The Erasmus Program

Background of the ERASMUS-Program

Name of the program

Erasmus, Desiderius, went by the name of Erasmus of Rotterdam, born in Rotterdam, 28th of October 1466 or 1469, died in Basel 12th of July 1536, most famous humanist, ground-breaking as a philologist as well as a church and culture critic. As a scholar second to none at that time, even crowned heads took it as an honour to be on a dialogue with him. (Cited from Brockhaus Enzyklopädie, E.A. Brockhaus, Wiesbaden)
 

History and goals of the program

On the 15th of July 1987 the Council of the European Community passed the ERASMUS-program. It was named after the aforementioned famous humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam. The program’s goals were and are to increase the student’s mobility, to allow for the unification of Europe and to give the program’s participants, the universities and ultimately the different countries a better understanding of each other through personal contacts.

These goals can also be taken from the Bologna Declaration from the 19th of June 1999 signed by 29 states: "The need to establish a more complete and far-reaching Europe, in particular building upon and strengthening its intellectual, cultural, social and scientific and technological dimensions."

Concrete Goals:

  • Increasing the number of students who attend university in another member state and complete study requirements there.
  • Expand and increase the cooperation between the universities across the borders.
  • Promotion of the mobility of professors and researchers.

Benefits for students

  • Studies abroad for up to one academic year are enabled within the framework of agreed cooperations between the University of Trier and its foreign partner universities.
  • The University of Trier is responsible for the selection of participants.
  • Tuition fees are not imposed.
  • Course credits obtained abroad generally are accepted or allowed for to the agreed extent. Therefore the ERASMUS representative of the Faculty IV is responsible.
  • A scholarship is granted to compensate for the additional costs of studies abroad.
  • The respective university usually helps with finding a flat and provides for social and course-related support of the participating students.