Life in Norway Show Episode 60: The European Erasmus programme allows millions of students to study abroad. Here's the experience of a Dutch student visiting Trondheim, Norway.
The EU’s Erasmus programme has facilitated more than 6 million students to study abroad since its creation in 1987. Every year, hundreds of students from across Europe come to Norway on an Erasmus placement.
Recently, Koen Eshuis from the Netherlands reached out to me simply to say hi and tell me about his experiences in Trondheim. I asked if we could share his story on the podcast and he agreed.
If you’ve ever considered studying in Norway as a way to sample the lifestyle here, this is the show for you.
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What is Erasmus?
During the show, I referred to both Erasmus+ and Erasmus. Explained simply, Erasmus+ is the replacement program running from 2021 onwards. The EU claims it is “more inclusive, more digital, and more green.”
Since its creation in 1987, Erasmus has allowed more than 6 million students to study abroad in 37 countries. Member countries include EU and EFTA members plus selected others.
Koen's experience in Trondheim
Koen applied through Erasmus to study at Trondheim's NTNU following his Bachelor degree in Business Management at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. NTNU is the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, an institution that dominates Trondheim.
His time in Trondheim has confirmed to Koen that he wants to pursue further studies in the Nordic countries together with his girlfriend who has done an Erasmus placement in Finland.
He explains why they are so keen on the Nordic countries: “The tuition fees being free was part of the decision, but also how the welfare state works, the conditions for women and thinking long-term the conditions are good for parental leave and so on.”
His advice for potential Erasmus students considering Norway? They should definitely do it. “Erasmus in Norway is not just about partying a lot, it's also about experiencing the nature.”
Links from the show
- EU's Erasmus+ programme
- NTNU University in Trondheim
- Follow Koen on Instagram and LinkedIn
I went on Erasmus in Norway only ten days after this article was published: my best experience so far. Trondheim was so nice, the people were very welcoming and helping (I didn’t find true the stereotype about Norwegian people being cold) and Norway was stunning: already missing it a lot 🙁