Liberal Education in the Erasmus Programme

In this essay the author explores the ideals and realities of the Erasmus Programme. His starting point is the educational vision of Sofia Corradi, an Italian educator who was instrumental in getting the Erasmus project off the ground in the 1980s. If we hold on to her thoughts about liberal education, culture, peace and social justice, the programme design immediately makes good sense. From this perspective, however, we may come to see Bologna as a process that undermines the Erasmus Programme. We may also come to wonder if Erasmus of Rotterdam really is a good patron of the programme. The Author suggests the cultural philosophy of J.G. Herder may provide a better philosophical grounding for Corradi's education thought. Finally, he argues that Corradi's vision for Erasmus has one significant flaw: it is too optimistic about our ability to learn from travelling. For that reason, the current institutional means do not quite suffice to achieve her admirable educational ends. There is more work to be done.