Sofia Corradithe creator of Erasmus programme who enabled millions of young people to study abroad across Europe, recently passed away in Rome at the age of 91. His project started from the United States, where he studied as a young man after graduating from La Sapienza University of Rome, thanks to a Fulbright scholarship from Columbia University in New York, earning a master’s degree in comparative law.
When, upon his return to Italy, the exams he took were not recognized by the Italian education system, Corradi began to imagine the idea of an exchange programwhich would later become Erasmus. Alongside this, he conducted research on the right to education as a fundamental human right for the United Nations Human Rights Commission, for the Hague Academy of International Law and for the London School of Economics.
What is Erasmus: the birth of Sofia Corradi’s project
In 2018 Sofia Corradi declared that the idea of the program, born during the Cold War, represented her “personal pacifist mission“, to “let minds circulate” as a tool for cultural diplomacy and the formation of a European conscience. Il Erasmus programmenow known as Erasmus+has over time become one of the most significant initiatives of the European Union in the fields of education and mobility. Since its launch, it has constantly evolved to respond to changes in the educational landscape.
Originally conceived as a program aimed at promoting student exchanges and academic collaborationErasmus has expanded to become a comprehensive educational framework including vocational training and youth activities. The program operates in 27 countries of the European Unionas well as in partner nations such as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Türkiye and North Macedonia.
Already in 1969Corradi drew up a memorandum proposing the possibility for students to carry out part of their study plan at foreign universities. After an experimental phase started between the Seventies and Eighties, the Erasmus programme left in 1987 as an autonomous initiative with the aim of promoting European cooperation and mobility in higher education.
The name is inspired by Erasmus of Rotterdamthe famous humanist of the early sixteenth century, a symbol of intellectual exchange across borders. Erasmo’s legacy still lives on in the program’s mission: to promote learning, cultural exchange and international cooperation among European universities. The acronym ErasmusFurthermore, it corresponds to the European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students.
In the first year of activitythe program involved 11 countries and about three thousand students who left for a period of study abroad. Since those first steps, the project has undergone a series of important evolutions:
- 1987-1994: first phases of the program, focused on student mobility and academic collaboration between European universities.
- 1995-2006: Erasmus becomes part of the program Socrateswhich aims to improve the quality and accessibility of education in Europe. In this phase Erasmus extends its scope to the exchanges of teaching staff, the development of curricula and university cooperation projects.
- 2007-2013: Erasmus operates within the programme Lifelong Learning (“Lifelong Learning”), successor to Socrates. Activities are expanded, including training internships, cooperation projects and initiatives to improve transparency and recognition of qualifications across Europe.
- From 2014 to today: is born Erasmus+which brings together all previous European programs for education, training and sport under one structure. Erasmus+ further broadens the scope, including not only higher education but also vocational training, school and sports activities.
Erasmus+ also introduced new elements such as strategic partnerships, knowledge alliances And capacity building projects to stimulate innovation and collaboration between different educational sectors. The program places a strong emphasis oninclusionwith the aim of offering opportunities also to people from less advantaged backgrounds.
Erasmus+ project: the cultural and geopolitical impact in the EU
Over the decades, Erasmus has grown to become one of the most successful and recognizable European Union programmes, bringing benefits to millions of students, teachers and institutions. From 1987 to today, approximately 16 million students have participated in the projectwhich he played a key role in promoting European integrationthe intercultural understanding and the creation of a European Higher Education Area.
Former program participants report back often positive impacts on their personal and professional lives, including improving language skills and a broader, more open view of the world. The Erasmus program also continues evolveadapting to new challenges and opportunities in the education sector, while maintaining its original mission: promote mobility, cooperation and excellence in education across Europe.
From a political point of view, the signing of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992with which the European Union was officially established, contributed to supporting the idea of the free movement of students and researchers within the European space. Afterwards, the Europe 2020 Strategy of the EU reiterated the importance of investing in human capital as a lever to promote economic development and internationalisation.
