Young people who often live for the first time in a different country, with what that means independence and knowledge of different cultures, but also students who can complete their training by learning a language or choosing within an academic offer that does not exist at their home universities. “It opens you to the world”; “It must be mandatory”; or “It’s an unforgettable experience”, are some of the most frequently cited ideas among students who have enjoyed mobility grants from Erasmus University. One of the longest-running and most successful programs in the European Union, which this year celebrates three and a half decades of its existence. Created in 1987, its name is an acronym for European Area Action Plan for University Student Mobility, as well as in honor of the humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam. It was promoted by Italian professor Sofia Corradi, who in 2016 was awarded the European Carlos V Prize by the Yuste Foundation, and provided support to 11.7 million participants, according to data from the European Commission collected up to 2020.
Soon after starting to walk, In the academic year 88-89 the University of Extremadura (UEx) joined this initiative. Nearly 13,000 of its students have since passed through it (55% women and 45% men), 11,835 for study and 1,003 for training. 1,550 teachers and 280 administrative staff also benefited. On the contrary, 7,084 students from other European institutions enjoyed this experience in Extremadura. “This is a life-changing program for all the people who participate in it and this is how students teach us, whether they are going or arriving. For them, it is an experience that is completely representative of their professional and personal lives. And herein lies its success,” says Rossio Yusti, Vice President for Student Affairs. and recruitment and mobility at UEx, He also contributed to “building the European model”.
Portugal, Italy, UK, Poland and France appear as the most popular destinations by students from Extremadura. Faculties of economics and business, business, finance and tourism, philosophy and literature, teacher training, veterinary medicine, and industrial engineering have traditionally been centers with higher participation rates. Italy, France and Germany are the three main countries that send students to Extremadura.
“It is a program that changes the lives of all the people who participate in it.”
COVID-19 has caused a 50% drop in student mobility, to about 250 students out, when the average at UEx is around 450 per year, although this year it will be around 415,” and I’m sure we’ll be back to normal next time.”, predicts Yuste, who highlights that Extremaduran University has remained open to the Erasmus program throughout the pandemic, allowing it to “stabilize” more easily now. He asserts that “there are universities that have directly closed this possibility.” As for international students, last year their number was about 120 and this year their number will reach two hundred. For quite a few of them, who will be spending their second semester here, next Thursday welcome day In Caceres and Badajoz.
“With the pandemic, the main problem has undoubtedly become accommodation”
Erasmus Student Network (ESN) is a support network for students undertaking this program. It has a presence in every country and in most of the universities of which it is composed. “What we do above all is welcome them on their arrival, help with all bureaucratic issues and reconcile. We put them in contact with landlords who are regular with Erasmus and if they don’t know the language we speak, we show them the university facilities or talk to their teachers when they need it,” explains Gracia Ruiz Rodriguez, president of this association in Extremadura, which has about seventy volunteers spread out. Between Cáceres, Badajoz and Merida “Then, during your stay here, we organize all kinds of activities, from cultural or sports to excursions and parties,” he asserts.
Portugal, Italy, UK, Poland and France are the most requested destinations in the European Union
With the pandemic, he says, the main problem has become “undoubtedly accommodation because if there was a little fear of foreigners before, with the pandemic they would rent less and less or cause a lot of trouble if they only came for a class because they wanted people who are all year long For the rest, he points out, the arrivals have few adaptation problems, Because the size of the cities allows them to operate comfortably from the start and because of the cost of living. “At the end of the day, it’s cheap to live here, which totally allows them to keep traveling,” he says.
here they are The stories of seven young men from Extremadura who decided to be a part of this experience. Many of them later continued to be associated with the European project through their work.
Julia Rodriguez Raigo: “In class and the rest of the time you are in direct contact with another culture”
Ana Fernandez Prieto: “He has made me give ‘growth’ both personally and academically”
Manuel Sanchez: “It makes you more independent”
Irene Diaz: “The city has an amazing cultural diversity.”
Alvaro Reina Illanes: “Erasmus forges improved versions of himself”
Patricia Tejada: “You have a lot of fun and it’s a period of self-development.”
Marina Leon: “He helped me a lot to grow”
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