History of the Erasmus Program:

Erasmus is an acronym for "European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students" and is a European Union (EU) student exchange program established in 1987.

Erasmus+, or Erasmus Plus, is the new program that brings together all existing EU schemes for education, training, youth and sport, which started in January 2014.

In 1989, the Erasmus office invited 32 former Erasmus students to an assessment meeting in Ghent, Belgium. The lack of support has been identified as a major problem, but it was also a driving force behind the creation of the Erasmus Student Network. The organization supports students from Erasmus and other bilateral agreements and collaborates with national agencies in order to assist international students. As of July 23, 2020, the Erasmus Student Network consists of 534 local associations in 42 countries and has more than 15,000 volunteers across Europe.

As of 2014, 27 years after its establishment, the program has encouraged the mobility of more than 3.3 million students within the European community. More than 5,000 higher education institutions from 38 countries are participating in the project.

The Erasmus programme, along with a number of other independent programmes, was incorporated into the Socrates Program established by the European Commission in 1994. The Socrates Program expired on December 31, 1999 and was replaced by the Socrates Program II on January 24, 2000, in which its role was replaced by the Lifelong Learning Program 2007-2013 on January 1, 2007.

Named after the Dutch philosopher and theologian, Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam, the idea of ​​promoting cultural, social and academic exchange among European students originated in 1969, with Italian Sophia Corradi (nicknamed "Mama Erasmus"), a teacher and scientific advisor to the Permanent Conference of Deans Italian universities. Her role allowed her to raise awareness of this idea and make it known in both the academic and institutional spheres.

The 2021-2027 program places a strong emphasis on social inclusion, green and digital transformations, and promoting youth participation in democratic life. It supports the identified priorities and activities in the European Education Area, the Digital Education Action Plan and the European Skills Agenda.

The Erasmus program includes more than 4000 universities and educational institutions. Students from all countries of the world are entitled to apply for scholarships provided by the program, which are available in 33 different countries around the world.

Turkey and the Erasmus Program

Turkey joined the Erasmus Student Exchange Program in 2003, and the number of Turkish citizens and students studying in its universities is expected to have the opportunity to participate in education, training, training and volunteer activities abroad within the scope of the Erasmus program to 450,000 by the end of this year.

Applications for a project support grant in Turkey are evaluated by the Turkish National Agency. Turkey ranks first in terms of the number of project applications submitted for all activities within the scope of the program. While the total program budget for 2014-2022 is €14.7 billion, about €800 million of this figure is planned to be used in Turkey.

144,500 of the program beneficiaries are university students who have studied at institutions of higher education abroad for at least one semester or trained in European institutions, 80,000 have participated in student exchange projects, 76,000 students have received vocational training, 9,500 students are doing volunteer work in European countries .

Features of the Erasmus program

Obtaining financial support, as the program provides all the basic expenses that the student needs.
Strong point in your career
Learn the languages ​​and cultures of other countries and gain multinational friendships.
Gain awareness and build relationships that will benefit you in a professional future after completing your university studies
Acquiring different educational methods that will make you superior to students who receive standardized educational models in their home country.
Take an experience of a country you may intend to live in in the future.
You will learn a second foreign language alongside your native language.
Discover multiple beautiful places and countries in terms of landscapes and learn about their history.
The easiest and most powerful way to study in Europe is the Erasmus student exchange program, in which more than 3 million students from different countries of the world have participated so far since its inception in 1984.

Popular majors in the Erasmus program that are easy to accept:

artificial intelligence engineering
Mechatronics Engineering
computer engineering
Software Engineering
Medical Equipment Engineering
bioengineering
Public Administration
Business Management
Political Science and International Relations
Chemistry and physics

Conditions for joining the Erasmus Program:

GBA score above 2
Completion of at least the first year of university
Photograph
Passport picture
Turkish ID photo
University transcripts
quote letter

Top Universities Offering Erasmus Programs

Bahcesehir University
Fenerbahce University
Yeditepe University
Beynet University
Ariel University
Okan University
Uskudar University
Jedik University
Beykoz University
Topkapi University
Medipol University

The best European countries to study Erasmus

Germany
England
France
Italia
Sweden
Norway
Finland
Holland
Switzerland
Ireland