As an active European stakeholder in higher education, YERUN has participated in the interim evaluation of the Erasmus+ programme via the dedicated survey opened from 15 September until 8 December. The present feedback has been collected via the YERUN group on Erasmus+, which brings together colleagues involved in Key Action 1 (KA1), as well as via exchanges held with colleagues involved in Key Action 2 (KA2) projects (some of which YERUN has also participated in, either as a full partner or as an associated partner).

Overall, Erasmus+ continues to be greatly appreciated by the YERUN members as a crucial instrument to promote European integration and as an enabling tool for collaboration in higher education across Europe, contributing to support entire generations of students to learn across Europe while developing a strong European identity. The new programme is praised for its important horizontal priorities, namely for its contribution to inclusion and diversity, digital transformation, sustainability, and participation in democratic life, common values, and civic engagement.

While co-existing with other schemes at European, national and/or regional level, Erasmus+ is in many cases the main source of funding for universities to promote learning mobility, and to foster cooperation, quality, inclusion and equity, excellence, creativity, and innovation at the level of organisations and policies.

Against this important, positive background, this paper aims to complement the feedback provided in the survey by highlighting some specific aspects that YERUN members find particularly relevant, in the hope that they can be addressed by the governing bodies in the remaining part of the programme and in its future successor.

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