How to Grow English Lawn in Moldova? Reflecting on the Reasons to establish and those to Participate in the Erasmus Mundus Programme of the European Union

Abstract

In the framework of its Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), the EU opens up certain facets of its education policy for members of the educational systems of the direct neighbour countries. Bearing the important role of education for processes of nation building and the related formation of citizens in mind, I analyse the meanings of this extension because the reordering of the relations with the new neighbours after the last enlargement of the EU is one of the main aims of the ENP. In the paper I would like to address this issue from two perspectives: Firstly, I want to take a look at the rhetoric employed in EU documents on internal and external education policy. Drawing on the concept of citizenship and its double role for differentiating between insiders and outsiders of a community and realting individuals to a politcal community, the question arises what kind of integration the EU intends for formal non-EU citizens by offering them certain opportunities of participation. The thesis is that the attitude towards participants from non-member states remains without a clear “finalite”, reflecting thus one of the overall problems of the ENP. Secondly, I want to look at the level of individual participants in the programme Erasmus Mundus and the meanings their stays abroad have for them. I will show in how far their experiences abroad impact on their daily practices as citizens of their countries.