Student mobility program Semester abroad
4EU+ European University Alliance - What is it?
The 4EU+ European University Alliance (pronounced: [ˈfɔr ˈju ˈplʌs]) is based on the idea of a European university with transnational academic freedom and autonomy and consists of the universities of Prague, Heidelberg, Warsaw, Copenhagen, Milan, Geneva and the Sorbonne in Paris. The alliance pursues three main objectives:
Mobility - alignment of curricula and at the same time the pursuit of individual specialisations while maintaining the same duration of study.
Development - Close co-operation should enable research and teaching to develop their full potential.
Educational goal - Flexible, individualised development paths that meet the requirements and necessary skills of the 21st century.
The European vision and in-depth co-operation between the 6 partner universities is seen as the basis for joint growth. In total, the network comprises approx. 290,000 students, approx. 24,000 academic staff and approx. 27,000 other contributors. A short video is linked for further understanding. Further information on the 4EU+ programme at Heidelberg University can be found on the Heidelberg University website.
What is the 4EU+ University Alliance?
How do students benefit from the 4EU+ network?
4EU+ is an additional opportunity to study abroad in Europe via Erasmus+. Students are at the centre of their educational journey and receive excellent support from the existing structures in the network. Nevertheless, a stay abroad always requires a lot of initiative and sufficient planning. Before planning, you should first clearly define your own ideas and expectations and contact the responsible coordinator at the Institute of Gerontology, Mr. Lester Gerdung, by email at an early stage in your process.
Requirements for a stay abroad via 4EU+ in Copenhagen or Milan
In order to be able to study within the framework of 4EU+, certain requirements must be met:
You must be enrolled at Heidelberg University and be a citizen of an EU country. Although studying abroad is only possible from the 3rd Bachelor's semester onwards, sufficient time should be allowed for planning. For a stay abroad, sufficient language skills (B1-B2) in the respective teaching languages must be verified. In Copenhagen, for example, teaching is mainly in Danish and only in a few exceptional cases in English; in Milan, all courses are in Italian. The Language Centre at Heidelberg University offers language courses. The necessary language skills can be acquired here at low cost. In general, you should plan your stay abroad for at least one semester. You may spend a maximum of 12 months per study programme (Bachelor's, Master's, PhD) abroad via 4EU+.
The lecture times/semester times abroad may differ from the known times at Heidelberg University. You should therefore inform yourself in good time. Please research which courses are offered at the respective university during your stay and - in your opinion - overlap with your degree program. Please use the relevant module guide for your degree program or subject for comparison. Please create an initial list of the courses you would like to take in Gerontology, Health and Care so that you can contact Mr. Lester Gerdung and focus on the Learning Agreement in the next step.
Required application documents
First of all, you should be able to define your own ideas about your stay abroad and know the profile or degree program of the university in question. Then make an appointment by e-mail with Mr. Lester Gerdung, who can provide you with further information about funding, accommodation and credit transfer. Please inform yourself early and sufficiently about your plans!
The following documents are required for an application to the 4EU+ program:
- 1.5 to 2 pages letter of motivation
- Curriculum vitae
- Language certificate (min. B1)
- Transcript of Records
Further information
In Germany, the German Academic Exchange Service is responsible for implementing the 4EU+ and Erasmus+ exchange programs. You will also find a FAQ (only available in german) in the download area with answers to frequently asked questions in connection with a stay abroad. If you encounter any problems or questions during your research that cannot be answered using the links provided here, Mr. Lester Gerdung can help you.