The Erasmus programme has undoubtedly contributed to the present international orientation of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and to stimulate student mobility flows. In 2017, the Erasmus programme (currently Erasmus+) celebrated its 30th anniversary. Jones (2017) noted that it was "a programme that works". A recognized and successful EU initiative, which has provided grants to boost student and staff mobility, for developing intercultural competencies and promoting the European dimension and collaboration. In 1987, only 3,200 students participated in the mobility programme. Three decades later, roughly 300,000 students have benefited yearly from the same programme (Erasmus+, 2017). More than 9 million participants will benefit from the programme by 2020 (Jones, 2017). The idea behind the Erasmus programme was visionary: "promoting joint courses of study between universities and higher education institutions" (Jones, 2017). Political developments in Europe from 1992 onwards supported the idea of free circulation of students and researchers within the European context. These
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