Erasmus origins

The Origin of the Erasmus+ Programme

Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam

The Erasmus+ programme takes its name from Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466–1536), one of the most important scholars of the European Renaissance. Erasmus was a Dutch philosopher, theologian, and humanist who believed strongly in the power of education, dialogue, and cultural exchange.

Throughout his life, Erasmus travelled widely across Europe, studying and teaching in cities such as Paris, Leuven, Basel, Cambridge, and Rome. These journeys allowed him to exchange ideas with scholars from different countries and cultures, helping to shape a shared intellectual culture in Europe.

🌍 A Symbol of Learning Without Borders

Erasmus became known as a thinker who promoted:

📚 education and critical thinking
🤝 cooperation between people from different countries
🕊 peace, tolerance and dialogue
🌍 the idea of a united European intellectual community

Because of his travels and his belief in the exchange of knowledge across borders, Erasmus is often considered one of the first “European scholars.”

🎓 Why the Programme Is Called Erasmus

The European Union chose the name Erasmus for its educational mobility programme because it reflects the same values that Erasmus himself promoted centuries ago.

Just like the Renaissance scholar travelled across Europe to learn and share ideas, the Erasmus+ programme encourages students, teachers and educators to:

✈ travel to other European countries
🤝 collaborate with people from different cultures
📚 learn through shared educational experiences
🌍 develop a European perspective

The programme symbolically continues Erasmus’ vision of learning through international exchange and cooperation.

🌍 Erasmus+ in Numbers

⭐ One of the largest education programmes in Europe

🏫 73,000+ organisations participate in Erasmus+ projects every year

👩‍🎓 700,000+ school students have taken part in mobility activities

👩‍🏫 270,000+ teachers and school staff participate in training and exchanges

🌍 Millions of students and educators collaborate across European countries

🇪🇺 Since 1987, Erasmus has supported over 15 million participants