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Erasmus and Israel: new programme for advancing international cooperation

Tuesday, 4. November 2014 - 13:26

Erasmus+ National Information Day for Representatives of Institutions of Higher Education.
Tuesday, 4 November, Polonsky Academy, Jerusalem.

As part of the academic cooperation between the State of Israel and the European Union, a special Information Day will be held on Tuesday, 4.11.14 for representatives of institutions of higher education on the first call for proposals under the Erasmus+ Programme in Israel. Presentations will be made on the new call for proposals as well as on the assistance available to institutions intending to submit project proposals.

Erasmus+ is the European Union's new programme for advancing international cooperation in the fields of education, training, youth and sport. For institutions of higher education in Israel Erasmus+ opens up unique opportunities for strengthening academic links with Europe. The goals of this type of international cooperation include the development of new curricula and new learning technologies, strengthening links between academia and industry, the encouragement of student and staff mobility, joint degrees, building capacity and infrastructures in higher education institutions and systems and the advancement of excellence in the field of European Studies.

The overall budget of the programme for the years 2014-2020 is approximately €16.5 billion, of which some 17% is earmarked for cooperation with non-European countries (such as Israel(.The southern Mediterranean region is a priority region for the EU under European Neighbourhood Policy, and is therefore expected to receive a high proportion of this funding. According to European Commission estimates, some 4,230 students and academic staff per year participating in Erasmus + will come from this region, of which some 420 will come from Israel.

The new call for proposals - the first to include an international component – was published at the beginning of October 2014. The 4 November Information Day will include presentations on the actions open to Israel under the programme, such as mobility of students and staff and academic cooperation. Stands belonging to European Union Member States and to active TEMPUS projects in Israel will also be on display. The Information Day will be a good opportunity to identify potential partners for new projects and to study best practices.

Ahead of the Information Day, Ambassador Lars Faaborg –Andersen, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the State of Israel, said: "The Erasmus+ Programme is the EU's flagship programme on higher education and youth, and is one of the strongest points of collaboration between the EU and Israel. The new programme offers an increased budget, spelling out more opportunities for Israeli Higher Education Institutes, academic staff and students. Collaboration in higher education between the EU and Israel has been gathering pace in recent years, with more than half of the Israeli Higher Education Institutions already benefitting from previous programmes. I hope that this call for proposal will signify another step in this positive trend that will bring our higher education sectors even closer."

Ambassador Faaborg-Andersen will open the Information Day together with Prof. Hagit Messer-Yarom, Deputy Chair, Council for Higher Education. Among the lecturers will be representatives of the European Commission , the Spanish Ministry of Education, the Embassy of France and the Erasmus+ team in Israel.

Source: 
eeas.europa.eu
Tags: 
Erasmus
European Union
Institutions of Higher Education
Israel