The European Commission launched the new version of the Erasmus+ application, which offers students a one-stop shop for their entire mobility journey.
A new version of the Erasmus+ app was recently launched, created by the European Commission (EC) in collaboration with the Erasmus Student Network (ESN), the European University Foundation (EUF), the ELTE University, the Aristotle University of Thesssaloniki and EWORX. Compared to the December 2020 version, the new and improved app offers a number of additional features and is a truly important milestone in the digitalisation, inclusivity and greenness of the Erasmus+ programme. First of all, it is available in all EU languages, rendering it accessible to all EU students and faculty members. Second, it now provides a digital European Student Card to each student, which thanks to the over 4’000 Higher Education Institutions (HEI) already actively involved in the project will be valid all across the EU. With the new app (available on both Android and iOS systems), Erasmus+ is getting closer to becoming completely paperless. In fact, students will be able to discover their possible mobility destinations among their university’s partners, directly apply for mobility and receive their nomination via the app. Other functions include signing their Online Learning Agreement (OLA), accessing Online Linguistic Support (OLS) and Skills Assessment. The app also includes a social aspect: students can discover events in their destinations, can share useful tips and get in touch with other students. The app is the new one stop shop for every mobility journey. Concerning Partner countries, a partial opening of the tools and services for countries not associated to Erasmus+ is planned, however it is not yet known when this will be implemented.
The Erasmus+ app is part of a broader framework of the digitalisation of the entire administrative management of the Erasmus+ programme: the European Student Card Initiative. It brings together three central European projects: the app, Erasmus Without Paper (EWP) and the European Student Identifier from the MyAcademic ID project. During the launch event on 21 September 2021, Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, stated that the new Erasmus+ app and more broadly, the European Student Card Initiative, is an important step towards the realisation of the European Education Area (EEA) by 2025. Thanks to these innovations, mobility is becoming more inclusive to students with all backgrounds and Europe is becoming more connected through education.
For more information on the European Student Card Initiative and Swiss involvement in the programme please see the Factsheet created by Movetia and SwissCore.