Erasmus+ directors are meeting in Prague

The Czech Republic is hosting a directors' meeting of Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes.

Every six months, directors from all countries involved in European education programmes meet to discuss current challenges in international education and approaches to implementing Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes. The meeting is always hosted by the country holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU. This time, therefore, the Czech National Agency for International Education and Research (DZS) is responsible for the organisation.

In addition to hundreds of Erasmus leaders, the meeting in Prague is also attended by representatives of the European Commission, giving agency representatives the opportunity to give feedback on the programme and discuss its future together.

"The exchange of information between agencies is crucial for the development of the programme. Erasmus works according to the same rules in all countries, but its implementation requires coordination. When working with applicants, promoting the programme, or assessing risks, we face similar challenges and it is very beneficial to inspire each other with effective approaches to them," says Michal Uhl, director of DZS.

One of the topics that the directors focus on is, for example, impact evaluation. All countries agree on the importance of measuring programme impact, but they have different approaches to how they conduct impact research. They address the benefits of programme participation for individuals, organisations and the national economy. In the area of Erasmus+ research, the Czech Republic is one of the few countries where the national agency, the DZS, conducts its own research. Most agencies obtain data from external researchers.

Another important topic of the meeting are the synergies between Erasmus+,  European Solidarity Corps and other financial instruments at European and national level. The European Commission wants to support organisations in using grant funds efficiently and combining available resources to achieve maximum results.

Erasmus representatives will be in Prague until Wednesday. In addition to joint discussions and workshops, they will have the opportunity to visit the historic city centre, and take a guided tour by students of the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague.