The number of participants in Europe's most popular mobility program fell in 2023. Portugal is among the top five host countries. Hundreds of Portuguese students head to Brazil through bilateral agreements At the age of 20 and used to studying away from home - she left the island of Pico, where she lived, for university in Lisbon - Júlia Viallelle was "very ready" to do Erasmus and get to know "other people and cultures". "I was already a displaced student, I was used to living a more independent life and I already had responsibilities. But the experience exceeded my expectations. The Spanish really know how to welcome you and throw a party," she says, recalling the months she spent between September and December 2023 at the Pontifical University in Salamanca, where she did her clinical teaching internship in Nursing. The weeks were spent working in a local health center, but also socializing and traveling to get to know the country she had never been to before, despite its proximity. He made friends, both Portuguese and foreign, learned to master a new language, felt that he had grown up a little more and reinforced a hypothesis that "is present from the first year in the mind of anyone who starts a degree in Nursing": to work in a foreign country, with the certainty that he will earn a lot more. But the longing she would have for Portugal speaks louder for now. Her experience is not very different from that of the thousands of Portuguese students who leave university every year, for a quarter, a semester or a year, to study or do an internship abroad. Expresso spoke to six young people who did so recently and they were all very enthusiastic about the months they spent abroad. "The best thing was the personal growth and all the incredible people I met along the way. It was an unforgettable experience that made me grow on many levels," recalls Constança Henriques, an Erasmus student in Milan. Rodrigo Rodrigues, on the other hand, ended up at the Faculty of Management in Rotterdam, after ruling out more distant destinations because it was his first experience abroad and to avoid worrying his parents too much. "Staying at a college that is even better in the rankings than mine turned out to be a huge asset." Top 5 destination countries Erasmus program (general), 2024 Since its inception in 1987, more than 16 million people have taken part in Erasmus, making it one of the most successful and well-known programs in the European Union. It has since been extended to teachers and staff and to other levels of education. The costs associated with mobility continue to put many students off the experience Among the destination countries preferred by Portuguese students are still Spain, Italy, Poland, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Czechia. And Portugal is the 5th most chosen host country. In addition to this EU program, which mostly funds mobility in Europe, there are bilateral protocols between educational institutions under which students take part in other exchange programs, but which are all referred to by the same name. Students entering and leaving the higher education Erasmus program, in thousands Hundreds in Brazil and an unforgettable backpacking trip The reduction in Portuguese participants recorded in the official Erasmus statistics (see graphs) can be explained, in part, by this growing demand, which leads students to opt for destinations such as Brazil, Chile or Argentina. Inês Bastos, a student at ISEG, was just one of many Portuguese who made this choice last year, attracted by the good weather, the beach and the "unique culture" of the Cidade Maravilhosa. "Altogether, there were almost 300 of us in the semester I went," she says, now back in Portugal and after six months away, between August and January. The experience ends up being used by many of those who go to South America to go backpacking, a trip to as many countries as they can fit into the month before their second semester in Portugal and their return to reality. That's what ISEG student Tomás Alves did: after studying in Buenos Aires - a "cheap destination in South America with a very strong culture" - he traveled for a month and a half through Brazil, Chile, Bolivia, Peru and Colombia. "Unlike those in Europe, who usually make short trips within Europe and during the program, those who go to South America usually make a big trip at the end of the exchange," explains Inês. It was in Brazil that she met Miguel Ala, a student at the Faculty of Economics at the University of Porto (UP). "I gave priority to being in a country with a different language. I ended up not going to the first destinations I chose, and that's a good thing. The people, all the places I met, from the Salt Desert in Bolivia to Machu Picchu, are memories I'll never forget," describes Miguel, who turned 21 during his time in Argentina. Almost 300 Portuguese spent the first semester in Brazil under bilateral agreements Having already had two international experiences - in 2021 he volunteered in Costa Rica - Miguel believes he won't stop there. "Realizing that there is much more to the world than our country has increased my desire to work abroad. Portugal is one of the best countries to live in. However, the economic conditions for a young person to support themselves are not so attractive these days," he admits. And this is another reference that is repeated in the discourse of university students. Costs make it difficult When it comes to recommendations, what is most repeated is an appeal to challenge: "Get out of your comfort zone, think about what the best option is and don't be afraid to go it alone. That's what makes us grow," advises Júlia. "Choose a country you want to visit, and not just for the academic part," suggests Inês; find out about the necessary bureaucracy and arrange accommodation in advance, remind Miguel and Rodrigo. Especially at a time when, all over Europe, housing costs and living costs in general are making the cost of mobility skyrocket. In many cases, the grant only pays for the cost of the room. "Erasmus continues to be inaccessible to many students, especially those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, who immediately assume that a mobility experience is not for them," when they would benefit the most, UP officials admit, pointing out that the institution - where 1,300 students left this academic year and 1,500 arrived - is the founder and coordinator of Erasmus for All, which aims to develop new mechanisms to support participation. At UNL, which has agreements with institutions in 75 countries, those with more difficulties receive an extra supplement of EUR250 per month. But the value of the grants remains a "challenge", and one of the objectives for the next Erasmus cycle (2028-2034) is to define more inclusive support. Isabel Leiria Journalist Isabel Leiria