NEWS: Imperial College has now ceased having an active involvement in the Erasmus+ programme, subject to concluding reporting procedures for any project it has participated in. The remainder of this page is being retained for information purposes only until this part of the "placements" website is restructured in 2024.

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Co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.

Key Action 1 was all about providing opportunities for students to improve their skills, enhance their employability and gain cultural awareness.

Students at Imperial were able to spend a period of time in another participating country gaining valuable experience of life, study/work with the aim of increasing the opportunities available to them in the future.

Under Key Action 1 there were two mobility platforms for HE students:

• Mobility between 'programme countries' (Key Action 1.03). Imperial College applied annually for funding under 1.03 to run mobility projects through structured study abroad opportunities and work/industrial experience for which the College would award academic recognition upon successful completion. This element of Erasmus+ included the traditional Erasmus Study exchange scheme which had operated since 1987, and at Imperial since 1989. 'Programme countries' were the EU, wider-EEA, Turkey, North Macedonia and Serbia. Switzerland was not a 'programme country' in recent times.
• Mobility between 'programme countries' and 'partner countries' (Key Action 1.07). Imperial College considered the merits of this particular mobility platform, but did not participate.

 

Key Action 1.03 (student mobility)

There were two types:

• Study
• Traineeship

Important: Students could undertake up to 12 months’ mobility in total per academic cycle (i.e. 12 months during their bachelor degree, 12 months during their master’s degree etc). Each 12 month period could consist of any combination of eligible study and/or traineeship mobilities. Imperial MSci/MEng undergraduates needed to remember that the last year of their degree was at masters level, so the previous years were at bachelor level.

Study

NEWS: Imperial College will no longer be providing grants for Erasmus Study.

A study period in a 'programme country' could last from 3 to 12 months. At Imperial study mobility was normally limited to undergraduate year abroad. Annually the College funded 40-55 undergraduate year abroad students while hosting 80-100 from its partner universities.

The purpose of the grant was to act as a supplement to assist with the additional costs of undertaking a mobility period abroad. It was not a full living allowance. It was allocated per month of eligible activity abroad.

A past Erasmus study abroad participant endorsed their experiences: "My year abroad has made me reflect on what I am studying and re-ignited my love and passion for my subject. I am not the only one that has said this, going abroad makes you see your subject in a different light. You are faced with a challenge and you have to find solutions to problems. I have thoroughly improved my French and met some really amazing people. At the end of the day, it's up to you to make your time abroad what you want it to be."

Traineeship

NEWS: Imperial College will no longer be providing grants for Erasmus Traineeships.

A traineeship (work placement) in a 'programme country' could last from 2 to 12 months. At Imperial there were a variety of students who could benefit (undergraduate year in industry; undergraduate short industrial placements; undergraduate extra-ECTS internships; postgraduate taught masters students; postgraduate research students), and their contact was the academic or adminstrative staff member in their home academic department who wiould manage the work/industrial placement.

The purpose of the grant was to act as a supplement to assist with the additional costs of undertaking a mobility period abroad. It was not a full living allowance. It was allocated per month of eligible activity abroad.

Please note that the College opted not to manage traineeships for new graduates. This was an optional element of the Erasmus traineeship scheme where a work/industrial internship organised while an individual, who was still a student of their degree awarding university, might have been supported within 12 months of the student completing their degree programme.