How Erasmus has had a positive impact at Charles University ****************************************************************************************** * How Erasmus has had a positive impact at Charles University ****************************************************************************************** The Erasmus student exchange programme celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2017. Dr. Ivana Institutional Co-ordinator for Erasmus+ at Charles University, Prague, tells Matthew Earth has grown over the years. The Erasmus programme was named after the Dutch philosopher Desiderius Erasmus, who, in hi knowledge, lived and worked around Europe to gain new insights. It was founded in 1987 by Union with the intention of allowing students throughout the continent to study abroad wit Dr. Ivana Herglová, who oversees the programme at Charles University in Prague, says the s wide range of benefits to students, regardless of whether they are leaving or visiting the “In the Erasmus programme, you are always treated like a local student. Many things are al for you, everything is organised,” Miss Herglová said. Students are often assigned a perso make sure all is well, and necessities such as airport pick-ups can be arranged to smooth of living in a different country. The accessibility of the scheme is an attractive proposi people are declined,” added Miss Herglová. Charles University is an extremely active participant in the Erasmus programme. It current fifth highest amount of students from around the continent, and is tenth highest for the a sent elsewhere. In 1998, Czech universities began to accept Erasmus students. Initially on students participated, but this number has been steadily rising. More English taught cours around 2005, offering a wider variety to incoming students. For the 2016-17 academic year, foreign students arrived at Charles University to study, while ca. 1,250 of its own studen abroad. The Faculties of Arts, Social Sciences and Law are the three most popular among in – bringing in about 1,000 students each year. Miss Herglová believes the numbers of incomi continue to rise. “Based on the number of our current Erasmus agreements, we could potenti 5,000 students arriving,” she said. Miss Herglová said most of the incoming students arrive from Germany, France and Spain, bu there was a sizeable contingent from Poland and Slovakia, too. The language barrier is not Slovakians, according to Miss Herglová, who explained: “It’s very similar. We can understa However, Charles University students tend to travel further west on Erasmus placements, as neighbouring countries. Miss Herglová said the students leaving Prague for Erasmus exchang countries which are “more developed and more expensive – generally you can observe a ‘go w most exchange programmes.” The Erasmus scheme runs in seven-year cycles. In the year 2014, the latest initiative bega Erasmus+. This new cycle combined all of the EU’s schemes for education, youth and trainin which were already part the previous Erasmus cycle, known as the Lifelong Learning Program Commission says the new cycle, which is set to run until 2020, will have a 14.7 billion Eu per cent higher than previous initiatives – and will allow more than 4 million students ac and funding. Erasmus+ was launched at a time when six million young people were unemployed offers therefore also a high support for professional training. Miss Herglová said much has changed since Erasmus was introduced back in 1987. At the time voluntary initiative between 11 countries. At Charles University, where she has worked sin were originally almost no English language courses available to foreign students. Original in Prague were asked to co-operate in creation of new agreements with universities abroad, left to them, and even the students who wanted to study at a certain foreign institution, scheme. Nowadays, however, the Erasmus scheme at Charles University is booming. Miss Hergl as “a huge community in itself.” With the United Kingdom set to leave the European Union by 2019, there remains some cause staff and students regarding the nation’s participation in the programme. Miss Herglová sa Czech students leaving for British universities is far greater than British arriving at Ch She said: “We are sending many more students to the United Kingdom than they are sending h the year, up to three times so much.” Once the UK leaves the EU, she said there is a chance the country could still remain part programme. “It’s something we do not know,” she said, and claimed the future depends on wh Brexit will eventually occur. Miss Herglová was, however, optimistic for the future: “What happen is the UK becomes part of the European Free Trade Association or would become invol Erasmus programme on similar principle.” The EFTA consists of four European countries not EU – Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Iceland. With the current exception of Switzer free to take part in the Erasmus programme, despite not being a member state. Miss Herglov speech by Jan Thompson, the British ambassador to the Czech Republic, in which Mrs Thompso UK universities would like to remain a part of some European educational programmes – mean Erasmus - once the country eventually leaves. Matthew Earth is a 21-year-old Journalism student entering his final year of study at De M