PRIME Project: Evaluate the problems of recognition

PRESS RELEASE
Bruxelles, 22/02/11
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ERASMUS: EVALUATE THE PROBLEMS OF RECOGNITION

Erasmus Student Network launches its second PRIME survey, exploring the problems exchange students face in the recognition of the classes taken abroad during their university exchange
 

Only 66% Erasmus Students received full recognition after their university exchange
20 years after the launch of the Erasmus Programme, more than 2 millions of students experienced a period abroad. But only part of them received full recognition by their home university of the classes they took while they were on university exchange abroad.
Although the Erasmus agreement promises full recognition for all Erasmus Students, difficulties still exist and curb students leaving every year. After financial aspect, administration’s difficulties appear to be the second major obstacle in university exchange.

PRIME: A European Survey to evaluate the situation
Erasmus Student Network, with the support of the European Commission launched a questionnaire in order to evaluate the problem. For this second edition the European wide organization will interview more than 3 000 people involved in mobility: students in or after an exchange, and Higher Education Institutions. The survey tackles questions dealing with information provided before, during and upon return from the Erasmus exchange, the ECTS and grade conversion System, the negotiation and signing of the Learning Agreement, the Erasmus grant and other grants. The survey is now available online on the PRIME website.

Improve the conditions of exchanges
The aim of the 2011’s edition is to draw attention of the stakeholders and parties involved in the process of recognition to ever-lasting problems and obstacles students face and to provide them with good practices and possible solutions. A report will be published in autumn 2011 and conferences organized to disseminate the outcomes of the survey in several cities in Europe. Furthermore, they will be disseminated to the European Commission, to Higher Education Institutions, National Agencies, other important decision makers, as well as to the press and to the general audience. With this survey, ESN aims at giving a highly-valuable input to discussions about the future of the Erasmus program after 2013.

For more information please contact:
Marco La Rosa, External Relations, ESN AISBL, Tel: +32 470 472 225, external@esn.org
Justyna Pisera, PRIME Project Coordinator,  Tel: +32 471 41 6272, prime-coordinator@esn.org

Project Website: http://prime.esn.org

Attachments
PressRelease PRIME2.pdf PressRelease PRIME2.pdf (358.25 KB)