The aim of the Erasmus Program is to increase the quality of the Higher Education in Europe, and strengthen the European Dimension in the Higher Education in Europe. Actually, Erasmus is mostly related with the "mobility of university students". Erasmus is a program funded by European Union (EU), established to link universities in the member states of the European Union.

Erasmus is one of the major branches of the EU- Lifelong Learning Program (LLP) that covers undergraduate and graduate sudies in universities.

It would be explanatory to quote from the key objectives of the LLP Program, determined by the LLP Bureau in Brussels:

•  To achieve a significant increase in student and staff mobility between European Higher Education Institutions,

•  To promote broad and lasting inter-institutional co-operation,

•  To contribute to the concept of a people's Europe,

•  To contribute to the economic and social development of Europe through the creation of a significant number of higher education graduates with direct experience of intra- European cooperation.

Participating countries

Adopted on 14 December 2006 and spanning the period until the end of 2013, LLP and its Erasmus action are now open to the participation of 31 countries:

• the 27 Member States of the European Union
• the 3 European Economic Area countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway)
• and Turkey

Who can participate?

To participate in the LLP/ERASMUS programme, you must fulfill the following conditions:

• You are a student and enrolled in a formal programme of study at higher education level leading to a degree or a diploma (including doctoral level) in one of the participating countries.
• You are a citizen of one the participating countries (or are recognised as having an official status of refugee or stateless person or permanent resident).
• You have completed at least the first year of your university studies.

Student Mobility (SM)

Once a university establishes a bilateral exchange aggreement with another university covering interested departments; then the university can use the fund provided for Erasmus activities such as language training of the students, translation of documents, preparatory visits and covering any additional expenses related to student's participation in the program.

The students - except the preparatory school and 1st year students- , including doctorate students, according to the Erasmus aggreements and regulations established between the partner universities, can spend their 3-12 months abroad, at the host partner university or higher education institution, via the "Student Mobility" (SM) activity of the Erasmus. In addition to these, via ECTS, the time spent in the host country and the efforts of the student can be recognized by the student's home university.

What is "placement"?

Placement is the process of a student having a vocational education or gaining work experience in a business administration or organisation at one of the participant countries (European Union countries). However, the placement institution should not be one of the institutions running European Institutions or European Community programs.

Conditions for Application:

- Students who has a compulsory placement in their department curriculum will be given priority, but all other students can also apply. (The placement should be credited in ECTS terms by the Department.)

- The CGPA should be at least 2.00/4.00 for unergraduate students and at least 2.50/4.00 for graduate students.

In order to apply for the student placement activity, a document of acceptance from the institution where the placement will take place, should be submitted to the USAK SAO, along with the student placement application form.

In selections, the overall point will be calculated by taking the 50 % of the CGPA and 50 % of the English proficiency test score into account.

Staff Training (ST) Mobility includes three types of mobility:

• The mobility of university staff member going to an enterprise and vice versa:

The purpose of this type of mobility is to provide opportunity for the training of the participants through the transmittal of knowledge and experience. The basic activities are; seminars, workshops, courses and conferences, practice education processes, short-term assignments etc.

• The mobility of the university executive and administrative staff going to another university:

The purpose of this type of mobility is to provide opportunity for the participants' learning another institution's experienced and good implementations and improving required talents for his/her current assignments. The basic activities are; study visits, short term assignments and on the job training programs etc.

• The mobility of academic staff going to another higher education institution to have training.

Training periods can have a duration of at least 1 week (5 working days); but may last upto 6 weeks.

Financial support is available for the Academic Staff to spend teaching periods abroad and for the university staff to have training at an Erasmus Partner University or at a business enterprise. However, Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) funding for these activities is not intended to cover all the costs. The amount of these grants and the procedures for awarding these grants may vary from country to country. Generally, the TS/ST/SM Grants for Academic Staff are provided by the European Commission through National Agency of the sending country.