The University of Barcelona holds a conference to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Erasmus program
Today May 16, the Aula Magna of the Historical Building is holding a conference on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the Erasmus program. The conference has been opened by the Rector of the UB, Joan Elias; the Secretary General for Universities, Jorge Sáinz and Pablo Martín, Director of the Spanish Service for the Internationalization of Education (SEPIE). The attendants are 125 students who took part or are currently taking part in the Erasmus program and have been selected to represent different student profiles who join this program.
Today May 16, the Aula Magna of the Historical Building is holding a conference on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the Erasmus program. The conference has been opened by the Rector of the UB, Joan Elias; the Secretary General for Universities, Jorge Sáinz and Pablo Martín, Director of the Spanish Service for the Internationalization of Education (SEPIE). The attendants are 125 students who took part or are currently taking part in the Erasmus program and have been selected to represent different student profiles who join this program.
During the opening ceremony, the rector Joan Elias highlighted that the Erasmus program has two different areas: the institutional and the individual one. Regarding the former, he said the program has been “an element of modernization” for universities and constitutes “a future investment”. Regarding the latter, he put emphasis on the personal enrichment of the Erasmus experience, which “has an impact on both the home institutions and the host institutions”. The Secretary General for Universities stated that “mobility is an essential part of our societyʼs future” and remembered the victims of the accident in Freginals that happened last year in March. Then, Pablo Martín highlighted the importance of this conference in Barcelona, a moment in which “we are in the middle of the current program and we have to decide what to do from 2020 onwards”.
The activity held by the UB is very interactive, aiming to promote student participation. It includes group projects, roundtables and former students who participated in this program during the first years of Erasmus. The incorporation of students with special needs in this program will also be commented on. For the closing ceremony, they will work on a message for future generations who take part in Erasmus+.
The academic year 2015-2016, the UB received 1.188 international students within the Erasmus program, and 1.096 UB students went abroad to study in other universities or do an internship in companies and institutions.