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The Erasmus programme

The University of Tartu has been participating in the European Union's Lifelong Learning Programme (formerly Socrates) Erasmus sub-programme for higher education since the 1998/1999 academic year. The Erasmus programme includes all EU Member States as well as Turkey, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Croatia. Higher education institutions are not automatically granted the right to participate in the programme - they must apply for the Erasmus University Charter and observe its terms and conditions.

The main activity under the Erasmus programme is student mobility with the aim of

  • studying at a partner higher education institution i.e. student exchange or
  • to do a traineeship abroad in a higher education institution, company, research centre or training centre.

As a rule, studies abroad last for one semester, or in exceptional cases for one academic year; traineeships last for 3-5 months. During this period students remain enrolled in the University of Tartu and their results will be credited as part of the university's study programme. Students can participate in the Erasmus programme a maximum of two times - once for student exchange and for the second time when doing a traineeship abroad.

They can also apply to participate in the Erasmus Intensive Language Course (EILC), which take place in the country of their destination immediately prior to the start of the mobility period provided that the language is a less common European language.

In order to support and promote student mobility, the Erasmus programme provides supporting activities:

  • Teaching staff mobility - mobility of teaching staff with the aim of short-term teaching in a partner higher education institution;
  • Staff training - mobility of non-academic staff with the aim of attending training courses organised in a foreign higher education institution, company or organisation;
  • The programme also provides support to universities for diverse study programme development and cooperation projects.

General information and the list of higher education institutions which have been granted the right to participate in the programme are available on the website of the European Commission's Executive Agency and on the website of the Centre for Educational Programmes of the Archimedes Foundation, which as a national agency is in charge of implementing the programme in Estonia.