Lisbon, Jan. 22, 2021 (Lusa) - The Erasmus + programme will have two new dimensions, namely to professional and vocational training and an alliance of European higher education institutions, the Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education announced on Friday.

Manuel Heitor made this declaration at the final press conference of the informal council of EU education ministers.

The network of alliances of European institutions will serve as a "case study" to "test" the social dimension of Erasmus, career development - especially teaching and research careers - and the exchange of materials, he explained.

At present, 41 European universities, networks of EU higher education institutions, are being formed, and Portugal participates in 14 of them, either through polytechnics or universities.

"That is the challenge of this programme, to have higher education institutions truly trained on the basis of European consortia, eventually evolving into what can be called joint recruitment of teachers and researchers on the basis of joint programmes," added the minister, speaking at a joint press conference with the Minister for Education, Tiago Brandão Rodrigues, and European Commissioners Mariya Gabriel (Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth) and Nicolas Schmit (Employment and Social Rights).

The informal Education Council took place this morning by videoconference, from the Centro Cultural de Belém in Lisbon, and aimed at discussing the contribution of education and training to the implementation of the Social Rights Pillar, the "focus" of the Portuguese presidency of the EU Council, which will have as a high point the Social Summit scheduled for 7 and 8 May in Porto.

JAYG/AYLS // AYLS

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