Erasmus+

For the 2027/28 academic year, Loughborough University plans to deliver Key Action 1 Erasmus+ activities only.  Further consideration will be given to how the University can engage in and promote wider Erasmus+ cooperation projects for the 2028-2034 period.

Within Key Action 1, it is envisaged that the majority of Erasmus+ activity will take the form of bilateral in-person student mobility.  Loughborough University offers study abroad opportunities with a range of existing partner universities in both Erasmus+ programme countries and Erasmus+ partner countries.  Outgoing Loughborough University students normally undertake a study abroad mobility lasting one semester or one academic year, as part of a sandwich year in between the second and third years of an undergraduate programme. Individuals who study at a partner institution for a single semester typically spend the remainder of the year undertaking a work placement (traineeship) in the UK or overseas, or in some cases take a second semester-long mobility at a different institution.  Loughborough University currently supports up to 200 students per year undertake a study abroad mobility and the University wishes to maintain or grow this number. 

The University also intends to use Erasmus+ funding to support students to undertake in-person overseas traineeships. Loughborough University has longstanding industrial links, with in the region of 1700 – 1800 undergraduates undertaking a work placement each year.  These are typically self-sourced and international placements are becoming increasingly popular.  The University will consider funding traineeships of any permitted duration (including vacation and post-graduation opportunities) and may accept traineeship funding applications from postgraduate taught students and doctoral researchers.  However, priority will be given to traineeships which are undertaken as part of the formal undergraduate sandwich year, and which are likely to be from five to twelve months in length. 

For the remaining year of the 2021-2027 Erasmus+ cycle, it is likely that staff mobility numbers may be relatively small, but the University plans to offer teaching and training mobilities for incoming and outgoing participants.  The University will use this year as a pilot and work to develop a strategy to increase awareness of and appetite for staff mobility activities.  

For the 2027/28 academic year, Loughborough University has established five Erasmus+ objectives which align the programme’s aims with the University’s strategic priorities, which it outlines in its Core Plans.

Objective 1: Maintain or increase the number of students participating in high quality international mobility activities (study and traineeships)

This objective will support the University’s Education and Student Experience Core Plan aims to deliver “a sector leading, innovative academic experience” and “ensure that all students have the opportunity for work experiences, international exchanges and/or collaborations, exposure to research, and to develop an entrepreneurial mindset to develop skills for life”. 

The University considers it essential that students have opportunities to develop personal and transferrable skills (e.g. inter-cultural competence, language skills, personal resilience) to complement the academic and technical knowledge obtained during their studies.  International mobilities provide opportunities for the acquisition of such skills and offer students the chance to form personal and professional networks which last beyond graduation.

Erasmus+ funding is a key enabler of access to international opportunities, not only by providing essential financial resources for students, but by supporting an infrastructure which allows Loughborough University to develop and maintain a range of international opportunities for students via Erasmus+ and broader international partnerships.

Objective 2: Widen access to international mobilities to ensure that participating students are from diverse backgrounds, ensuring access of opportunity to students who are typically underrepresented in mobility activity (particularly those from lower income backgrounds, racialised minority groups and disabled students)

Loughborough University strives to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment in which students from all backgrounds will thrive and is working hard to fulfil the objectives of its Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Core Plan and Access and Participation Plan*.  Research for the 2017/18 European Commission/Universities UK International ‘Go International: Stand Out’ campaign indicated that students who go abroad are more likely to achieve a higher degree classification and less likely to be unemployed, thereby improving graduate outcomes.  This is complemented by internal data which show that Loughborough undergraduates who successfully complete a work placement year are more likely to achieve a first or upper second class honours degree than those who do not.  Placements activity is therefore a key driver for closing the University’s attainment and outcomes gap between White and Black students.

The University anticipates that the Erasmus+ scheme will provide increased assurance about the availability of mobility funding, giving more learners from lower income and other underrepresented backgrounds the confidence to commit to a study abroad or international traineeship opportunity. 

*The Access and Participation Plan is a strategic document setting out how the Loughborough University will improve equality of opportunity for students from disadvantaged backgrounds to access, succeed in, and progress from higher education.

Objective 3: Increase the diversity of the Loughborough University student population by welcoming incoming exchange students from Erasmus+ programme and partner countries

This objective will support the University’s Education and Student Experience Core Plan aim to “create a culturally vibrant student community that benefits from the inclusion of students from across the globe and who are taught and supported by diverse staff”. 

Although Loughborough University is home to students from over 145 different countries, the majority of students are ordinarily resident in the UK.  Since the UK’s departure from the European Union, the number of Loughborough students from Erasmus+ programme countries at has decreased. It is anticipated that the Erasmus+ programme will bring a welcome increase in the number of incoming exchange students from the European Education Area.  This will support the internationalisation of Loughborough University’s campuses, enhancing the diversity of the student body and providing wider opportunities for students, including those who do not directly participate in international experiences, to form friendships with and learn from individuals from different countries and cultures.  This will help strengthen Loughborough students’ inter-cultural competences and prepare them for life and work in the age of the global citizen.  It will also provide incoming students with the opportunities to increase their understanding of British culture and academia and strengthen the ties between the UK and Europe.

Objective 4: Reintroduce staff mobility on a small scale, providing the foundation for further activity in the 2028-2034 Erasmus+ cycle

This objective will support the professional development of academic and professional services staff, allowing them to contribute more effectively to Loughborough University’s Education and Student Experience strategic objectives.  It is envisaged that, for 2027/28, successful academic and professional services applicants are likely to be actively involved in developing and supporting study abroad, work placements, or academic partnerships, and will be able to gather best practice from a partner institution to be shared with Loughborough University colleagues (e.g. in the practicalities of managing Erasmus+ or delivering joint degrees).  Although numbers will initially be small, Loughborough University will use the 2027/28 year as a pilot for the implementation of application and selection processes for outgoing staff, making improvements for future years based on participant feedback.

Erasmus+ funding is a critical driver for the reintroduction of staff mobility, providing a clear framework for teaching and training opportunities with trusted partners, plus the necessary financial support. 

Objective 5: Revitalise relationships with European partners

This objective will support the University’s Partnerships strategic aim to “develop meaningful partnerships locally, regionally, nationally and internationally”.  Loughborough University welcomes the UK’s return to the Erasmus+ scheme and hopes to use Erasmus+ to maintain existing relationships and develop new partnerships with institutions in Europe and beyond. 

Exchange agreements provide opportunities for academic and administrative staff to engage with and learn from peers at partner organisations and may form a platform upon which other collaborative activity can be built.  Increased liaison with international partners will improve Loughborough University’s international standing and allow the University to contribute to improving the UK’s position within the European Education Area, following the UK’s departure from the EU.

In addition to expertise in a range of Arts, Engineering, Science and Social Science disciplines, Loughborough University is currently ranked first in the world for the study of sports-related subjects (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025).  The University will give particular consideration to how it can use its research and innovation expertise and infrastructure which supports all levels of participation from recreational to elite to support the Erasmus+ programme’s aims in the field of sport.

The University will measure achievement of its strategic objectives in the following ways:

Objective 1: Maintain or increase the number of students participating in high quality international mobility activities (study and traineeships)

Loughborough University will monitor participant numbers for the 2027/28 academic year and seek feedback from participants in relation to the quality of the experience and the support provided by the University.  To maximise the number of respondents and facilitate the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data, feedback will primarily be obtained via online questionnaires.  Data will be analysed, benchmarked against outcomes for previous academic years, and retained for the purposes of monitoring longer term trends. The University may also arrange small focus groups with students where more in-depth qualitative information about a particular topic is required. Should feedback indicate that a particular process, activity or partnership is not delivering as intended, the University will seek to make improvements where possible, involving partner institutions where appropriate. 

Where mobility activities are embedded into a programme of study (student exchange or assessed work placement (traineeship)), academic outcomes will continue to be monitored for the purpose of ensuring that mobilities deliver high quality academic or professional training.

Objective 2: Widen access to international mobilities to ensure that participating students are from diverse backgrounds, ensuring access of opportunity to students who are typically underrepresented in mobility activity (particularly those from lower income backgrounds, racialised minority groups and disabled students)

The University will monitor the numbers and protected characteristics of participants year-on-year and prioritise Erasmus+ funding in accordance with the National Agency’s priorities.  Longer term (into 2028-2034), the University will seek to define the barriers to participation which impact upon the Loughborough student population, by consulting students and defining a strategy to increase take-up of mobility activity amongst groups who are traditionally underrepresented in exchanges and international traineeships. As the return to Erasmus+ and focus upon opportunities within the European Education Area will represent a significant funding change for the UK, the University’s broad aim will be to ensure that 2027/28 participant diversity is greater than or equal to that of the previous three academic years.   Once it is possible to identify Erasmus+-specific trends and the National Agency’s priorities are known, the University will consider setting specific targets.

Objective 3: Increase the diversity of the Loughborough University student population by welcoming incoming exchange students from Erasmus+ programme and partner countries

The University will work with Erasmus+ partner institutions to ensure appropriate numbers of incoming and outgoing places are offered and accepted, seeking to balance student demand with the recruitment of diverse participants.  Incoming student numbers will primarily be monitored by nationality and domicile.

Objective 4: Reintroduce staff mobility on a small scale, providing the foundation for further activity in the 2028-2034 Erasmus+ cycle

The University will monitor incoming and outgoing teaching/training mobility participant numbers and will collate feedback from participants in relation to the usefulness of the activity and information gained.  The University will also seek detailed input from outgoing applicants and participants to assess the effectiveness of initial staff mobility selection processes with a view to making improvements where required to underpin potential growth during the 2028-34 Erasmus+ cycle.

Objective 5: Revitalise relationships with European partners

In addition to monitoring bilateral staff and student mobility numbers, for 2027/28 the University will judge success by the number of existing inter-institutional agreements, renewals and demand for agreements with new Erasmus+ scheme partner universities.