What is the Erasmus Program?

The Erasmus program is a European Union initiative designed to encourage multi-faceted cooperation among higher education institutions across Europe. It provides non-refundable financial support (grants) to enable higher education institutions to develop and implement joint projects, as well as to facilitate short-term student and academic staff mobility. The program is named after the Dutch scholar Erasmus (1469–1536), a significant figure of the Renaissance Humanism who spent time in various European countries as both a student and an academic.

What is the Purpose of the Program?

The primary goal of the Erasmus program is to enhance the quality of higher education in Europe and strengthen its European dimension. This objective can be summarized as making best practices from various European countries accessible to the entire continent. The program aims to achieve these goals by promoting international cooperation between universities, facilitating the reciprocal exchange of students and educators, and contributing to the transparency and academic recognition of studies and degrees obtained across participating countries. Through the mobility opportunities it offers, the program also serves to break down prejudices and foster mutual understanding among European peoples within higher education communities.

How Are Bilateral Agreements Established?

To become an Erasmus student, a bilateral agreement must exist between the respective universities/departments. Erasmus exchanges cannot be conducted with universities or departments in EU countries that lack an active bilateral agreement. Bilateral agreements are based on the premise that a specific number of students can participate in an exchange for a set period, as agreed upon by the authorized representatives of the respective departments.

Departmental Erasmus ECTS coordinators initiate bilateral agreements by corresponding with their counterparts at universities abroad and report the potential partners interested in establishing an agreement with their department to the ITU European Union Center (EUC) Erasmus Office. The ITU EUC Erasmus Office then finalizes the formal procedures for the agreement between the two universities/departments. While students themselves cannot formalize these agreements, they can assist university officials in identifying potential partners. Students may facilitate initial communication through their contacts abroad or suggest universities where they believe there is high potential for an agreement to the Erasmus coordinators. However, please note that no agreement can be personalized or intended for a specific student, even if that student helped lay the groundwork for the partnership. Every agreement serves as an institutional framework for exchange and is open to the benefit of all students.

Erasmus Documents:

For detailed information and required documents, please visit:
https://lee.itu.edu.tr/en/students/erasmus-time