- We welcome the proposed budget of €40.8 billion as a good start for the sector. However, we underline that €40.8 is the bare minimum we need to ensure Europe can meet its strategic needs for the future through a young generation of skilled, competent graduates.
- The Guild calls for transparency and clarity about the main funding features, the scope of new initiatives and the governance of the programme. Universities and students rely on the predictability of the budget.
- Any new initiatives, such as STEM scholarships, should be an additional opportunity which adds value to the current Erasmus+ offering. Prioritisation of strategic sectors should not put at risk the bottom-up nature of the programme, such as curricula design or openness to students from all study disciplines.
- Although we are pleased to see the integration of European Universities alliances in Erasmus+ for their core educational mission, with additional funding opportunities in the European Competitiveness Fund and Horizon Europe, we emphasise that the success of these alliances hinges on their ability to engage with and reform national regulatory frameworks.
- Erasmus+ must remain global - there is a real opportunity for Global Europe and Erasmus+ to enhance mobility and long-term multilateral cooperation. The Global Gateway’s priority on education and research must be reflected in the upcoming negotiations.
We need to equip Europe’s next generation to respond to the complex challenges ahead, ranging from the climate crisis to a changing geopolitical environment, strengthening our competitiveness and our social cohesion. By fostering mobility, exchange and partnership – within Europe and beyond – Erasmus+ has made a pivotal contribution to the skills and competences of its population – and to Europe’s standing in the world. We call upon policymakers to strengthen Erasmus+ in its essence, ahead of developing new instruments unless these can demonstrate similar added value.
Jan Palmowski, Secretary-General of The Guild