What is PRIME?

PRIME, Problems of Recognition In Making Erasmus is a project by Erasmus Student Network, one of the biggest students organizations in Europe. It is supported by the European Commission under an Erasmus Accompanying Measures grant within the Lifelong Learning Programme. It is a complex qualitative and quantitative research which aims at pointing out the examples of existing obstacles to student mobility and providing suggestions for improvements in order to facilitate student exchange in Europe. In the 2009 PRIME Report 100 higher education institutions from 24 countries and nearly 2 400 former exchange students were surveyed.

PRIME 2010 foreseed a three-level research among National Agencies, Higher Education Institutions and students to obtain a precise overview and to identify problem sources, best practices and success stories. Research period lasted from February until end of April and during that time 9 000 students, 500 Higher Education Institutions and 16 National Agencies were surveyed.

Obtained data will be analysed and published in the PRIME 2010 report. At the same time, a broad dissemination strategy will be launched. From May until October, local and national conferences will be organised in countries participating in the survey, focussing on regional recognition problems, showing specific examples of both good and bad practices. A final conference summing up the results of PRIME is taking place in Brussels in November 2011.

In order to make the PRIME results more accesible to a wide amount of students, a guidebook and a video guide will be produced. It will be a short, yet comprehensive publication, providing relevant information on the recognition process and students rights in an attractive form.