Experiencing and learning from other cultures is at the heart of Erasmus+. Openness to other cultures is a win-win: it's not only rewarding in itself but also brings with it new ideas and experiences that we can observe and then accept or politely decline. Yet openness is not necessarily easy, and sometimes we need a helping hand. These 2 Erasmus+ projects do just that.

The housing shortage is a pressing issue, particularly for international students throughout Europe, and there are no easy solutions. During the last 2 years, the HousErasmus+ project took on this issue and produced a set of recommendations.

Open and inclusive societies encourage their citizens to play an active role in democratic life, and it is through education, youth work and sport that they build a common ground for divergent opinions to converge and make ends meet. Two Strategic Partnerships under Erasmus+ are fully embracing diversity and turning it into opportunities.

A new call for proposals has been published under the Key Action 3 of Erasmus+. It will fund transnational cooperation projects aiming at improving European education and training systems.

Digital skills are becoming integral to the requirements of many modern job roles. With more and more students entering an increasingly digitised labour market, Erasmus+ will be supporting new digital traineeships.

More funding for traineeships in digital skills, emphasis on staff mobility to enhance pedagogical and curriculum design skills, innovation in the classroom, and continued spotlight on social inclusion are all part of what the 2018 Erasmus+ call has to offer in the field of higher education. A stronger focus on bridging the skills gap and developing curricula by reinforcing cooperation between the educational sectors, the labour market and the world of research, are some of the priority areas for Strategic Partnerships in 2018.

Reflecting on 30 years of mobility under Erasmus+, the Erasmus+ Generation has put forward 30 concrete proposals on the future of the Erasmus+ programme beyond 2020. They have high hopes for the future: a larger, simplified and more ambitious Erasmus+ programme that will not only help Europe tackle the most pressing societal challenges, but also bridge the skills gap, increase civic engagement; shape society around shared values; reach out to the most disadvantaged; and foster cooperation with the rest of the world.

2017 ends with record-breaking figures for Erasmus+. According to the 2016 Annual Report, a budget increase of 7.5% allowed the programme to support 21,000 projects during 2016, 15% more than the previous year. Furthermore, since 2014, more than 2 million participants have benefitted from mobility grants. Expectations for the future run high, as reflected by the 30 proposals that make up the Erasmus+ Generation Declaration, presented together with the Annual Report at the closing event of the Erasmus+ 30th anniversary campaign on 30 November in Brussels – the icing on the cake of a celebratory campaign that saw more than 750,000 people take part in over 1,900 events across 44 countries.

Every year, thousands of European projects enable the development of interesting practices and outputs that benefit both learners and teachers. To give some insight into these innovations and their development, 5 new collections of excellent results stemming from various projects funded by Erasmus+ and its predecessor, the Lifelong Learning Programme, have just been published.

The European Commission has published the Erasmus+ 2018 Call for Proposals. €2.7 billion in funding is available for education, training, youth and sport projects - more than ever before. With this increased budget, Erasmus+ will provide an unprecedented number of opportunities for individuals and organisations in Europe and beyond. Discover the major novelties and changes in the Programme Guide. It provides detailed information on how to apply in all official EU languages. Get prepared for 2018!

Erasmus+ provides people with the competences needed to lead independent, fulfilling lives. It helps them find their place in our societies and develop a sense of a European identity – one that complements our national, regional and local identities.

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees (EMJMDs) bring teaching from various higher education institutions in different countries together under one integrated programme that provides a comprehensive educational experience for future professionals. Many programmes venture across traditional academic borderlines in the mix of teaching they provide. With this dynamic and innovative blend of approaches, how easy is it to ensure quality of teaching in these programmes?

When it comes to quality in education, teacher training is of the uttermost importance. By funding projects aimed at improving the pedagogical skills of teachers both within and outside Europe, Erasmus+ is helping raise the quality of education around the world.

Erasmus+ provides unique opportunities for individuals to go on a journey of self-discovery and to gain new perspectives in their studies, training or professional careers. In the field of higher education, Erasmus+ has a sizeable impact on institutions by improving quality in teaching and research. But how does the programme achieve this?

Enhancing the quality and relevance of higher education teaching and learning is a top priority in most European universities. Many of them are already implementing innovative strategies to take teaching and learning to the next level. Learn about one of them: the EFFECT project.

The European Commission has adopted the Erasmus+ 2018 Annual Work Programme, marking the beginning of the process to launch all the Erasmus+ calls for 2018. Learn more about the extra funding and new opportunities!

One of the coveted Dolphin Trophies at the 8th Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards 2017 was given to ICF Mostra last September 28th for the videos they have made for the Erasmus+ 30th anniversary campaign.

After a year full of events triggering plenty of emotions, memories and exciting developments for the future of the programme, the closing event of the Erasmus+ 30th anniversary campaign lies a few weeks ahead. Save the date and come join us in Brussels on November the 30th to cheer one last time to three decades of mobility and exchanges under Erasmus+.

Under the Erasmus+ programme, the merits of an international or skills-building experience are not only important for students, apprentices and volunteers. Our teachers and trainers can also benefit from exchanges that foster long-term pedagogical innovation. This in turn bolsters the teachers and trainers themselves, their fellow colleagues and learners, and society more broadly.

The Erasmus Student Network organises the International Erasmus Games (IEG) yearly. Countries send teams of Erasmus+ students to take part in sports competitions. In local and then national qualification rounds, teams from different cities - made up of friends from different nationalities - compete for the honour of representing their host country. But how did this competition begin?