10th February 2012

A staff member from Robert Gordon University (RGU), Aberdeen, recently helped to launch the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Erasmus programme - the world's most successful student exchange programme.

As the sole UK staff ambassador, Julia Kennedy - RGU European & Overseas Exchanges Co-ordinator - joined her fellow staff and student counterparts from the 33 participating countries at the  'Erasmus: changing lives, opening minds for 25 years' event in Brussels from 30 to 31 January 2012.

Erasmus is an EU-funded education and training programme which enables students and university staff to undertake study and work placements in other European countries. In the UK, Erasmus is administered by the British Council.

The ambassadors were chosen to represent each country, based on the impact that Erasmus has had on their professional and private lives. Their role is to encourage other students and staff to take advantage of the opportunities it offers to change lives and open minds.

Julia, who spent time in Austria on a training exchange in November 2009 said: “Taking part in the Erasmus Programme and spending a training week at the FH Campus Wien has not only opened my eyes to new ways of working, but inspired me to bring some of these back to Scotland.”

In her role at RGU, Julia helps current Erasmus students to take part in the programme but decided she should experience the programme herself, so went abroad in a staff exchange to Vienna. She explains:
 
“One of the selling benefits to students is that an Erasmus period looks good on their CV – this is no different for staff. Staff visits can be included on a CV and demonstrates that staff are open to new ideas and challenges, and are keen to find new perspectives on their work.

“Yes, you can stay in your home institution and maintain the status quo, or you could go on Erasmus Staff Mobility and gain new perspectives, new ideas, new partners, new friends and new methods of working.

“I’m really pleased to have been selected as an ambassador for the programme as I think it is really important that staff as well as students have the opportunity to take part.” she comments.

During a 1 ½ day conference the Erasmus ambassadors discussed the programme's impact and shared their vision for its future while working on an "Erasmus Manifesto", which will be unveiled during the Danish EU Presidency conference on "Celebrating Erasmus 25 years past achievements and future perspectives" in Copenhagen on 9th May 2012.

Dr Lloyd Anderson, Director of British Council Scotland, said: “The British Council warmly congratulates Julia on her Ambassadorial role.

“Julia’s own experience of the Erasmus programme and her role in actively encouraging others to take part is an inspiration for Scotland and the rest of the UK. Taking part in Erasmus is a life-changing experience that opens people’s eyes to the wider world. Many employers highly value such a period abroad, which increases the students' employability and job prospects.”

The silver anniversary celebrations were launched by Androulla Vassiliou, the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth.

Commissioner Vassiliou commented: "Erasmus is one of the great success stories of the European Union: it is our best known and most popular programme. Erasmus exchanges enable students to improve their knowledge of foreign languages and to develop skills such as adaptability which improve their job prospects. It also provides opportunities for teachers and other staff to see how higher education works in other countries and to bring the best ideas home."

 
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