A conference was organised on Wednesday in Budapest to mark the launching of the European Union's new Erasmus+ funding programme for education, training, youth and sport.

The event was attended by Minister of Human Resources Zoltán Balog, who  highlighted in his address that Hungary will receive EUR 31 million from the Erasmus+ programme in 2014, which is an 11% increase compared to the funding it received in 2013, with the amount increasing further each year until 2020.

Erasmus+ will help strengthen the flow of knowledge and foster openness, thanks to which our international education network will expand and new approaches will be realised within the Hungarian education system, the Minister underlined, adding that we can also „export” knowledge from Hungary that Europe may need.

He mentioned the reform of the teacher training system and the inclusion of the socially disadvantaged as the main Hungarian objectives within the field of education.

Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, hopes Erasmus+ will bring the worlds of work and education closer together. The programme symbolises Europe’s openness to the world, she said, noting that students may also apply for scholarships in third world countries.

The EU Commissioner stressed that Erasmus+ will provide grants for about 4 million people and its overall budget will increase by 40 percent, mounting to a total of EUR 14.7 billion over the next seven years. In addition to studying and training abroad, numerous volunteer programmes, internships and job opportunities will also be available to applicants.
125,000 schools, vocational education and training institutions, higher and adult education institutions, youth organisations and enterprises will receive funding to establish strategic partnerships in order to promote the exchange of experience.

Between 2007 and 2013, nearly 65,000 Hungarian students, young people and education, training and youth staff received funding from the EU's Lifelong Learning and Youth in Action programmes. In comparison, it is estimated that nearly 100 000 people will now benefit from the Erasmus+ programme over the next seven years.

(Prime Minister’s Office)