The European Union’s student exchange program “Erasmus +” celebrates the 30th anniversary. In the Republic of Moldova, the program has been run for 23 years and promoted over 90 projects in the period. Coordinator of the National “Erasmus+” Office in Moldova Claudia Melinte has told IPN that about 2,000 students and teachers from the country profited from academic mobility in EU universities.

“Four new Capacity Building projects and about 50 international mobility projects that opened up 500 new mobility possibilities for students and teachers both to the Republic of Moldova and from the Republic of Moldova were launched in 2016 alone. There is effort and, especially, the confidence and passion of the teacher who launches the project behind each of these projects. The experience of “Erasmus +” makes you believe in yourself and want to change the world,” stated Claudia Melinte.

In the festivity held to celebrate the anniversary, Head of the EU Delegation to Moldova Pirkka Papiola said this day is very important for “Erasmus+”, for Moldova and for the European Union. “The European Union will be further open for putting the program into practice. This is the program that gives the young people a big chance to develop their professional capacities so that they later find a good job. The prospects offered by “Erasmus+” to the young people here will help Moldova to continue its correct path,” said the European diplomat.

Attending the event, Prime Minister Pavel Filip said the project became a European brand at international level and an efficient cooperation platform. In the Republic of Moldova, the project determined the qualitative and structural change of higher education and its integration into the European area.

Ana Jleapov is a doctoral student of the Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova. She won the Emerge Scholarship that enabled her to become involved in a two-semester placement at a university in Vienna. The research, communication and possibility of exchanging experience helped her a lot to develop her doctoral thesis. 

Any student studying at a university in Moldova can benefit from “Erasmus+” .The studies abroad can last for three to 12 months (24 months in case of medical students). The same student can benefit from more mobility possibilities within a training cycle on condition that this does not exceed 12 months. The scholarship is of €750-850, depending on the living costs in the host country. Those who want can apply online on the website of the Department of International Relations, “Erasmus+”.