Strengthening the Role of the Erasmus+ Programme in the Construction of a European Superidentity

Project name: Strengthening the Role of the Erasmus+ Programme in the Construction of a European Superidentity

Project summary: The project involves working with participants from different countries to increase the effectiveness of the Erasmus+ programme in creating a common identity in Europe, to find solutions to the problems faced by the programme and to share the results obtained with policy makers. The project will carry out a comprehensive evaluation by working with participants from different sectors and will prepare a roadmap with concrete proposals for the development of the programme.

Project duration: 12 months

Project budget: up to 60,000 euros
Aims and objectives of the project: This project aims to strengthen the impact of the Erasmus+ programme by maximising its potential to create a common identity in Europe.
The objectives of the project are
- Analyse the achievements and shortcomings of the programme so far and develop recommendations on how it can be used more effectively.
- Raise awareness among European Union (EU) institutions, national governments and sector representatives and managers of the importance and potential of the Erasmus+ programme in building a European identity.
- Identify successful projects and practices implemented under the Erasmus+ programme in Europe and disseminate these examples to other institutions.
- To develop proposals for the design and implementation of mobility programmes in such a way as to increase participants' awareness of their European identity.

Literature Review (Background): The European Union was founded on the vision of a supranational organisation where people from different cultures come together and live in peace. In line with this vision, the Erasmus+ programme contributes significantly to building a common identity in Europe by supporting the mobility of students and staff. Today, however, various problems such as lack of awareness about the purpose of the programme, problems in the visa process, operational problems are encountered during the implementation phase of the programme and these problems reduce the effectiveness of the programme. The project focuses on how these problems can be overcome and how the Erasmus+ programme can achieve the programme-based objectives set out in the programme guidelines.

Target groups of the project: The target group of this project is 45 people from the partner countries (9 from Türkiye representing Eastern Europe, 9 from Italy representing Western Europe, 9 from Germany representing Central Europe, 9 from Ireland representing Northern Europe, 9 from France representing Southern Europe). From each country, 3 NGOs, 3 university staff/students and 3 public/private sector staff will be involved in the relevant workshop programme.

The final beneficiaries of the project are decision-makers at national, international and supranational level, higher education institutions, sector representatives and independent researchers.
Expected results: This project aims to better understand the role of the Erasmus+ programme in building European identity and to provide a roadmap for national, international and supranational policy makers to make the programme more effective. The results of the project will be a valuable resource for EU institutions, national governments, universities and other stakeholders. The expected results of the project are as follows

- The strengths and weaknesses of the Erasmus+ programme will be identified and areas for improvement will be identified through a clear picture of its status and impact in building a European identity.
- The project will bring together participants from different countries and create a strong network of researchers, academics and policy makers working in this field. This network will provide an important basis for future cooperation.
- The results of the project will contribute to the development of policies to strengthen the sense of European citizenship.
- The project will enable people from different cultures to come together and build a common future, contributing to a more integrated Europe.

Main activities:
-Workshop programme focusing on higher education institutions (Türkiye)
-Workshop programme focusing on the civil society sector (Italy)
-Workshop programme focusing on the public/private sector (France)
-Summit programme (virtual event)