Vice-Chancellor Professor Nigel Thrift recently hosted a Gala dinner to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Erasmus programme.

Since the creation of the Erasmus programme in 1987, nearly three million students from across Europe have benefited from a study period or work placement abroad with over 200,000 of those coming from the UK.

Almost 100 Warwick students and over 50 Warwick staff attended the event in the Panorama Suite, Rootes Building on Tuesday 27 November 2012. This was in addition to special guests including the Lord Mayor of Coventry Councillor Tim Sawdon and staff from the European Commission, British Council and some of Warwick’s European partner universities.

The Warwick Erasmus programme is one of the largest in the UK sending as many students elsewhere in Europe as come to spend time here, which is somewhat unusual in the UK. A recent survey highlighted that many Warwick students cite the study abroad opportunities as a main reason for choosing to study at Warwick.

In his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor emphasised that the Erasmus programme presents students and staff alike with the opportunity to develop valuable lifelong skills and cultural understanding. He also praised the wider benefits of the scheme for European cooperation:

I am absolutely certain that the co-operation and solidarity that the Erasmus programme instils between European institutions will hold us in good stead for the future”.

Staff and students also delivered short speeches on their personal experiences of having undertaken Erasmus exchange in Europe.

The Erasmus 25th anniversary dinner presented a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the Erasmus programme and to share a wealth of experiences in what turned out to be a very enjoyable and dynamic evening.