Popularität Der Erasmus-Stipendien Unter Wirtschaftsstudenten. Vergleichende Studie Großwardein (Rumänien), Debrecen (Ungarn) Und Prešov (Die Slowakei)

Present study is the extension of a former study upon Erasmus programmes and students’ attitude towards opening perspectives at the University of Oradea, Romania (the author’s institution of affiliation) and thus overtakes parts and results of it enriching them with findings and conclusions of an extended research. In a world of intensified cross-cultural relations it would be of great importance that young people ‒ especially those in academic environments ‒ gain some international experience, get to know during their college period other cultures and socio-economic systems than theirs. The Erasmus programmes of the European Committee could give them due to the financial support they suppose the opportunity to live the experience of studying or doing practice in a company abroad and thus to extend their personal and professional horizon. Romania takes part in Erasmus programmes since 1998 and in the last two and a half decades sent more than 38,000 students on Erasmus study or placement mobility. It is a nice number but still too little related to the overall number of Erasmus scholarships academic institutions could dispose of yearly. By conducting a comparative study upon the relation between offer and demand at corresponding faculties of three academic institutions, the above mentioned University of Oradea, University of Debrecen, Hungary and University of Prešov, Slovakia one may realize that the situation is quite similar in all the three academic environments: Erasmus programmes don’t represent in general main attraction for students. The analysed study domains are: technique, economics, medicine/pharmacy/health care, history, political and communication sciences. The most interested in an international experience, in Romania and Hungary at least according to data of some academic years, prove to be medicine students who applied 2013-2014 in Oradea for about 44% and 2011-2012 in Debrecen for 80% of the scholarships offered. Slovakian students studying health care at the University of Prešov are leading in this respect, as the number of applications exceeded in the period 2011-2014 that of the places available. Why economic students at all the three institutions show in general little or moderate interest for Erasmus programmes, we have tried to find out by means of a questionnaire pointing to the main causes for applying/not applying for an Erasmus scholarship. The answers given by the over 120 students questioned at each institution correspond partially with the author’s initial suppositions and show main directions for counterbalancing and actions to be taken to increase visibility, feasibility and popularity of Erasmus programmes among students.