The Erasmus Student Network has strengthened its commitment to promoting learning mobility by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the European Federation for Intercultural Learning, Eurodesk, and the Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions. This agreement marks an important step towards fostering greater cooperation in providing young people with information on mobility opportunities, particularly in secondary schools across Europe.
The collaboration aims to address two key levels of action: the European and national/local levels. At the European level, the signatories will focus on supporting policies that promote youth information about learning mobility in secondary education. Nationally and locally, they will encourage cooperation among their members to conduct joint initiatives, such as school visits and workshops. These events will focus on raising awareness about the opportunities available through mobility programmes and promoting shared European values like intercultural learning and active citizenship.
One of the significant benefits of this collaboration is the combined reach and expertise of our organisations, which allows for a stronger and more coordinated approach to working with schools. By combining the knowledge and resources of our organisations, we will address the needs for better youth information and guidance on learning mobility—key barriers identified in both the European Commission’s 2023 study on learning mobility and the recent EU Citizens’ Panel on the same topic. Apart from that, we will also aim to overcome challenges that youth organisations often face when trying to engage with educational institutions individually.
Through this MoU, we will organise joint school visits, offering presentations and workshops that introduce students to learning mobility opportunities, while also fostering discussions around European values. This partnership also highlights the importance of cooperation between formal and non-formal education sectors, ensuring that young people have access to comprehensive information and support.
With this agreement, ESN and our partners hope to shape a more inclusive future for learning mobility, with the first joint initiatives expected to occur in 2024. Our joint effort is to make mobility ‘the norm’ for students, while also addressing the educational and social inclusion goals outlined by the European Education Area 2025 and the EU Youth Strategy. The collaboration not only lays the groundwork for a more inclusive and dynamic approach to student mobility, but it also opens up transformative pathways for countless young people to discover the world, grow as individuals, and become empowered global citizens. Together, we are building bridges that will shape the next generation of Europe’s leaders and innovators.
Follow ESN