What is the IS:link+Erasmus option?

A short introduction

IS:link offers the IS:link+Erasmus option to provide students with further benefits in the form of scholarships and a broader network.

Erasmus is a program of the European Union, which promotes the cooperation of universities within Europe as well as the mobility of students and lecturers. Through the Erasmus program, students can spend a semester or exchange year abroad at an Erasmus partner university of the UDE. The study period abroad lasts a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 12 months. As an Erasmus scholarship holder, you will receive an Erasmus grant to financially support your travel and accommodation costs. The application for the Erasmus program takes place directly at the UDE.

The Erasmus program is fully implemented in 34 so-called program countries. Within the European Union, these include: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden. In addition, outside the EU are included: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Northern Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Turkey, United Kingdom.

Exchanges are based on agreements concluded between the faculties of the UDE and faculties of other European universities. Accordingly, a cooperation of the UDE does not apply to the entire university and each subject, but enables a faculty-specific Erasmus stay at a partner university. Non-subject-specific applications are excluded.

Special features:

United Kingdom: As things stand, Erasmus+ funding to the United Kingdom will still apply for the academic year 2020/2021 after Brexit. More information can be found here.
Switzerland: If you are planning to study in Switzerland, funding will be provided through the Swiss European Mobility Programme (SEMP). Each Swiss university is responsible for this program. Therefore, please contact your preferred partner university in Switzerland.


For a detailed description of the Erasmus program, please visit the page of the International Office.

Arguments for the IS:link+Erasmus option

When does the IS:link + Erasmus option make sense for me?

Pro Arguments

  • Payment of a mobility grant (330€ to 450€ for 3 to 12 months depending on the length of stay)
  • Support in the professional and linguistic preparation for the stay abroad
  • As a rule, support by the host institution regarding accommodation, cultural offers, etc.
  • Reduction of bureaucratic hurdles that otherwise make it difficult for students to plan and carry out a stay abroad
  • Bureaucratic paths actively shortened and simplified by IS:link
  • Inexpensive and efficient (money, effort and time)
  • Global network of prestigious universities across different continents
  • The cooperation eliminates the tuition fees of the partner universities
  • IS:link as the connection between the foreign faculty and the University of Duisburg-Essen

Contra Arguments

  • If IS:link does not cooperate with the respective Erasmus universities, the process runs via the International Office

The application process

Depending on whether the desired partner university is part of both the IS:link network and Erasmus network, the process of the IS:link option is similar to a large extent:

The IS:link+Erasmus process is divided into 5 steps:

  1. Step: Preparation for the counseling interview
  2. Step: Counseling interview
  3. Step: Application via the portal
  4. Step: Admission procedure at the partner university
  5. Step: Recognition of the semester abroad

Each step is necessary and must be worked on together in consultation with the IS:link team.

The tool used to perform these steps will mainly be Clustdoc.

If the desired partner university is not part of the IS:link network, but only part of the Erasmus network, the process will go through the International Office.

Via the partner universities page you can find out which partner university is part of which network.

To the overview of the process

Contact for UDE students

Please schedule an appointment at: https://calendly.com/is-link/consult

Our service hours:

  • Tuesday:       1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
  • Wednesday:  1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Our consultation hours:

  • Tuesday:       1:00 pm - 3:00 pm