EU Expands Erasmus: Mediterranean Students Set for Academic Boost

The European Union has decided to include students from the Maghreb and Middle East countries in the European university exchange program Erasmus, reports Politico. Through this act, the European Commission intends to "improve the mobility of students and higher education staff within the Erasmus+ program," as can be read on its official website. "The inclusion of these students would be part of the Pact for the Mediterranean, presented by Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday, October 16, which includes a proposal to double the EU’s budget for this region," reports Le Journal du dimanche (JDD), specifying that the Mediterranean partners are: Algeria, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, Jordan, Israel, Morocco, Lebanon and Libya.

This pact aimed to "connect young people" and expand the Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe programs, in order to establish a "Mediterranean University" with multiple campuses, explained Dubravka Suica, European Commissioner for the Mediterranean. Universities in the region could design joint degrees and programs with their European Union partners as part of this initiative.

Suica added: "We will also intensify talent partnerships with Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt, and facilitate the issuance of visas, especially for students from these countries." For her, the migration issue is a "greater common challenge" and a "common opportunity." This pact aimed to prevent illegal departures and fight against smugglers, while creating legal channels "to meet labor needs," the European official assured.