All EU member states as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, and Norway, Serbia and Turkey participates in Erasmus+. Switzerland is not currently participating in Erasmus+.
International Office coordinates Erasmus +
International Office coordinates the university's participation in Erasmus+. Each department at Umeå University also has an international contact person, who coordinates the department's exchange agreements.
Programme period 2021-2027
On June 1, 2021, a new framework programme for Erasmus + will start. Key words for the new program are:
- Inclusion: The programme will be even more inclusive and the focus is on participants with fewer opportunities. New opportunities for shorter and partly digital mobilities exist so that more students can participate in the programme.
- Sustainability: The new component called Green Erasmus+ will focus on sustainability. This part will be developed during the programme, but so far there is the opportunity for extra travel days and extra funds for all participants, students and staff, who choose more sustainable ways of traveling such as by train, bus and boat.
- Digitization: Opportunities for virtual mobility will be added, and the programme will be paperless - all administration and all processes will be digitized.
- Common values and active citizenship: Focus on active participation in the surrounding society and democratic life.
There are three key actions in the Erasmus+ programme:
Erasmus+ mobility higher education (Key Action 1)
Through Erasmus+ mobility higher education, higher education institutions can apply for funds for exchanges and skills development for staff and students.
The programme offers students to apply for scholarships for exchange studies and/or traineeship abroad.
Staff may apply for funding for a shorter exchange e.g. job shadowing, teaching or training at a partner university, another university or a company or an organisation in another European country.
More information and teacher and staff exchange.
To be able to participate in certain parts of Erasmus+ mobility higher education, an agreement must be established to set the framework of the cooperation. An agreement must always be the basis for exchange studies and teacher exchange.
New in Key Action 1
- The requirement for the length of exchange studies is reduced from 90 to 60 days.
- The requirement of at least one year of studies at the academic level before the exchange, is removed, which means that students can go on exchange studies during the first year of study.
- Staff training and teacher exchange can take place at several hosts in the same country during a continuous period.
A number of new program components have been added that relate to the focus on increased inclusion and digitization.
Blended Intensive Programmes
Students, doctoral students, teachers and staff, can participate in blended exchanges that include a virtual part and a shorter physical mobility.
At least three higher education institutions from program countries must be included in the collaboration to organize a so-called Blended Intensive Program (BIP) where they together create a course with common learning objectives.
Other universities/organisations from partner countries can participate in a BIP, but they must finance the mobility themselves. Coordinating higher education institution is automatically the receiving higher education institution, unless otherwise decided.
- The course must have at least 15 participants from the partner universities and the recommendation is a maximum of 60 participants.
- Blended intensive programmes have to award at least 3 ECTS credits for students and must include a physical mobility of 5-30 days that is combined with a virtual component without requirements for length. Both the virtual and mobile part involve joint work and must be formally recognized.
- The programme should have added value compared to existing courses or trainings offered by the participating higher education institutions.
Coordinating higher education institution applies for BIP and is then awarded so-called 'organisational support' for the coordination of the course. Organisational support is 6000–8000 euros.
The higher education institution that sends students to participate in BIP finances the students' mobility through standard mobility funds. The scholarship fundsCoo are then 70 euros/day for days 5–14, and then 50 euros/day for days 15–30.
Blended Mobility
Any study period or traineeship abroad of any duration, including doctoral mobility, may be carried out as a blended mobility. Blended mobility is a combination of physical mobility with a virtual component facilitating a collaborative online learning exchange and teamwork. For example, the virtual component can bring learners together online from different countries and study fields to follow online courses or work collectively and simultaneously on assignments that are recognised as part of their studies.
The course must give at least 3 ECTS.
If the internship is credit-bearing, it must result in at least 3 ECTS and if it is non-credit-bearing, the internship must correspond to full-time.
Doctoral mobility
The new programme gives doctoral students the opportunity to go on an exchange for 5–30 days. Since doctoral students in Sweden are students, or in some cases both students and employees, it has been possible previously to go on exchange studies, do traineeships, or teacher and staff exchanges.
International Mobility
Key Action 1, which previously only included mobility to Erasmus+ programme countries, now opens up for exchanges to Erasmus+ partner countries, outside Europe. More information will be posted.
Cooperation among organisations and institutions (Key Action 2)
Erasmus + provides the opportunity to apply for funding to develop collaborations in education, such as joint courses and programmes, but also support for digitization and module development.
Key Action 2 is about collaborations for innovation and exchange of experience. It is divided into three levels:
- Partnerships for Cooperation
- Partnerships for Excellence
- Partnerships for Innovation
News in Key Action 2
Preparation for Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees
Under the new programme, it is possible to apply for project funding for preparation for Erasmus Mundus' joint master's program for a consortium interested in starting a joint master's program, but has not yet fully prepared.
Teacher Academies
Teacher Academies aims at creating partnerships among teacher education programmes in the EU. The idea of the programme is to increase the European dimension in teacher education within the Union, to test different pedagogical models and mobilities (virtual, physical and blended) and to create sustainable cooperation between training actors within the EU.
Cooperation Partnerships
The project form is very similar to the form that in the previous programme period was called 'Strategic Partnerships', but with some differences; the opportunity to include different kinds of organisations (and not just universities) and also organisations from partner countries.
Support for Policy Development and Cooperation (Key Action 3)
Key Action 3 is about support for policy and system change at a European level. Under this Key Action is e.g. Jean Monnet.
Note that due to covid-19 and delayed budget negotiations in the EU, unfortunately no funds/programs/projects for Erasmus+ international credit mobility and capacity building will be announced in 2021.
Information for students
Students find information about traineeship and exchange studies on the student web.
Exchange studies in Europe
Traineeship in Europe