Erasmus Mundus EC 9

Objectives of the External Cooperation Windows

The main overall objectives of this mobility scheme are:

To develop higher education teaching and learning capacities of Third countries and regions in areas of policy and practice closely linked to their development priorities, thus contributing to bridge the gap between developing and developed countries, including poverty reduction aspects;

To promote cooperation between sending and hosting institutions, thus mutually enriching the educational environment of both , to share responsibility and accountability for their joint efforts in partnership by facilitating transfer of know-how and good practices;

To enable talented students to benefit linguistically, culturally and educationally from the experience of pursuing academic studies in another country. This will contribute to combat poverty investing in people by developing a pool of well-qualified, open-minded and internationally experienced young women/men as future professionals and leaders, capable of responding to the challenges of the new Global Knowledge Society of a globalised world and of improving governance;

To contribute to provide good students from vulnerable groups (i.e. refugees, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and indigenous populations) with further education and professional development and empowerment for leadership;

To enhance the skills and qualifications of foreign higher education staff so that they can contribute actively towards improvement of quality and pertinence, to university research, to changes in system governance and to innovation of higher education through an institutionbased visiting teacher exchange system.

To build the capacity of the administration and public and private sector by participation of their staff in higher education mobility activities (especially through doctorate and postdoctorate activities);

To improve the transparency and recognition of studies and qualifications, in particular by favouring the practical implementation of Common Areas of Higher education triggered by the interest in the "acquis" of the Bologna process2;

To enhance in the medium term the political, cultural, educational and economical links between the European Union and Third-countries, promoting common values of respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms, peace, democracy, good governance, gender, equality, the rule of law, solidarity and justice.