Former participants express their gratitude
The Erasmus program allows students to continue their studies in a European Union (EU) country. "It was my greatest adventure," says Méxane, a former Erasmus student in Rome. Elena adds: "I will never forget Erasmus". Lens remembers his one-year stay in Poland “Erasmus changed my life: I met lots of friends from different countries. Thank you Erasmus". For Roberta: “I improved my English, I matured, I made friends. Thanks Erasmus!" Many politicians, who also took part in Erasmus, share their memories. EU Parliamentary assistant in Paris, Maxime Bigot, tweeted the following: “Living Erasmus in Sweden helped me become independent, the discover the world from another perspective, make new friends of all nationalities united for life by the same experience." He also pointed out his appreciation that by 2027, 10 million young people will be able to discover Europe through this program.
Erasmus+ to reach everyone
Erasmus has known tremendous success since its creation. In 2014, the program expanded to Erasmus+. Today, it is open to job seekers, apprentices, trainees, young graduates, college and high school students. On January 7, the French news channel France 2 gave the floor to two apprentices who had moved to Gothenburg, Sweden. Louis is an apprentice cook, Nicolas is an apprentice pastry chef. Sylvain Marron, who hosts Nicolas in his pastry shop, arrived in Sweden 20 years ago. He encourages young Europeans to follow Nicolas' steps: "We have the possibility of travelling through Europe through a well-established structure, along with the financial means. It's a real chance for young people." Nicolas acknowledges that it would not have been possible without the scholarship, though. He receives 1,500 euros per month from Erasmus and Pôle Emploi in France. This scholarship is adapted to the standard of living in Sweden. Jeff Lambert, Louis' employer, has a broader vision. He regrets that only 10% of Erasmus students are apprentices and pleads for schools to structure themselves as a "European platform". "Today, students do not know where to look. And we, the companies, we don't know where to look for them", he says. The two apprentices agree that without Erasmus they would never have considered going abroad. On social media, Ricardo, a student, talks about his excitement to leave. "I am finally moving to Germany after eight months of perseverance. This is going to be a real challenge. I encourage all those who dream of discovering the world to dare and take the leap".
Since the creation of Erasmus, 12 million people have benefited from it. The program is currently aiming at 10 million beneficiaries for the period 2021-2027. The European Commission has, in fact, increased the Erasmus budget by 80% for this period (compared to the previous period, 2014-2020).
Inclusion and diversity
On the occasion of the anniversary, 35 former participants and 35 who had never done it shared their views through a forum. Rémi, one of the participants, pointed out that: “Not everyone knows about their right to take part in this program to move abroad". European media also highlighted Tristan's incredible experience. For this engineering student, Erasmus has been a real challenge. He spent six months in a Swedish university in an electric wheelchair. To the French newspaper Le Monde, he says the following: "A year before departure, I started looking for caregivers in Sweden, proper accommodation, considering the additional cost (around 40,000 euros) and collect the necessary supporting documents. Being assisted by a carer is an additional cost for Tristan. Still, the salary for his profession is three times higher in Sweden than in France. The General Council handles part of the costs. Tristan confides that Sweden is a strategic choice for him. "Since it's a bike-friendly country, what is suitable for a bicycle is also suitable for a chair." However, the young student hopes for improvements in the Erasmus program in terms of accessibility.
Erasmus is now promoting inclusion and diversity to reach a greater number of students in 2021-2027. Thanks to the budget increase, additional scholarships will be offered to beneficiaries with modest backgrounds. There will also be communication campaigns to break the myth of Pot Luck. Erasmus is far from being a festive sabbatical year. "I had to work like crazy to improve my English. I barely had the grades, but they were required to validate his year. We do get the chance to discover a lot of things, but we also have to work hard", recalls Camille, a former participant. Bertrand was unfortunately not aware that Erasmus was also meant for job seekers. "People do not imagine how complicated it is to move abroad, especially when you come from a modest background". But it's worth noting that Erasmus has never been reserved for an elite. On the contrary, the new Erasmus generation is more focused on inclusion, diversity, mobility and sharing.
An open door to the rest of the world
Brexit severed the ties of the United Kingdom with the European Union, and many former and aspiring Erasmus participants regret this step. "Erasmus has undeniably been a springboard. It opened the door for me to the global labour market and to the world as a whole", says Sora, a researcher. Tsiferana, a data scientist, testified on Erasmus' 35th anniversary day: "I had always dreamed of discovering Reunion Island. Thanks to the Erasmus+ project in the Indian Ocean, I have been enriched by the island's cultural diversity. It was an opening to the rest of the world. Our greatest wealth is our unity in diversity!" This feeling of gratitude is shared by many. Loren, another participant, says that the program was a kind of eye-opener that he was not alone but surrounded by many others like him, with dreams and projects.
Often, those career plans become the adventure of a lifetime. Thanks to Erasmus, Manuella was able to make lots of friends in Europe, have a career in the automotive industry, and build a family. "I had not planned any of these, but life is full of surprises! We like to say that we have a successful "Erasmus marriage" with my Swedish husband!" Louis, who met his wife during his year in Estonia, also talks about his Erasmus marriage. “Our two children are fluent in French, Estonian and English. We are a happy European family." Sonia met her husband in France, and they have been married for five years. She encourages everyone to participate in the programme to get the chance to live a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
