Erasmus+ information

The European Commission hereby awards this Charter to:

University of Leicester

The Institution undertakes to:

• Respect in full the principles of non-discrimination, transparency and inclusion set out in the Erasmus+ Programme.
• Ensure equal and equitable access and opportunities to current and prospective participants from all backgrounds, paying particular attention to the inclusion of those with fewer opportunities. 
• Ensure full automatic recognition of all credits (based on the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System – ECTS) gained for learning outcomes satisfactorily achieved during a period of study/training abroad, including during blended mobility. 
• Charge no fees, in the case of credit mobility, to incoming mobile students for tuition, registration, examinations or access to laboratory and library facilities.
• Ensure the quality of the mobility activities and of the cooperation projects throughout the application and implementation phases.
• Implement the priorities of the Erasmus+ Programme:
  • By undertaking the necessary steps to implement digital mobility management in line with the technical standards of the European Student Card Initiative.
  • By promoting environmentally friendly practices in all activities related to the Programme.
  • By encouraging the participation of individuals with fewer opportunities in the Programme.
  • By promoting civic engagement and encouraging students and staff to get involved as active citizens before, during and after their participation in a mobility activity or cooperation project. 

When participating in Mobility Programmes

Before Mobility

• Ensure that selection procedures for mobility activities are fair, transparent, coherent and documented.
• Publish and regularly update the course catalogue on the website well in advance of the mobility periods, so as to be transparent to all parties and allow mobile students to make well-informed choices about the courses they will follow.
• Publish and regularly update information on the grading system used and grade distribution tables for all study programmes. Ensure that students receive clear and transparent information on recognition and grade conversion procedures.
• Carry out mobility for the purpose of studying and teaching only within the framework of prior agreements between institutions which establish the respective roles and responsibilities of the parties, as well as their commitment to shared quality criteria in the selection, preparation, reception, support and integration of mobile participants.
• Ensure that outgoing mobile participants are well prepared for their activities abroad, including blended mobility, by undertaking activities to achieve the necessary level of linguistic proficiency and develop their intercultural competences.
• Ensure that student and staff mobility is based on a learning agreement for students and a mobility agreement for staff, validated in advance between the sending and receiving institutions or enterprises and the mobile participants.
• Provide active support to incoming mobile participants throughout the process of finding accommodation.
• Provide assistance related to obtaining visas, when required, for incoming and outgoing mobile participants.
• Provide assistance related to obtaining insurance, when required, for incoming and outgoing mobile participants.
• Ensure that students are aware of their rights and obligations as defined in the Erasmus Student Charter. 
  
   

During Mobility

• Ensure equal academic treatment and the quality of services for incoming students.
• Promote measures that ensure the safety of outgoing and incoming mobile participants.
• Integrate incoming mobile participants into the wider student community and in the Institution’s everyday life. Encourage them to act as ambassadors of the Erasmus+ Programme and share their mobility experience.
• Provide appropriate mentoring and support arrangements for mobile participants, including for those pursuing blended mobility. 
• Provide appropriate language support to incoming mobile participants. 

After Mobility

• Provide incoming mobile students and their sending institutions with transcripts of records containing a full, accurate and timely record of their achievements at the end of the mobility period.
• Ensure the inclusion of satisfactorily completed study and/or traineeship mobility activities in the final record of student achievements (the Diploma Supplement).
• Ensure that all ECTS credits gained for learning outcomes satisfactorily achieved during a period of study/training abroad, including during blended mobility, are fully and automatically recognised as agreed in the learning agreement and confirmed by the transcript of records/traineeship certificate; transfer those credits without delay into the student’s records, count them towards the student’s degree without any additional work or assessment of the student and make them traceable in the student’s transcript of records and the Diploma Supplement.
• Encourage and support mobile participants upon return to act as ambassadors of the Erasmus+ Programme, promote the benefits of mobility and actively engage in building alumni communities. 
• Ensure that staff is given recognition for their teaching and training activities undertaken during the mobility period, based on a mobility agreement and in line with the institutional strategy. 
  
   

When participating in European and International Cooperation Projects

• Ensure that cooperation activities contribute towards the fulfilment of the institutional strategy.
• Promote the opportunities offered by the cooperation projects and provide relevant support to staff and students interested in participating in these activities throughout the application and implementation phase.
• Ensure that cooperation activities lead to sustainable outcomes and that their impact benefits all partners.
• Encourage peer-learning activities and exploit the results of the projects in a way that will maximise their impact on individuals, other participating institutions and the wider academic community. 

For the purposes of implementation and monitoring

• Ensure that the long-term institutional strategy and its relevance to the objectives and priorities of the Erasmus+ Programme are described in the Erasmus Policy Statement.
• Ensure that the principles of the Charter are well communicated and are applied by staff at all levels of the Institution.
• Make use of the ECHE Guidelines and of the ECHE Self-assessment to ensure the full implementation of the principles of this Charter.
• Regularly promote activities supported by the Erasmus+ Programme, along with their results.
• Display this Charter and the related Erasmus Policy Statement prominently on the Institution's website and on all other relevant channels. 

The Institution acknowledges that the implementation of the Charter will be monitored by the Erasmus+ National Agency and that the violation of any of the above principles and commitments may lead to its withdrawal by the European Commission.

UoL Erasmus Policy Statement (EPS)

Our purpose and strategy 

At the University of Leicester (UoL), we are diverse in our makeup and united in our ambition to change lives through education and research. Participation in Erasmus+ is a natural extension of our mission: it strengthens our role as a globally engaged, inclusive and research inspired institution and directly advances the aims of our institutional strategy, ‘Citizens of Change’. Erasmus+ offers a framework through which we elevate education quality, deepen international cooperation, nurture new partnerships and widen access to transformative global experiences. 

By embedding Erasmus+ within our broader internationalisation agenda, we ensure that students and staff at UoL benefit from these opportunities and are empowered with the expertise and skills they need to become positive Citizens of Change. Our engagement with the programme complements the UK’s International Education Strategy (2026), which emphasises outward mobility, the UK’s international educational standing, and the development of globally connected graduates.  

Our participation in Erasmus+ 

Scope of engagement 

During the validity of this Charter, UoL will focus participation on Key Action 1 (KA1). Student mobility for studies will continue to be embedded in degree structures, drawing on our longstanding network of approximately 85 European partner universities, many of which have worked with UoL for decades. These partnerships offer our students wide academic choice, such as studying law in Strasbourg, physics in Torino, or psychology in Groningen, reflecting the breadth, strength and educational expertise of our European connections. 

Student traineeships will further support professional development through structured work placements across Europe. For example, previous participants have undertaken placements in biomedical labs in Germany and teaching roles in Spain, gaining practical skills that complement their studies and broaden career aspirations. 

Staff mobilities for teaching and training will continue to form a crucial part of our international engagement, enabling our academics and professional services colleagues to collaborate with European peers, co develop learning resources, and bring international perspectives back into the curriculum; fostering innovation and enterprise in our academic programmes and research. For example, in recent years, colleagues in Engineering and Humanities have visited partner institutions in Italy and the Netherlands to co deliver modules and learn from innovative pedagogical approaches. 

Recognising the innovation potential of Blended intensive programmes (BIPs) through Erasmus+, UoL will explore participation in such initiatives where they align with our academic priorities, digital infrastructure and inclusion goals. We are open to future BIP collaborations with partners who share our pedagogical and digital ambitions. 

While KA1 mobility remains our primary focus, UoL will selectively explore opportunities under KA2 and KA3, building on our existing and emerging pan-European research links. We will focus on exploring collaboration that adds clear value to curriculum innovation, pedagogic enhancement or capacity building, aligned with UoL’s strategic priorities.  

Implementation in practice 

Operational delivery and day-to-day implementation of Erasmus+ is led by the Study Abroad Unit (SAU), part of the Global Partnerships Division. This team works closely with academic Schools, the Quality, Research and Insurance Offices, Student Support Services and Careers and Employability to ensure comprehensive, high quality support for every participant (staff or student) and project.

To ensure inclusive participation across all Erasmus+ actions, UoL has developed a robust end to end support framework for students from widening participation (WP) backgrounds and those with educational needs and/or disabilities. This includes practical, targeted support; including promotion, transparent selection, and tailored wellbeing and academic support delivered in partnership with UoL’s Student Support Services.  This inclusive support model aligns directly with the Erasmus+ horizontal priority on inclusion and diversity, ensuring equitable access to mobility.

Academic integration creating impactful mobility activities remains central to our approach. Study Abroad Coordinators across Schools ensure that students can progress successfully onto programmes abroad, learning agreements are appropriately designed based on intended outcomes of mobility programmes, ECTS mapping is clear, and recognition processes are completed promptly. Our Quality Office works closely with SAU to maintain academic equivalence and uphold standards. 

Digital transformation is embedded throughout our participation model. UoL will seek to adopt components of the European Student Card Initiative (ESCI), including Erasmus Without Paper  for learning agreements, to build increasingly paper light workflows and streamline student and staff experience. These developments advance the programme’s digital transformation priority by strengthening digital readiness and streamlining participant experience.

Sustainability is another guiding principle. Our approach reinforces the Erasmus+ priority on environmental sustainability, encouraging climate‑conscious mobility and operations. We encourage low emission travel where feasible and promote optimised administrative processes; we also support civic participation through activities such as volunteering, community engagement and cultural exchange. Through initiatives in volunteering and community engagement, UoL contributes to the Erasmus+ priority of participation in democratic life.

Our partnership management model for all Erasmus+ partnerships under this Charter is grounded in a variety of rigorous review processes. We maintain central oversight of Inter Institutional Agreements (IIAs), extensive approval due diligence under our Code of Practice on Managing Higher Education with Others, and ongoing partner performance monitoring through dashboards and annual updates.

Strategic contribution 

Our engagement in Erasmus+ is designed to reinforce key pillars of UoL’s institutional strategy: enhancing research inspired learning, ensuring equitable access to global opportunities, and embedding digital and sustainable practices across our operations. Like many research‑intensive European institutions, UoL views Erasmus+ not merely as a mobility scheme but as a catalyst for institutional modernisation, educational innovation and deeper engagement with Europe, including fostering civic engagement and active participation in European democratic life in line with Erasmus+ priorities.

Our participation will help advance the goals of the European Education Area (EEA), including automatic recognition, digital readiness, and mobility for all through strong inclusivity frameworks. It will also support our contributions to addressing global challenges, such as sustainability, health inequalities and social cohesion, by cultivating graduates who can think critically, collaborate internationally and engage constructively with complex social issues. 

Expected impact 

By embedding Erasmus+ within UoL’s educational culture and internationalisation agenda, we expect to see a university that is more international in outlook, more inclusive in practice and more modern in operation. Students will return with enhanced confidence, intercultural competencies and career relevant skills; staff will bring new pedagogical ideas, refreshed perspectives and strengthened European networks. Our partnerships will grow more resilient and strategically aligned, and our operations will increasingly reflect digital, green and participatory practices. 

Collectively, these outcomes will support UoL’s contribution to the EEA, the UK’s international education objectives, and our own mission to transform lives through education and research. To deliver these outcomes, UoL will pursue four strategic objectives for its participation in Erasmus+. 

Our objectives 

Our four interlinked objectives for our participation in Erasmus+ are aligned to our institutional strategy and set to contribute to the broader Erasmus+ programme priorities and the EEA. These are our concrete goals needed to achieve impact. They are to: 

1. Broaden inclusive participation 

We will ensure that participation in international mobility increasingly reflects the diversity of our community, in line with the Erasmus+ priority on inclusion. Building on previous cohorts (of which approximately two thirds came from disadvantaged backgrounds) we aim to sustain and enhance access for underrepresented groups, ensuring they can participate, succeed in, and benefit from European mobility. 

2. Strengthen mobility outcomes and recognition 

We will ensure that mobility delivers clear value to participants through well-defined, high-quality learning outcomes, clear learning agreements and timely recognition. Our aim is to enhance academic progression, deepen transferable skill development and improve graduates’ global employability.

3. Enhance curriculum internationalisation through digital and green innovation 

Staff mobility and virtual collaboration will embed global perspectives into programmes while strengthening digital practices that enhance teaching and learning. We will explore participation in Blended Intensive Programmes where appropriate, supporting inclusive international learning and Erasmus+ digital and green transition priorities.

4. Deepen strategic partnerships and operational excellence 

We will strengthen the quality, sustainability and academic value of our ~85 existing European partnerships, ensuring any new collaborations are strategically aligned. Staff mobility will play a key role in maintaining strong academic links, supporting collaborative activity and sustaining long‑term partnership vitality. Our aim is to strengthen cooperative teaching, research, and innovation across Europe, supported by robust operational processes that maintain quality and alignment with institutional priorities. 

These four objectives provide a coherent framework for delivering meaningful, high-quality participation in Erasmus+. Their progress will be monitored through measurable indicators over the Charter lifetime.

Measuring achievement and indicators 

To ensure that our objectives translate into demonstrable progress, UoL will monitor mobility activity, academic quality, digital adoption, sustainability practices and partnership engagement using a structured, evidence based framework. Progress will be reviewed and reported annually through UoL’s governance structures. 

Objective 1: Progress will be measured annually through participation data, with a focus on WP participants and those with educational needs and/or disabilities. We aim for a steady year‑on‑year increase, approaching 60% consistent representation from disadvantaged and underrepresented groups in outbound mobility by 2028/29, reflecting institutional diversity and the impact of our targeted support.

Objective 2: Academic quality will be monitored through governance processes and timelines. We aim for 85% of learning agreements approved before departure by 2027/28, rising progressively thereafter. Outcomes will be tracked through post‑mobility feedback on academic confidence, employability and readiness for global work.

Objective 3: Progress will be assessed through digital adoption and curriculum development evidence. We aim for 60% digital workflow coverage of core mobility administration by 2028/29, supported by ESCI tools. Annual reviews will track evidence of global perspectives in curricula (via staff mobility reports) and the structured exploration of BIPs through School‑level consultations and partner dialogue. Mobility‑related environmental data will monitor sustainable practice.

Objective 4: All existing European partnerships will undergo annual quality review to confirm relevance and performance. We anticipate developing one to three new strategic partnerships by 2030, aligned with emerging academic priorities. We will also monitor staff mobility with partners to evidence reciprocal engagement and active collaboration, alongside operational metrics such as processing timelines and partner communication quality.

Across all objectives, participant satisfaction, financial assurance, green mobility uptake and digital adoption will continue to provide further evidence of impact. Taken collectively, these indicators will demonstrate how Erasmus+ contributes to UoL’s evolution as a more modern, inclusive and internationally connected institution.