How Studying Abroad Inspired Sofia Corradi to Become Mother Erasmus

The Erasmus program, which has helped millions of students study abroad since it coalesced in 1987, may be named for the Dutch philosopher Erasmus of Rotterdam, but it owes its inception to an Italian woman: Sofia Corradi. Corradi passed away this past weekend, but her legacy will live on in the student exchange program she helped to establish. Here’s a look at her life and how she facilitated generations of student mobility.

Inspired by her own study abroad experience

Corradi was born in Rome in 1934 and studied law at the Sapienza University of Rome. She had the opportunity to study abroad at Columbia University in the USA in 1957 on a Fulbright scholarship and earned a master’s degree in comparative university legislation. However, when she returned home, she was forced to complete her law degree – again - in Italy because her US degree was not recognized.

This injustice inspired Corradi’s idea for what would become the Erasmus program. In 1969, she presented her idea as a consultant for the Association of Rectors of Italian Universities, suggesting that students should be able to “carry out part of [their] study plan at foreign universities” and have the course approved for recognition in advance. Corradi’s idea was adopted as part of the 1969 reform bill for Italian universities. Though it was ultimately abandoned in the Italian Chamber, it went on to be accepted at a European level and formed the basis of what would become the Erasmus program in 1987.

A legacy of international cooperation and opportunity

Using her background in law, Corradi went on to work with organizations like the UN Commission on Human Rights, the London School of Economics, and the Hague Academy of International Law, where she researched the right to education. Her thoughts on the Erasmus program reflect her belief that education is a human right:

What satisfies me so much is that Erasmus is not a privilege for a few but an opportunity for many.

For Corradi, education and the Erasmus program were her “personal pacifist mission.” Helping students study abroad was part of her desire to promote peace and inclusivity in Europe and Corradi said that “Erasmus students become brave, creative, and in search of solutions.” She was known as Mother Erasmus because of her dedication to student mobility and the right to education for all.

'Mother' of a new type of European citizen

In 2005, German political scientist, Stefan Wolff projected that within the next generation, Europe would be “run by leaders with a completely different socialization” who view themselves as European, rather than national citizens because of the Erasmus program. In fact, in 2019, a review of the program estimated that over one million people exist today because of the program. These ‘Erasmus babies,’ born to parents who met while studying abroad on Erasmus schemes, are hypothesized to have “a long-term impact on European citizenship,” because their identity is less tied to a single national identity.

In 2016, Corradi was awarded the Charles V European Award for her work in promoting higher education in Europe. The Italian minister of education, Stafania Giannini, thanked Corradi, saying that her work had “completely revolutionized the lives of [Europe’s] children, contributing to the construction of Europe.”

After her death was announced, European leaders expressed their gratitude towards Corradi.

• French President Emmanuel Macron wrote that millions of students can thank Corradi for “a piece of their lives and a broadened horizon.”
• Italy’s foreign aid minister, Antonio Tajani, credited Corradi with the “birth of Generation Europe.”
• Jaume Duch, Minister for European Union and External Action of the Generalitat stated that “Erasmus…continues to contribute to the erasure of physical and mental barriers among European youth and to the creation of a European consciousness.”

Going forward

The Erasmus program (known as Erasmus+ since 2014) is widely accepted as one of the most significant student mobility programs in the world. When it was first established, the program aimed to foster greater academic cooperation and student mobility within Europe. More than 15 million students have participated in the program, and it has expanded to include other programs and initiatives, both for European students and for those outside the Eurozone.

Most recently, the European Commission’s “Pact for the Mediterranean” proposed opening the Erasmus+ program to students from EU partners in the MENA region. And, although the UK left the Erasmus+ program when it broke from the EU in 2020, it is likely to reestablish participation starting in 2026.

Since 2014, the Erasmus+ program has doubled participation and in 2023, the program had more than a million students. Funding for the program between 2021 and 2027 was also doubled to €26.2 billion.