The Erasmus Programme (EuRopean Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students[1]) is a European Union (EU) student exchange programme established in 1987.[2][3] Erasmus+, or Erasmus Plus, is the new programme combining all the EU's current schemes for education, training, youth and sport, which was started in January 2014.
The Erasmus Programme, together with a number of other independent programmes, was incorporated into the Socrates programme established by the European Commission in 1994. The Socrates programme ended on 31 December 1999 and was replaced with the Socrates II programme on 24 January 2000, which in turn was replaced by the Lifelong Learning Programme 2007–2013 on 1 January 2007.
By the time the Erasmus Programme was adopted in June 1987, the European Commission had been supporting pilot student exchanges for 6 years. It proposed the original Erasmus Programme in early 1986, but reaction from the then Member States varied: those with substantial exchange programmes of their own (essentially France, Germany and the United Kingdom) were broadly hostile; the remaining countries were broadly in favour. Exchanges between the Member States and the European Commission deteriorated, and the latter withdrew the proposal in early 1987 to protest against the inadequacy of the triennial budget proposed by some Member States.[1]
Professor Wolfgang F. Schwarz thank you for your valuable opinion and shared experience! Besides the Czech Republic and Poland, we in Bulgaria will also be happy to work with your university / with your students and professors from your university /. Technical University of Varna, for example, has excellent conditions for working on Erasmus +. We will be happy to work with you as well.
Professor Dhia Taain. I think the budget will never please all Erasmus + participants - for some it will be small for others will be acceptable .... Do not forget that the funds are given to train students and therefore not enough for comfortable life. But this program provides excellent opportunities for learning in an unfamiliar country, acquaintance with unknown culture, allowing young people to adapt more easily to the modern world and also improve their language skills.
Dear Professor Wolfgang F. Schwarz, I sincerely thank you for your reply! We will try to contact Mr. Svend Poller. With gratitude and respect Anton Georgiev
The Erasmus programme seems to have been a very successful programme, and it will be interesting to see how it is continued and supported in the near to longer term future. This is also a topic where core Erasmus coordinators could comment upon. Thanks and Happy New Year to everyone.
From my view point as a person with long experience as a Faculty co-ordinator at Burgas Free University and as a teacher with exchange experience in 11 partner Universities in all Europe the Erasmus Programe (now Plus) is very useful-both for students and for teachers.
The students have the unique opportunity to study 1-2 semesters in another cultural and social environment with covered from the Programe expenses, to extend their knowledge, to compare the educational systems and the teaching approach in state-owned and private universities, to work in teams with different nationalities and to socialize in foreign environment. This is the reason why some of our Erasmus students want to go again for 2nd time during their studying on bachelor degree.
For the teachers it is also a great experience to teach in a different cultural context, to meet foreign colleagues and discuss common problems and challenges.
From one point of view, Erasmus + programs are a great opportunity for the participant scientists to broaden their horizons sharing both knowledge and experience.