ERASMUS+ FACILITATES THE FREE CIRCULATION OF SkILLS 31 » My advice to students who are thinking about studying or interning abroad would be: Just go for it! elements, you can build skills for both the labour market and for life that can make you more adaptable to new developments and challenges. Also, Erasmus+ definitely facili tates the free circulation of skills by encour aging mobility across the EU and beyond. A few years ago, we conducted a systematic literature review on the benefits of transna tional cooperation in higher education and found consistent evidence that such expe riences increase individuals’ employability at home and abroad, foreign language pro ficiency, and likelihood of future mobility. Still, I think we should not think of Eras mus+, or education more generally, in this strictly utilitarian manner that frames them as tools primarily intended for serving eco nomic and labour market needs. If we lose sight of more humanistic ideals (e.g., dem ocratic citizenship and individual develop ment), our education will be impoverished. Also, it is important that we do not make lifelong learning an individual responsibility to remain »employable«, as this focus can obscure broader structural issues like job insecurity, wage stagnation, discrimination or unequal access to education. An important principle of the Erasmus+ programme is that it is for everyone. What advice would you give to students who are thinking about studying or interning abroad but are still unsure? I think it is important to disentangle the prin ciple and the advice. On the one hand, it is important that the programme design, implementation and funding of Erasmus+ lives up to the prin ciple that it is for everyone. International student mobility, including in the Erasmus+ programme, continues to be quite an elit ist phenomenon with students from disad vantaged socioeconomic backgrounds being significantly underrepresented. We have to ensure that the eligibility criteria, selection process, financial support, and credit rec ognition procedures do not introduce un necessary hurdles that deter students from backgrounds that are already underrepre sented in higher education from taking up a mobility period. On the other hand, my advice to students who are thinking about studying or interning abroad would be: Just go for it! That said, I completely understand the hesitation, espe cially for those who may not have a strong safety net or don’t know anyone who has done something similar. But based on my experience, I can truly say it will be a mem orable and enriching journey, both profes sionally and personally. It will expand your sense of what’s possible and give you confi dence in your abilities. If you’re looking for a more structured or shorterterm option be fore you commit to an Erasmus mobility peri od, I also recommend checking whether your university is part of a European University Alliance. These alliances often offer flexible and hybrid mobility opportunities (e.g., sum mer schools, hackathons and joint courses/ microcredentials) that can be a great start ing point for a future Erasmus+ experience. Thank you very much for talking to us. Das Interview führte Susanne Reich, Referentin Kommunikation in der NA DAAD S E U L A V D N A S L L I K S S U K O F M I