Erasmus programme is a European Union education and training programme which aims to increase the quality of higher education in Europe. For this purpose, the Programme promotes the co-operations between higher education institutions in Europe. The partnerships and mobility activities are financially supported by the Programme.

KTU has been participating within the framework of the LLP (Life Learning Programme) Erasmus since 2003-2004 academic year.

Who is Erasmus? 

The Programme is named after the Dutch philosopher Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam, known as an opponent of dogmatism, who lived and worked in many places in Europe to expand his knowledge and gain new insights, and who left his fortune to the University of Basel in Switzerland. At the same time, ERASMUS is a backronym meaning European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students.

What is Erasmus ?

The aim of the Erasmus Program is to increase the quality of the Higher Education in Europe, and strengthen the European Dimension in the Higher Education in Europe. Actually, Erasmus is mostly related with the "mobility of university students". Erasmus is a program established to link universities in the member states of the European Union. Erasmus is one of the major branches of the EU- Lifelong Learning Program (LLP) that covers undergraduate and graduate studies in universities. The key objectives of the LLP Program, determined by the LLP Bureau in Brussels, are:

• To achieve a significant increase in student and staff mobility between European Higher Education Institutions,

 • To promote broad and lasting inter-institutional co-operation,

• To contribute to the concept of a people's Europe,

• To contribute to the economic and social development of Europe through the creation of a significant number of higher education graduates with direct experience of intra- European cooperation.

Who can apply as an Erasmus Student?

ERASMUS student mobility for studies takes place between the home and host institution, which are linked through a previously concluded "inter-institutional agreements".

• Both institutions must be holders of an ERASMUS University Charter.
• The student must be a citizen of one the participating countries or be recognised as having an official status of refugee or stateless person or permanent resident according to national legislation.
• The student must be registered at a higher education institution which holds an ERASMUS University Charter and be enrolled in higher education studies leading to a recognised degree or other recognised tertiary level qualification up to and including the level of doctorate.
• The student must be enrolled at least in the second year of higher education studies.
• At least the sending or the receiving country must be an EU Member State.

Detailed information about Erasmus programme can be found on the EU Commission's Lifelong Learning Programme web page linked below:

http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-programme/doc80_en.htm