ERASMUS CHARTER FOR HIGHER EDUCATION 2021-2027

Erasmus+ is the EU's program to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe. 

The new cycle of the Erasmus+ program 2021-2027, places a strong focus on social inclusion, green and digital transitions, and promoting young people’s participation in democratic life. It supports priorities and activities set out in the European Education Area, Digital Education Action Plan and the European Skills Agenda. The program also supports the European Pillar of Social Rights, implements the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027, develops the European dimension in sport.

Erasmus+ offers mobility and cooperation opportunities in

• higher education
• vocational education and training
• school education (including early childhood education and care)
• adult education
• youth
• and sport

Detailed information on these opportunities, including eligibility criteria, is available in the Erasmus+ Program Guide.

Learning mobility opportunities aim to encourage the mobility of students, staff, trainees, apprentices, youth workers and young people.

The role of the organisations in this process is to organise these opportunities for individuals. 

The benefits for the organisations include an increased capacity to operate at an international level, improved management skills, access to more funding opportunities and projects, increased ability to prepare, manage, and follow-up projects, a more attractive portfolio of opportunities for students and staff at participating organisations, the opportunity to develop innovative projects with partners from around the world.

Key Action 1 – Learning Mobility of Individuals, is a part of the Erasmus+ program dealing with academic (students and staff) mobility and exchange. This model of international cooperation was established in previous, similar programs, such as Erasmus Mundus.

Erasmus+ program offers the opportunity for students (at Bachelor, Master and PhD levels) to take part in student exchanges and to study abroad and/or to take part in a traineeship. Also, Erasmus+ program provides the opportunity for staff working at all levels of education, both in teaching and non-teaching capacities.

This Action supports international mobility projects between EU Member States and third countries associated to the Program (mobility within Europe) and between EU Member States and third countries associated to the Program and third countries not associated to the Program (in this case International mobility is the most commonly used term).

КА131 – This Action supports international mobility projects between EU Member States and third countries associated to the Program. Higher education institutions from Serbia can apply for projects through which they can provide scholarship schemes for their exchange of students, academic and administrative staff with higher education institutions from the EU countries. Please, visit the page in the menu on the left for more information about KA131 - “EU Member States and third countries associated to the Program” - within the Erasmus+ Mobility framework.

КА171 - This Action supports international mobility projects between Program and Partner Countries. These projects have a bilateral character – the exchange is performed between a Program country and a Partner country, and may be established at the level of the University, for all its members, or only one Faculty/Institute, depending on the academic offer and interests of the HE institutions involved. Please, visit the page in the menu on the left for more information about KA171 - “Partner countries” - within the Erasmus+ Mobility framework.

For more detailed information, you may visit: https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-plus/actions/key-action-1-learning-mobility-individuals_en

What is the opportunity?

Erasmus+ offers the opportunity for higher education institutions to send students and staff abroad to study, teach, or train at participating institutions, as well as to participate in a traineeship.

They can also host incoming students and staff from abroad. 

How does it work?

Organisations wanting to take part in these opportunities can either apply as an individual higher education institution, or as part of a "national mobility consortium", a group of organisations managed by a single coordinating organisation.

These organisations fall into one or more of the four main categories:

• Applicant Organisations - responsible for applying for and managing the project, but can also act as a sending organisation
• Sending Organisations - in charge of selecting students/staff to send abroad or to manage incoming students and staff from partner countries, as well as invited staff from enterprises,
• Receiving Organisations - responsible for receiving students/staff from abroad and offering a study/traineeship programme,
• Intermediary Organisations - as a partner in a mobility consortium, intermediaries can be involved in supporting and facilitating the work of a consortium.

Higher education institutions established in a Programme country must hold an Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE) whether applying individually or as part of a consortium.

Consortia intending to take part must also hold a Mobility Consortium Accreditation.

Other organisations from Programme countries can also participate, but do not need an ECHE.

Although organisations from Partner countries can participate in mobility activities, Partner country higher education institutions are not eligible for an ECHE. Instead, they commit themselves to the principles of the charter and make the support they intend to offer to participants clear in the Inter-Institutional Agreement.

After receiving an ECHE and/or mobility consortium accreditation, the applicant organisations can apply for EU funding.

What else should you know?

The study activities offered to students have to be part of the student's study programme, while the activities offered to student trainees should also be integrated into the trainee's study programme. Both sending and receiving organisations, as well as the student, must sign a Learning Agreement before the start of the activities, outlining:

• the educational components to be carried out by the student at the receiving institution,
• the educational components to be replaced in the student's degree at the Sending Institution upon successful completion of the study programme abroad, and
• the rights and obligations of the various parties.

The activities of staff sent abroad should be agreed on, in advance, by both the individual's sending organisation and the receiving organisation.

As above, all parties to the mobility activity must sign a Mobility Agreement, outlining:

• the target learning outcomes,
• the provisions for formal recognition (for example through ECTS), and
• the rights and obligations of the various parties.

In addition to this, any organisation that has signed the ECHE must also provide the necessary support to participants, including linguistic preparation. For long-term mobility activities beyond two months, the European Commission provides the Online Linguistic Support tool to assess and improve language competences.

How do you apply?

The application process for mobility projects is managed by the relevant National Agency (NA) on an annual basis. For individual organisations this is the NA in the country where the organisation is based, and for a consortium this is the NA where the consortium coordinator is based.

A call for proposals for the ECHE is held on an annual basis, and is managed by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency. The award of an ECHE is valid for the duration of the programme.

A call for consortium accreditation is published on an annual basis by the National Agencies. A consortium accreditation is valid for three years. Organisations can request accreditation and grants at the same time.

Find out more

The Erasmus+ Programme Guide is the main source of information for these opportunities; detailed information on the award criteria, eligibility criteria, and funding rules can be found in Section B.

Organisations interested in mobility projects between Programme and Partner countries should consult the international credit mobility handbook and the frequently asked questions on international credit mobility.

The National Agencies or, for Partner countries, National Offices (where available) can provide further information, or you can contact the European Commission.

The ESAA - Erasmus+ Student and Alumni Association offers Erasmus+ students and alumni a dynamic forum for networking, professional development and intercultural exchange.

The Erasmus+ programme is managed by the European Commission (the EU's executive body), the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), a series of National Agencies in Programme countries, and a series of National Offices in some Partner countries.

The European Commission

The European Commission handles the overall management of the programme, including

• managing the budget
• setting the priorities
• identifying the programme's targets and criteria
• monitoring and guiding the implementation
• follow-up and evaluation of the programme

The European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) of the European Commission is in charge of managing the "centralised" elements of the programme, including

• promoting the programme and opportunities
• launching calls for proposals
• reviewing grant requests
• contracting and monitoring projects
• communicating on results

The EACEA and Commission also carry out studies and research, as well as managing and financing the other bodies and networks supported by Erasmus+.

Detailed information on the management of Erasmus+ is available in the Annual Work Programmes published by the European Commission.

National Agencies

In the EU countries, the Commission entrusts much of the management of Erasmus+ to National Agencies. Outside the EU, and specifically in the field of higher education, this role is filled by the National Erasmus+ Offices.

The Commission provides funding to the National Agencies, who use these funds to manage the programme's "decentralised" activities. This allows the Agencies to adapt the programme to suit their national education, training, and youth systems.

The National Agencies are responsible for

• providing information on the programme
• reviewing applications submitted in their country
• monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the programme in their country
• supporting people and organisations taking part in Erasmus+
• promoting the programme and its activities at a local and national level

These Agencies also support beneficiaries of the programme from the application stage to the end of a project. They also work with beneficiaries and other organisations to support EU policy in areas supported by the programme.

National Erasmus+ Offices

Outside the EU, in the partner countries participating in Erasmus+ in the area of higher education, much of the work of the National Agencies is carried out by National Erasmus+Offices. These offices are the focal point for anyone intending to take part in Erasmus+, and are responsible for

• providing information on the programme and who can take part
• advising and assisting potential applicants
• monitoring Erasmus+ projects
• supporting policy dialogue, studies, and events
• maintaining contacts with experts and local authorities
• monitoring policy developments

Other bodies

There are various other organisations that also support the programme, including

• Eurydice Network – provides information on national education policies and systems
• eTwinning – an collaborative online platform for school staff that also provides tools, support, and services
• EPALE – the Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe is a community for staff and professionals involved in the sector
• Network of Higher Education Reform Experts – supports policy development and dialogue, communicating on Erasmus+ projects, and providing training and counselling in partner countries
• Euroguidance – a network of national resource and information centres for practitioners and policymakers active in education and employment
• National Academic Recognition Information Centres (NARIC) – provides information on the recognition of diplomas and periods of study abroad, as well as advice on studying abroad
• European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training – improves vocational education and training (VET) through effective policy-making
• SALTO-Youth Resource Centres – provides youth work, training and networking resources and activities, supporting Erasmus+ projects, and hosting an Erasmus+ partner-finding tool
• Eurodesk network – offers information services to young people on education, training, and youth opportunities
• Youth Wiki – provides information on national structures, policies and actions supporting young people