Introductory speech on country priorities and developments, possibilities for co-operation with the Eastern Neighbourhood region within Baltic Info Days 2026 (28–30.04.2026, Riga, Latvia)
On 28-30 April 2026 The State Education Development Agency (VIAA), in cooperation with the Erasmus + National Agencies in Estonia and Lithuania, organized an Erasmus + Cooperation and Learning Activities (TCA) event – the Baltic Information Days on the International and Transnational Dimensions of Higher Education 2026 – in Riga.
The event brought together almost 70 participants from the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), including representatives of higher education institutions, partners from the European Commission (EC) and the Ministry of Education and Science, as well as representatives of the National Erasmus + Offices and International Contact Points from Ukraine, Moldova, Montenegro and Morocco. During the event, participants had the opportunity to build strategic cooperation for the development of higher education and exchange of experience in Europe and the world.
The event was dedicated to strengthening the international opportunities of Erasmus+ in the field of higher education both within the Baltic States and in a wider international context. The thematic scope of the information days included seven project activities of the international and European dimension of the Erasmus+ Programme in higher education for the period 2021–2027:
- International mobility;
- Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree Programmes (preparation and implementation);
- Capacity building in higher education in partner countries;
- Jean Monet’s activities;
- Virtual exchange;
- European universities;
- Innovation alliances.
Representatives of higher education institutions from the Baltic States participated in the event and shared their project experience. The most current presentations on Erasmus+ higher education policy and the future of direct management activities in the 2028–2034 programming period were given by EC representatives. In turn, representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science presented the priorities for the internationalisation of higher education in Latvia. Representatives of the Erasmus + National Agencies of the Baltic States provided an insight into the trends of projects supported by the international and European dimension in the Baltic States in the 2021–2027 period, while representatives of the National Erasmus+ Offices from Ukraine, Moldova, Montenegro and Morocco presented the cooperation opportunities of the Baltic States and the regional priorities of the partner countries.
The thematic focus of the event was on the assessment of the impact and sustainability of the results of already implemented projects, their significance, as well as the further use and popularization of the achieved results. Working groups were organised on the impact aspects of projects in Erasmus + higher education projects, in which participants – representatives of higher education institutions from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia – discussed the creation, measurement and sustainability of the impact of Erasmus+ projects in higher education, as well as institutional impact and sustainability.
Svitlana Shytikova, National Erasmus+ Office – Ukraine Coordinator shared the status of Ukraine in Erasmus+ and reforms in higher education under current challenges of martial law, resilience and readiness of Ukrainian universities to strengthen cooperation and build common future together. She provided the insights on the impact of the cooperation projects on individual, institutional and national levels and sustainability examples. The contacts and ideas of Ukrainian universities interested in cooperation with Baltic Countries were spread among participants. The Baltic Universities were invited to join the Coalition of Ukrainian Studies and to synergise with other initiatives.
All presentations given at the event have been published, which will be useful for learning about higher education cooperation opportunities and current events within the new program period in Erasmus+ higher education international and European dimension project activities, as well as for getting inspired and gaining useful insights from the experience of existing project implementers.
- The event agenda and presentations can be viewed here .
- All materials are also available on the event’s Padlet link .
The Erasmus+ Baltic Information Days on the International Dimension of Higher Education have already become a traditional event. During the Erasmus+ 2014–2020 period, they were successively organised in the Baltic States – Estonia in 2014, Lithuania in 2016, Latvia in 2018, Estonia in 2021, Lithuania in 2023 and Latvia in 2026. Such cooperation will continue in the Erasmus+ 2021–2027 Programme.
Prepared based on the information in the source: National Erasmus+ Agency – Latvia.