The Impact of ERASMUS on European Higher Education: Quality, Openness and Internationalisation; Final Report by the consortium of CHEPS, INCHER-Kassel and ECOTEC

This study explores the impact of the ERASMUS programme on quality improvement in European higher education in particular in the areas of teaching, research, student services and the openness to society with a focus at the institutional and system level. The study puts an emphasis on the identification of the contribution of ERASMUS to the development of high level strategies in these areas and to the various services higher education delivers. In addition, the study provides recommendations to make the current programme more effective and innovative in spreading internationalisation and quality in European higher education. The study concentrates on ERASMUS before the Lifelong Learning programme (2007-2013) as it is too early to evaluate the impact of the new ERASMUS LLL actions. The research consortium of CHEPS, INCHER and ECOTEC conducted a literature review, surveys among various institutional stakeholders of ERASMUS affiliated higher education institutions and 20 case studies to provide more in depth information on the various ways in which the ERASMUS programme has impacted on the operation of these institutions. The key results of the study are summarised below.