Don't reduce the ERASMUS time!

Proposals to reduce the ERASMUS time are stupid.

ERASMUS figures do not decline because of the length of the stays but because home universities too often put too many administrative and educational restrictions on those who want to leave. If leaving 5-6 month means to repeat one whole year of studies, this is a serious negative incentive not to go.

Stays of less then 5 month are too short to connect to the country and culture where the ERASMUS students are going. Building relations to other Europeans - local and international - needs time, especially if these relations should contribute to a European identity, in my eyes one of the main reasons to organise ERASMUS exchanges.

So don't shorten ERASMUS, but ease the exchanges by better inter-university co-ordination and good-will on the side of university administrators!

ERASMUS for soldiers: The European young officers exchange scheme

As I have read in the Conclusions of the French EU-Council Presidency on the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), Europe will get ERASMUS for soldiers:

On 10 November 2008, the Council approved the launch of the European young officers exchange scheme, modelled on Erasmus. The aim is to develop exchanges between officers in their initial training phase, in order to reinforce the ability of the European armed forces to work together and the interoperability of forces. This initiative, which will facilitate exchanges between national training colleges, will be implemented on a national and voluntary basis, with assistance from the European Security and Defence College (ESDC).

I am looking forward to "L'auberge espanole II", with young European soldiers drinking and having fun in military bases all over the continent... :-D