Abstract
In this chapter, we acknowledge international conviviality as an important driver of Erasmus participation for students, with the communal nature of exchanges being one of the main reasons for the programme’s longevity and success. Using evidence gathered from Erasmus candidates in Italy and interviewees in Germany, we are able to illustrate what an exchange visit means in terms of future personal and professional development. This constitutes an original approach to understanding the impetus to participate in the programme, including the formal application procedure, the initiation of a dialogue between the student and Erasmus authorities, and the experience of entering a competitive selection procedure at European level for what may be the first time.
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- 1.
One specific element that is important to underline here is the aforementioned pragmatism of the statements, namely the fact that this material is meant to convince a committee that the applicant is worthy of receiving funds.
- 2.
For instance, university graduate career booklets can be considered a means for demonstrating the correct attitude. For an exploration of this theme in the UK and Italy, see Cuzzocrea (2009).
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Cairns, D., Krzaklewska, E., Cuzzocrea, V., Allaste, AA. (2018). The Erasmus Impetus. In: Mobility, Education and Employability in the European Union. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76926-4_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76926-4_3
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