Dears ERASMUs Colleagues and Students,
I read last week that the European Parliament in Strasbourg held a commemorative session for the 30 years of students and teachers the exchange program, which we commonly call ERASMUS. They said, some of the European politicians, that Erasmus "should be one of the main reasons why the EU will survive". And in my modest opinion, I fully agree, this can be one of the safest, most profound and consequential ways of making Europe a true Union in which the people of the different countries know and to relate each other and create a genuine European area with peace, progress, development, justice and happiness. This, transforming our Europe into one of the best places to live.
Over 30 years ago, I have had the privilege of studying in Germany, and so I am deeply happy with the same possibility for our young people, who nowadays, must have access to these exchange study programs. Personally I managed with great effort to get a German government scholarship and when I came back, after a year and a half, everything became quite different for me. At that time there was no ERASMUS program.
During the last years when my institution began to receive Erasmus students I always made myself available to accompany and help them. For over 10 years I've spent quite a few extra hours of my workload without any financial compensation. I did it and I will continue to do so for the pleasure of contacting people from other countries, with other languages, with different habits and customs but with the same spirit of friendship and the defense of identical values, ideals and principles.
All this has fascinated me, maybe it is in our DNA, in our own way of being Portuguese. I had students from most European countries. In all of them I felt a will and a desire to relate to each other. I do not understand how this Europe could have been one of the most contentious, bloody, and devastating spaces in the world.
Only about a year and a half ago I have the first experience as an Erasmus Professor. First, in Spain and then in Romania. It has been an extraordinary experience that I will never forget. Of course, this tradition of academics wandering through the various European cities is at the genesis of the University itself. But for me, it is new and I want to intensify it, in this final stretch of my career.
I have decided to write this text to share my experience and, above all, to encourage my younger colleagues to do the same. I thank and greet all my colleagues and students with whom I have had the privilege of meeting and with whom I wish to maintain and intensify contacts. I write in English for the following reasons: it is the lingua franca of communication and therefore, in my personal case, I need to develop my English skills, which I confess are quite limited.
A strong and grateful hug to all the staff at the International Relations Office of ISMAI.
Lastly, I would like to express my gratitude and my great satisfaction with all the colleagues and students with whom I had the honor and pleasure to meet and work under the Erasmus Program.
Some records of activities carried out in the scope of the ERASMUS program
Closure of the STF seminar for ERASMUS students of the year 2008-9 with the presence of the Rector of ISMAI and staff members of ISMAI’s International Relations Office
Research work in the laboratory carried out with the collaboration of a group of Erasmus students
Visit and teaching work at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports (University of Iasi)
Reception of and joint work with colleagues from the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports (University of Iasi) at ISMAI
All the best,
Carlos Carvalho