Modern journeyman or contemporary ERASMUS students - serving Europe's knowledge-based economy

Abstract

This article introduces the European Union's ERASMUS program, a structured student mobility program, whose aim is to serve the growth of the EU's intellectual capital. Students participating in the ERASMUS are modern journeyman, who travel abroad to gain knowledge and skills, and then return to their home country to make use of the experiences earned abroad. Unlike in the Medieval Europe, where young men travelled on their own, the 21st century offers a structure for such mobility. Since the EU has realised the importance of the intangible assets, such as intellectual capital, student mobility has a supporting environment. It will be shown how the ERASMUS program is connected with the EU's policy and where its roots come from. Moreover, an example from Hungary will be presented and the connections that can be found with Asia's student mobility.