The Erasmus programme is a clear success for European higher education and a true mark of excellence for the EU. The mobility of young people from one country to another within the academic world has certainly contributed to the circulation of ideas, the comparison between different cultures, the training of young people, European integration and, more generally, to the strengthening of European citizenship.
Students attend another member state's university for a certain period of time, taking exams and acquiring credits there. The quantification of student learning through the use of credits was already present in Europe, so as to facilitate mobility and recognition of study periods under Erasmus with the
European credit transfer system (ECTS). This system makes courses of study more transparent and facilitates the recognition of qualifications.
In Italy, the ECTS system has caused, and still involves, some issues. Indeed, a system originally created to facilitate student mobility within Europe has sometimes hindered it. The problem is that the rating scales differ too much from country to country, and the rigid criteria applied to the recognition of students' study periods at different universities, or between different degree programmes, have in some cases blocked students' training, sometimes resulting in 'lost' credits and causing a lack of recognition of training activities already carried out and quantified in the form of 'crediti formativi universitari' (CFU).
"A fairly widespread feeling among students is that the quantification of training activities in the form of credits has, in fact, complicated university life"
When it comes to the workload required of students to achieve certain educational goals, it has failed the original CFU concept. In addition, there are several educational discrepancies. For example, some disciplines are associated with a low number of CFU but require a tremendous amount of work from students, while at other times, a high number of CFU is not matched by the necessary workload.
Moreover, students returning home after having studied abroad often find that their exams are not recognised, because the subjects' credits do not coincide, despite the teaching programme being the same. Because of this, they must take further exams.
A fairly widespread feeling among students is that the quantification of training activities in the form of credits has, in fact, complicated university life. This feeling, in my opinion, is probably linked to a lack of harmonisation in terms of the concept and meaning of university credits by the academic community.
Nevertheless, each year about 25,000 Italian students take part in the Erasmus programme. This means it is considered very interesting, and must therefore be improved in order to become more and more efficient. For this reason, I have submitted a written question to ask the European commission which legislative initiatives or actions intends to put forth to further improve the harmonisation of university credits and the Erasmus programme.