Erasmus Days 2024: six days to make Europe shine!

“Six days to make Europe shine.” This is how the French ministry of education, partner of the event, presented the 8th edition of the event in an extended format. Thousands of events organised by institutions participating in the programme are planned all over the world in an extended duration and scope.

A more inclusive and innovative programme

Erasmus+ is the EU’s programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe. This programme aims at providing an opportunity for a wide range of people (students, trainees, pupils, apprentices, teachers, trainers, staff) to spend time abroad to enrich their knowledge, develop their skills and improve their employment prospects.

It has an estimated budget of €26.2 billion. This is nearly double the funding compared to its predecessor programme (2014-2020). According to the European Commission, the new Erasmus+ programme (2020-2027) is “not only more inclusive and innovative, but all also more digital and greener”. The programme places a strong focus on “social inclusion, the green and digital transitions, and the promotion of young people’s participation in democratic life”.

Erasmus Days, a French initiative

It is in this spirit that the 8th edition of #ErasmusDays will take place from 14 to 19 October 2024 in Europe and around the world. If #ErasmusDays has become a must-attend European celebration event for all the recipients and participants in the Erasmus+ programme, it is thanks to the French Erasmus+ agency for education and training, which initiated the event back in 2017. Today, Erasmus Days are organised not only in Europe but all over the world. In 2023, more than 9,000 events will have taken place in over 50 countries. 

As the organisers point out, this key six-day event is supported by education and training establishments involved in European projects, as well as associations, government departments and local authorities. Thanks to #ErasmusDays, all these partners “can inform people about their projects and the resulting impact on local communities”. Each year, a wide range of events are organised, both entertaining and informative: presentations of the programme, skills competitions, shows, language cafés, debates, concerts, etc. 

A dedicated hashtag

To involve more participants, the dedicated hashtag (#ErasmusDays) helps bring together millions of personal stories and initiatives. This year, an #ErasmusDaysChallenge has also been launched, encouraging all those who have taken part and are taking part in Erasmus+ to share their experiences via social networks. Erasmus+ ambassadors, recruited from several countries, are also playing an important role in this European celebration, taking part in events both on site and online, promoting the benefits of the programme.

For this 8th edition, a brand-new website has even been launched to offer a user-friendly interface and a greater wealth of content. Organisers have been invited to register their events on a platform, which can then be accessed by everyone on an interactive world map (by country and by type of action), providing a detailed description of the events on the programme. To date, more than 8,200 actions are already online, including nearly 1,900 organised in France!