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| title | What is Erasmus Without Paper (EWP)? |
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Managing Erasmus+ mobility can be a cumbersome, complex and costly process for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The Erasmus Without Paper (EWP) initiative uses the latest digital technology to pave the way for Erasmus coordinators to manage mobilities more efficiently. This allows Higher Education Institutions to exchange information in the context of student mobility swiftly and securely. In doing so EWP supports replacing paper-based workflows by digital ones.
EWP consists of two chief components: an electronic network that interconnects a multitude of student information systems (whether individual universities or third-party providers which represent multiple institutions) through the use of APIs (i.e. connectors between the Network and the users) and a Dashboard that provides a web solution for exchanging student data electronically for HEIs lacking the required SIS software. This Knowledge Base focuses exclusively on the EWP network and the connection to it. The Dashboard is the subject of a different knowledge base (also see the navigation on the left).
We have compiled useful resources, tutorial videos, presentations and other tools and material to support the transition to digital Erasmus and the management of student mobilities from 2021 onwards.
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Erasmus Without Paper Network - the functionality of the infrastructure underpinning digital Erasmus+ management - see a presentation here.
Browse through the articles on the left menu bar or use the search engine to find answers to your questions!
Erasmus without Paper originated as a European project funded through Erasmus+ KA3 from 1/11/2015 till 30/10/2017 and again from 1/1/2018 till 31/12/19. It has now matured into an operational Network. Its chief goal still is to digitalise the administrative framework that underpins student mobility in Europe, enabling electronic data exchange and interoperability among diverse information systems. In March 2019 the European Commission announced that the use of EWP will be made mandatory from 2021 as part of the next Multi-annual financial framework (MFF) i.e. the next Erasmus programme. This was confirmed and elaborated in the Erasmus goes digital webinar on 5/3/2020.
Different processes supporting student mobility
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Benefits of using Erasmus Without Paper
Erasmus Without Paper allows your
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higher education institution to digitalise
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Erasmus+ mobility management processes.
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The main principle behind
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Erasmus Without Paper is that you keep using your existing system for managing student mobility
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. This system needs to be connected to the
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Erasmus Without Paper network and information can be exchanged. Instead of printing a PDF or a paper copy
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of e.g. an Inter-Institutional agreement or a Learning Agreement, you will be able to
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approve the "documents online" and send them directly via your software system to your partner institution
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The following picture gives an overview of the different options. On this site you will find information and tools for all three scenarios. 
1. No Tool? Use the Erasmus Dashboard (EWP Dashboard).
2. In-house built mobility management software? Connect to the EWP Network.
3. Use of 3rd party mobility management software? They will connect you to EWP.
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The mobility process cut into pieces
The Erasmus+ mobility for studies entails a whole set of processes that facilitate such mobility. Oftentimes in this process communication is needed between the sending (or home) higher education institution and the receiving (or host) higher education institution. In general one can describe the mobility flow as follows (sometimes steps are repeated/ordered somewhat differently):
Higher education institutions need to approve an Erasmus+ institutional agreement:
this process is currently supported via Erasmus Without Paper, see the comprehensive user guide on inter-institutional agreements published by the European Commission.Sending higher education institution nominates the student at the receiving higher education institution:
this process is currently in an early release phase, learn more about this early trial.Learning agreement needs to be worked out and signed by three parties (student, sending higher education institution, receiving higher education institution) before departure:
this process is currently supported via Erasmus Without Paper, see the comprehensive user guide on learning agreements published by the European Commission.Student arrives at the receiving higher education institution and receiving higher education institution needs to confirm the date of arrival:
this process is currently not supported via Erasmus Without Paper.Learning agreement might change. If so, it needs to be signed by three parties (student, sending higher education institution, receiving higher education institution):
this process is currently supported via Erasmus Without Paper, see the comprehensive user guide on learning agreements published by the European Commission.Student departs from the receiving higher education institution and receiving higher education institution needs to confirm the date of departure:
this process is currently not supported via Erasmus Without Paper.Receiving higher education institution sends transcript of records to sending higher education institution:
this process is currently in an early release phase, learn more about this early trial.
For each of the steps that require communication (or data exchanges) between the sending higher education institution and the receiving higher education institution Erasmus Without Paper comes into play. The processes above are translated into technical so-called APIs (Application Programming Interface) that facilitate system-to-system communication, allowing users to manage their part of the process in their own system and use the Erasmus Without Paper network whenever confirmation/approval/signatures are needed from the partner. In doing so Erasmus Without Paper replaces paper-based workflows by digital ones.