Erasmus+ is a programme of high added value and strengthening it is vital to Europe’s competitiveness and global standing.

Continuing the success of Erasmus+, through improvement of the programme and increasing its budget under the EU’s next long-term budget is of key importance for the goals set out in the Competitiveness Compass and Union of Skills. Doing so will also foster the global visibility and attractiveness of Europe’s higher education and research sector.

This report analyses the responses of 500 higher education institutions in 49 Erasmus+ programme and partner countries to a survey on their experience with the programme. As such, it provides a comprehensive evidence base and concrete recommendations to inform the further enhancement of the programme, including the ongoing development of the next generation of Erasmus+, to be launched in 2028.

The report’s findings attest to the overall success of the programme. For virtually all higher education institutions, European and international mobility and collaboration are indispensable. Moreover, Erasmus+ has proven its resilience and usefulness during crises, as well as its ability to support the collective exploration of emerging practices, in terms of virtual and blended exchanges. 

EUA’s survey results also find that the integrated structure and key actions established in 2014, which put European and international programmes under the Erasmus+ umbrella, have been a success. They also demonstrate some improvement compared to the previous 2014-2020 programme, for example in terms of addressing policy priorities, with a clear impact on equity, diversity and inclusion, and funding, due to the budget enhancement in 2021. Nonetheless, there is scope for improvement regarding simplification, which calls for capacity building at the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), and the improvement of digital platforms and tools.

In addition, the report provides input on how Erasmus+ can better establish synergies among cooperation projects, as well as how it can better assess and demonstrate the impact of funded projects. The report also shares some findings on the European Universities alliances – which are strongly welcomed by the sector, but also encounter challenges in terms of an overload of policy goals and insufficient funding.

Use and impact of the Erasmus+ programme (2021-27) at higher education institutions

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