Since its launch in 1987, the Erasmus programme has helped 2 million students carry out a part of their studies or a work placement in another European country. 31 students, one per country participating in Erasmus, have now been chosen to symbolically represent the 2 millionth student at a conference taking place on 5-6 October in Lund, Sweden. During this conference, stakeholders are discussing the way forward for the Erasmus programme and more broadly debate the issue of opening up opportunities to all young people to go abroad for learning purposes.

The Erasmus programme started in 1987, and today more than 180,000 students go abroad annually with the support of the EU's Lifelong Learning Programme. In mid-2009 the total number of people who went abroad with Erasmus as students reached 2 million. What is less well known is that since 1997, more than 200,000 teachers from higher education institutions have also taken part in Erasmus to teach abroad. In addition to these exchanges, institutions also work together across Europe through projects and networks funded by Erasmus.

The celebration of the 2 millionth Erasmus student coincided with the conference entitled "Erasmus – The way forward and the Green Paper on mobility of young people", organised under the Swedish Presidency of the EU. Discussions focus on improving the Erasmus programme and on how to make going abroad for learning purposes the rule rather than the exception for all young people in Europe.

This is the underlying question of the Green Paper on learning mobility for young people, published by the European Commission in July 2009. A public consultation (including an online questionnaire) on this matter is open until 15 December 2009.