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In Defence of ERASMUS - the London Statement
In defence of ERASMUS
The London Statement
Draft 6 May 1994
Adopted by the members of the ERASMUS Network CUMULUS (ICP-94-SF-2003/03) at their meeting held in London on 6th May 1994.
1. The ERASMUS Programme of the European Community (now European Union), has revolutionized the relations between institutions of higher education in Europe. It has provided academic institutions in the EU countries with a framework which encouraged the development of international co-operation and exchanges of unprecedent dynamism.
The stunning success of the ERASMUS programme was made possible by an enlightened policy of the European Council of Ministers and of the European Commission, by the efficient and highly professional work of the ERASMUS office in Brussels, by material and political support through the Universities concerned and by the idealism and commitment of innumerable teachers, students and administrators in the schools participating in the programme.
2. ERASMUS is mainly oriented towards university disciplines. In art and design problems arise in the realization of the ERASMUS programme which derive from the highly individualised character of work in these fields. Nevertheless, initial difficulties have largely been overcome, and in the disciplines of art and design, ERASMUS now largely functions in an efficient and beneficial way.
3. We are concerned about plans of the European Commission to abolish the ERASMUS-Programme and to replace it - and a number of similar programmes - by a new system called SOCRATES.
3.1 We reject the the suggestion that, under the flag of "subsidiarity", more power regarding European co-operation in higher education should be given to national institutions. We consider this suggestion regressive, using the principle of subsidiarity as cover for the re-emergence of nationalist tendencies. ERASMUS now has a European administrative focus with the ERASMUS Office in Brussels. It would be a democratic and European step forward not to dissolve this office but to retain it and make it responsible to the European Parliament.
3.2 In the fields of Art and Design, but also in other disciplines, the success of ERASMUS depends essentially on the enthusiasm and initiative of individuals. No or very little space would be left for these human resources if the Commission's suggestion would be implemented, as under SOCRATES only institutions would be partners to contracts.
3.3 The necessity of the ERASMUS system of building multilateral networks increases inter-cultural communication and co-operation on professional and human levels. The possibility implied by the Commissions draft of forming bi-lateral relations between institutions would be a backward step.
3.4 The Commission's suggestion in the draft on SOCRATES to integrate the existing 2500 ERASMUS and LINGUA networks into 150 to 200 networks raises the nightmare of huge bureaucratized mega-networks. In such networks face-to-face communication which is so important in the arts, and in fact in any academic discipline, would be virtually impossible. We strongly reject the establishment of such mega-networks within the future system of European inter-university.
The Schools of Art and Design that have signed this declaration appeal to the European Parliament and to the European Commission:
Do not destroy ERASMUS, a uniquely successful programme of co-operation.
If you want to reform ERASMUS, do it in a sensitive way so that the positive, future oriented elements are retained and strengthened.
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