Erasmus + or Erasmus Plus is the European program combining all current EU programs for education, training, youth and sport. The duration of the program is 7 years (2021-2027) and builds on the success of the program in the period 2014-2020, to strengthen its efforts to increase the opportunities offered to more participants and to a wider range of organizations, focusing on its qualitative impact and contributing to more inclusive and cohesive, greener and digitally fit societies. Erasmus + includes 3 Key Actions and the Jean Monnet Program. Specifically:
- Key Action 1 (KA 1) is about Mobility of Individuals
- Key Action 2 (KA 2) is about Cooperation among Organizations and Institutions
- Key Action 3 (KA 3) is about Support to Policy Development and Cooperation
- The Jean Monnet Program relates to excellence in teaching and research in the context of European Studies across the world
The priorities of the new Erasmus + Program focus on Inclusion and Diversity, Digital Transformation, Active Citizenship and Participation in Democratic Life, as well as Environmental Protection and Fight against Climate Change. These priorities have also been affected and highlighted by the new reality created by the pandemic. The important characteristics of the program today, from the Protection, Health and Safety of Participants, Multilingualism, Internationalization, Recognition and Validation of Skills and Qualifications to Communicating Projects and their Results to Maximize Impact, and supporting Open Access approaches to Teaching Materials and Research / Data, seem more relevant than ever.
The name “Erasmus” was given to the first EU student mobility program in 1987 to honor the Dutch Renaissance philosopher Erasmus. Erasmus was characterized as a great humanist, who lived and worked in various places in Europe where he expanded his knowledge and experiences. When he died, he left his fortune to the University of Basle in Switzerland. Due to his personality and based on the above characteristics, his journeys all around Europe, the emphasis he put on humanity and his support for education, his name was fairly given to the most successful program of the European Commission. Additionally, the acronym E R A S M U S corresponds to: European Region Action Scheme for Mobility of University Students.
TSCC belongs to the Institutions of Higher Education in Europe that hold the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE) and can participate in all Key Actions of the program. The mobilities in which the TSCC can participate are both “Mobility between Program Countries” and “International Mobility”.