The European Student Card Initiative (ESCI) aims to digitalise and simplify the mobility process from the perspective of both students and higher education institutions, as well as to enable electronic identification of students and the secure exchange of data between higher education institutions.
Erasmus without paper
Photo: Unsplash

The initiative seeks to develop a greener, more digital, more inclusive and smoother Erasmus+ programme and mobility experience.

The initiative consists of three key digital solutions supporting student mobility.

  • Erasmus Without Paper is an interface solution that connects higher education institutions’ mobility management systems and enables the digital exchange of data and documents related to Erasmus+ student mobility. It forms part of the European Student Card Initiative (ESCI).
  • At present, EWP fully supports the digital management of Learning Agreements (LA) and Inter-Institutional Agreements (IIA), as well as the exchange of digital European Student Identifiers (ESI).
  • The next steps on the roadmap include digital nominations and digital Transcripts of Records, which exist in early software versions but are not yet widely available to end users.

National situation (Finland)

  • All Finnish higher education institutions participating in the Erasmus+ programme (37 in total) are part of the EWP network.
  • All higher education institutions create digital Learning Agreements, at least partially.
  • On average, 85% of all Learning Agreements for student mobility are created digitally.
  • All institutions conclude digital Inter-Institutional Agreements (IIA).
  • On average, 89% of all such agreements are concluded digitally.
  • 34 higher education institutions generate European Student Identifiers (ESI) for their outgoing students.
  • On average, 89% of outgoing students have an ESI.
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  • The European Student Card (ESC) provides a common European identity for higher education students.
  • It is a feature that can be linked to existing student cards, rather than a separate new card.
  • The ESC operates through a digital platform – the ESC Router – which serves as a database for card-related information and allows participating higher education institutions to integrate ESC functionalities into their student cards (physical or digital).
  • It enables the real-time verification of student status across the entire European Education Area.
  • Hundreds of higher education institutions in almost 20 European countries are already using the European Student Card.

National situation (Finland)

  • In Finland, the European Student Card is not yet actively in use at any higher education institution.
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  • The Erasmus+ App serves as a single point of access for participants to find information about the opportunities offered by the Erasmus+ programme and to receive guidance through the various steps of the mobility process.
  • The app’s news feed features tips and stories from other mobility participants, as well as information about student organisation events and offers. Through the app, users can also access instructions and practical information before, during and after their mobility period.

National situation (Finland)

  • Finnish higher education institutions make limited use of the Erasmus+ App, as updating institutional data in the app is currently only possible via the EWP Dashboard, a mobility management system used by only a few Finnish institutions.
  • Most Finnish higher education institutions use SoleMOVE, Mobility Online, or MoveOn for mobility management, and integration with the Erasmus+ App is not yet available through these systems.
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erasmus.korkeakoulutus(at)oph.fi

In Finland, a national EWP Working Group composed of representatives from higher education institutions is in operation. The group was established at the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) in early 2019 to respond to the need to promote the implementation of the European Student Card Initiative within the Finnish higher education sector.

The working group’s objectives have been to explore the tools of the initiative, test functionalities, and share knowledge and experiences across the higher education community. The group continues its work mainly via a shared Microsoft Teams platform.

Each Finnish higher education institution participating in the Erasmus+ programme has a representative in the EWP Working Group.

EWP Working Group Contact / Finland’s Digital Officer:

AnneSophie Hokkanen
Programme Adviser
forename.surname(at)oph.fi
+358 (0)295 331 127

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