Karin Christen

Swiss measures to co-finance Erasmus+
ACA Policy Seminar – What's new in Brussels?
3 February 2015
Karin Christen
Head of programme Erasmus
Swiss National Agency for LLP and YiA
Content
 Short presentation of the ch Foundation
 A brief history…
 The Swiss interim solution for Erasmus+
 Outlook
 Questions
ch Foundation – who we are
The ch Foundation for federal co-operation is a Swiss inter-cantonal
organisation that…
… was founded in 1967
… has members from all 26 cantons
… promotes communication and understanding between Switzerland's
different linguistic communities and cultures as well as inter-cantonal
cooperation
… is committed to the concept of federalism
ch Foundation – what we do
•
Since 1976 (youth) exchange, later whole-class and individual pupil
ex-changes between the French, German, Italian and Romanshspeaking regions of Switzerland as well as for extra-European
teacher exchanges.
•
In 2010 mandate by the State Secretariat for Education, Research
and Innovation (SERI) to implement the programmes Lifelong
Learning and Youth in Action as the Swiss National Agency
•
In 2014 mandate to become the National Agency for Erasmus+…
ch Foundation – where we are
Headquarter in Solothurn, a small town about 30 km from Berne
A brief history of Erasmus in Switzerland
How it all began, ended and re-began…
1992/1993
Switzerland participates in Erasmus for the first time
1992
A narrow majority of 50.3% of the Swiss population
against Switzerland’s accession to the European
Economic Area, as a consequence no renewal of the
agreement on Swiss participation in European education
programmes
1996-2010
Indirect participation in European education programmes
2011-2013
Conclusion of bilateral agreement between EU and
Switzerland on full Swiss participation in the Programme
for Lifelong Learning and Youth in Action
Time to vote
…and ended again (to be continued)
9 February ‘14
A narrow majority of 50.3% of the Swiss population in
favour of the Swiss people’s party’s initiative against
mass immigration
17 February ‘14 EU-Swiss negotiations on Switzerland’s participation in
Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020 suspended
26 February ‘14 European Commission informs Switzerland about loss
of status as programme country of Erasmus+
April ‘14
Swiss government approves interim solution for
Erasmus+ for 2014
September ‘14
Government decides to extend interim solution until 2016
Facts and Figures – statistics from 2012/13
Student mobility
Studies
Traineeships
2’718
272
Most popular destination
Germany, France,
Spain, UK, Sweden
Germany, France,
UK, Italy, Spain
Inbound student mobility
2’722
1’573
Germany, France,
Spain, Sweden
Germany, Italy,
France, Denmark/UK
Outbound student mobility
Most frequent countries of
origin
Most popular Swiss HEI
with Incoming students
ETH Lausanne
University of Geneva
ETH Zurich
Inbound student mobility 2012/13
1400
1200
Mobility for studies
Mobility for traineeships
1000
605
800
600
255
400
53
122
589
22
200
351 328
239
65
78
78
22
179 163
134 103
87
0
DE
FR
ES
IT
SE
UK
AT
NL
FI
20
82
15
30
44
75
67
CZ
BEFR BENL
24
56
60
54
52
16
29
20
24
22
9
19
7
18
13
13
6
13
2
10
6
4
6
2
3
1
PT
PL
DK
HU
GR
LU
IE
SI
LT
RO
LV
BG
SK
EE
BEDE
The Swiss interim solution for Erasmus+
Not the end…
…but no longer Erasmus+
Swiss-European Mobility Programme SEMP
Interim solution for Erasmus+: key elements
 priority to mobility (outbound and inbound)
 based on the principle that Switzerland still wishes to rejoin Erasmus+
as a full associate country
 funding covered by the budget originally earmarked for Switzerland’s
programme contributions to the EU Commission as an associate
country in Erasmus+ (CHF 22.7 m)
 ch Foundation mandated to implement the interim solution
Key action 1: What does the Swiss programme support?
Student and Staff mobility with Erasmus+ programme countries 
International mobility
Joint Master degrees
Master student loan guarantee
Student and staff mobility: important things to know
Student mobility for studies and Staff mobility for teaching:
Based on inter-institutional agreements (Swiss-European Mobility programme)
Incoming Student mobility for traineeships:
- not possible after diploma
- only eligible for funding if
- either student from partner university
- or traineeship at a Swiss HEI
- decision on funding: Swiss HEI according to their criteria, available funds
etc.
Incoming Staff mobility for training:
- only at a Swiss HEI
- decision on funding: Swiss HEI
Monthly grant amounts for student mobility
Outgoing students to
Student mobility
studies
Student mobility
traineeships
all Erasmus+ countries
CHF 300
CHF 420
Student mobility
studies
Student mobility
traineeships
AT, DK, FI, FR, IE, IT, LI, NO,
SE, UK
CHF 360
CHF 420
BE, BG, CY, CZ, DE, EE, EL,
ES, HR, HU, IS, LT, LU, LV, MK,
MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SI, SK, TR
CHF 420
CHF 420
Incoming students from
Grant amounts for staff mobility
Outgoing and Incoming Staff mobility
teaching assignment and training
from/to
all Erasmus+ countries
Travel costs: max. CHF 600
1st to14th day
15th to 60th day
CHF 170
CHF 80
Key action 2: What does the Swiss programme support?
Strategic Partnerships ()
Knowledge Alliances ()
Capacity building
“Associated participation” within the framework of the Swiss
interim solution for Erasmus+
• Funding for Swiss institutions’ participation in Strategic
Partnerships/Knowledge Alliances selected for funding by the
coordinator’s NA/the EACEA
• Application to the ch Foundation (same deadlines as Erasmus+)
(annexes to be submitted once available: copy of the official
application, copy of the Grant Award Notification, written approval of
the coordinator)
• Swiss institutions participating in a Strategic Partnership should , Swiss
institutions participating in a Knowledge Alliance must be mentioned in
the official Erasmus+ application
Participation as official partner within the Erasmus+ programme
Open to institutions from all Erasmus+ partner countries
but participating organisations from a partner country…
…cannot be coordinators.
…do not count towards the minimum number of
participating institutions.
…must bring an essential added value to the project.
The tricky “added value clause”
“If applicable the extent to which the involvement of a participating
organisation of a Partner Country brings an essential added value to the
project (if this condition is not fulfilled, the project will not be
considered for selection)” Erasmus+ Programme Guide 2015
→ tasks and activities of the Swiss institution well defined and described
in the application
→ integration of the Swiss partner within the project
Aspects in favour of Swiss partners:
→ geographical, linguistic and cultural proximity to Erasmus+ countries
→ quality of Swiss Higher education
Outlook
In the near “foreseeable” future…
… the EU will keep on insisting on Switzerland’s compliance with the
Free Movement of Persons for resumption of negotiations on the full
participation of Switzerland in Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+.
… the Swiss Government will try to negotiate about what is – according
to the EU – not negotiable: the Free Movement of Persons.
… the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation
will work out a proposition on how to continue with mobility activities
beyond 2016.
Not without Switzerland!
Appeal for an open European higher education area by the rectors’
conference and the Swiss student union: Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020
www.not-without-switzerland.org
“We hereby express our commitment to an open European and
international higher education area, and emphasise our will to
continue to foster and promote international exchange at our higher
education institutions. International education and research
programmes as well as inter-university projects must remain an
uncontested part of the entire European and international higher
education area, to which Switzerland belongs.”
Thank you.
Dornacherstrasse 28A
PO Box 246
CH-4501 Solothurn
Tel.+41 32 346 18 18
Fax +41 32 346 18 02
[email protected]
www.ch-go.ch
www.chfoundation.ch
www.ch-go.ch/abo
www.facebook.com/go.chstiftung
Supported by the Swiss Confederation.