Erasmus (European Region Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students) is a European Union (EU) student exchange programme established in 1987. The new Erasmus + scheme combines all the EU schemes for education, training, youth and sport. There are currently more than 4,000 higher institutions participating in Erasmus in 33 countries and over 5 million students have taken part to date.

The scheme has created a new generation of students, “the Erasmus Generation”. Having been exposed to different cultures, these students feel more “European” and have developed strong intercultural skills and are thus better able to adapt to new environments. They also acquire valuable transversal skills for the job market such as adaptability, tolerance, ability to cope with difficulties in a foreign environment, see beyond stereotypes, cooperate with people coming from a different cultural background, and build international networks.