.

Trends show that Danish students are keener than ever to go abroad. The latest figures for Danish students travelling abroad with Erasmus show an increase of nearly 15 per cent from 2009/2010 to 2010/2011. This is due in large part to the increase in the number of students taking an internship abroad.

In 2011, the European Commission proposed a new education programme Erasmus for All for the period 2014 to 2020. The proposal paves the way for a greater focus on education, and in particular, higher education. The proposed budget would be an increase of 70 per cent compared to the current education programmes.

– It is wonderful that even more will get the chance to use this popular programme with the Commission's proposal for Erasmus for All. It will contribute to development in the higher education sector. More international mobility will also increase the qualifications level among our graduates – benefiting the individual, who will be a more attractive employee, and society as a whole. It is an important development that must continue. Therefore as part of the Bologna Process, European countries have recently adopted a target of 20 per cent of European students taking part of their education abroad, says Morten Østergaard.

Fact box: Erasmus

• 33 European countries participate in the Erasmus programme, which has an annual budget of EUR 459 million. Nearly all Danish higher education institutions participate in the programme.
• In 2009/10, 213,000 European students travelled with the help of Erasmus. Of those, 2,400 were from Denmark, which also welcomed almost 6,200 international students the same year for study exchanges or internships as arranged through the programme.
• Europe Day falls on 9 May and Danish and international students will celebrate it and the anniversary of Erasmus with a music session on Frue Plads square in Copenhagen from 16:00.

In connection with the conference celebrating the Erasmus anniversary on 9 May, Minister Morten Østergaard and European Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou will hold a press conference at the University of Copenhagen, Frue Plads (Brandes Auditorium) at 10:45-11:15. All members of the media are welcome.

• Read more about Erasmus for All – at the EU Commission

For further information please contact:

Press officer Ingeborg Nielsen, tel: +45 2211 0200.

Danish Agency for Universities and Internationalisation – Chief Adviser Jacob Fuchs, tel: +45 7231 8630