The Case Study of the Erasmus Programme in Latvia

Master's Thesis from the year 2010 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Topic: European Union, grade: B+, Central European University Budapest, language: English, abstract: The European Commission and scholars emphasize that the ERASMUS programme is
a successful example of European integration, a symbol of construction of European identity
and promoter of tolerance on the basis of breaking stereotypes, encouraging multicultural
experience and intercultural education. But because of the lack of empirical findings, this
Master thesis has been devoted to research of the impact of the ERASMUS programme on
breaking the stereotypes and fostering European identity. The quantitative survey of three
hundred thirty former ERASMUS, potential ERASMUS and non-ERASMUS students
provides partly justification that the ERASMUS Programme has impact on breaking the
stereotypes and promoting European identity. Potential ERASMUS students already have less
stereotypes and European self-identification than non-mobile students, therefore the
ERASMUS programme is rather catalyst than promoter of European identity and stereotypebreaker.
Key words: the ERASMUS programme, European identity, stereotypes.