Higher education institutions in Germany are to receive more money from the EU Erasmus+ programme to fund international travel for students and staff. Two funding lines are providing a total of 197 million euros for the next two years. Funding is available for study and internship stays at all stages of study, including PhDs as well as teaching and continuing professional development stays by university staff. This has just been announced by the Nationale Agentur für Erasmus+ Hochschulzusammenarbeit im Deutschen Akademischen Austauschdienst (NA DAAD – National Agency for Erasmus+ HEI Cooperation within the German Academic Exchange Service).

Ob The first funding line ‘Mobility of Individuals’ provides German higher education institutions with around 166 million euros in the coming two years to support stays abroad by their students and staff, primarily in the 33 Erasmus programme countries. 
HEIs can also use up to 20 per cent of their budget to fund global stays outside these programme countries – such as in the United Kingdom, Switzerland or countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The higher education institutions are expected to be able to support some 53,000 people to spend a semester abroad or to undertake a stay for teaching or continuing professional development. This sees an increase in EU funds of around six per cent compared to last year, and all types of higher education institution in Germany can benefit from the approved funding lines.

The second funding line ‘Mobility with partner countries’ provides the higher education institutions with some 31 million euros to fund global mobility trips. This programme line primarily promotes international cooperation through the funding of stays by international students and HEI staff in Germany. The approved funds could enable a total of around 6,800 stays. This funding line therefore bolsters the higher education institutions via local internationalisation in particular.

Green travel and greater equal opportunity

The current Erasmus programme period (2021 to 2027) has set a priority on the expansion of equal opportunities and inclusion in all areas of mobility: the funding rates for first-time graduates and working students has thus been increased and students with children and those with disabilities receive extra money and support. The current programme period also intends to make a contribution to digital transformation in the higher education sector and to expand its sustainability. Students will therefore be able to make short Erasmus stays abroad in the future and to benefit from so-called blended-mobility: stays abroad that are a combination of digital and physical elements. The programme also offers financial incentives to promote the use of eco-friendly means of transport for inbound and outbound travel.

Erasmus+: Enriching lives, opening minds

Erasmus+ is the EU programme for education, training, youth and sport. It follows the motto ‘Enriching lives, opening minds’ to promote cooperation in all areas of education throughout Europe. Various funding lines give German higher education institutions the option of extending international exchange among their students and staff, establishing cooperation and partnership programmes and exploiting far-reaching institutional exchange among higher education institutions in Europe and worldwide. There are currently 33 programme countries that participate in Erasmus+: the 27 EU Member States, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Northern Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Turkey. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) acts as the national higher education authority for Erasmus+ in Germany. The DAAD is one of four national agencies that assume responsibility for implementing the Erasmus programme within higher education.