Erasmus

ERASMUS is the EU's flagship education and training programme enabling 200 000 students to study and work abroad each year. In addition, it funds co-operation between higher education institutions across Europe. The programme not only supports students, but also professors and business staff who want to teach abroad, as well as helping university staff to receive training.

Students may participate in Erasmus mobility for studies which enables students at higher education institutions to spend an integrated period of study of between 3 months and 12 months in another participating country. In Latvia 38 Universities participate in the Erasmus programme. Erasmus mobility for studies enables students to benefit educationally, linguistically and culturally from the experience of learning in other European countries, to promote co-operation between institutions and to enrich the educational environment of the host institution, to contribute to the development of a pool of well-qualified, open-minded and internationally experienced young people as future professionals.

Students may participate in Erasmus mobility for placements that enables students at higher education institutions to spend a placement (traineeship/internship) period between 3 months and 12 months in an enterprise or organisation in another participating country. The aim of the Erasmus practical placement programme is to help students to adapt to the requirements of the EU-wide labour market,, to enable students to develop specific skills including language skills, to improve understanding of the economic and social culture of the country concerned in the context of acquiring work experience, to promote cooperation between higher education institutions and enterprises, to contribute to the development of a pool of well-qualified, open-minded and internationally experienced young people as future professionals.

Students may participate in Erasmus Intensive language courses (EILC) which are specialised courses in the less widely used and less taught languages organised in the countries where these languages are used as teaching languages at higher education institutions. The languages English, German, French and Spanish (Castilian) are not eligible for EILC. The EILC give ERASMUS students visiting these countries for studies and placements the opportunity to study the language concerned for two to six weeks (with a minimum of 60 teaching hours in total, and at least 15 teaching hours a week) with the aim of being prepared for the ERASMUS mobility period abroad.

Source: .studyinlatvia.lv