Erasmus at Unitn

The University of Trento takes part in the Erasmus Program since 1988. This academic year 2011/2012 it will celebrate the 24^th anniversary of participation within this program!

During the academic year 2010-2011 around 5.000 students registered at the University of Trento had the opportunity to study abroad with the Erasmus programme and the most requested countries were Spain, Germany and the UK. Foreign students arriving in Italy were around 2.700, mostly from Spain, Germany and the UK.

The Erasmus Program (European Region Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students) comes to life in 1987 thanks to the European Community and grants European students the possibility to attend in a foreign University a recognized study period by their Home University.

The name comes from the Dutch humanist and theologian Erasmus of Rotterdam (from the XV century) who travelled all along Europe to understand the diverse cultures. This project is ideal to educate future generations of citizens by creating a sense of belonging that will constitute what later will be known as the European Union

The program includes a wide and diverse range of activities. Beyond exchanging students and teachers/research workers, it also mobilize technical-administration personal, international professionals (Intensive Programmes), and projects of thematic close examination (Thematic Networks, Multilateral projects, etc.)

This programs gives European students the chance to live one year abroad for the first time in a very independent way, that’s why it became such a cultural phenomenon and reached a vast popularity, not only because it helps to learn and comprehend the differences of the hosting culture but also because it provides a sense of community amongst the foreign students.

Since the creation of this project it permit the exchange of more than 2 million students within the European community.

Presently 2199 universities from 31 countries that are included in the Lifelong Learning Programme participate in the Erasmus Programme.

On the academic year 2009/2010 there were over 21.000 mobilizations departing Italy and approximately 250.000 Italian students went abroad with Erasmus.