Every October, Erasmus Days brings the European education community together to celebrate what Erasmus+ makes possible. From international mobility and professional development to new partnerships, cultural exchange and skills development, it is an opportunity for institutions and individuals to share experiences, exchange ideas and demonstrate the wider impact of European cooperation.
In 2026, Erasmus Days celebrates its 10th edition under the theme “Learning and growing: skills for tomorrow.” The theme feels particularly relevant at a time when education and training are responding to rapid technological, environmental and social change. Across Europe, institutions are considering not only the skills learners will need in the future, but also how educators, trainers and other professionals can continue developing their own capabilities.
The scale of Erasmus Days reflects just how extensive this community has become. In 2025 alone, 10,324 events took place across 59 countries, bringing together Erasmus+ participants, educators, institutions and communities.
More Than Mobility: Why Erasmus Days Matter
Erasmus+ is perhaps best known for giving people the opportunity to study, train, teach or gain experience in another country. Its impact, however, reaches much further.
International mobility exposes people to different approaches, cultures and ways of thinking. Teachers and education professionals can discover new methodologies, develop digital and language skills, exchange practice with international colleagues and return to their institutions with ideas that can be shared more widely.
This is particularly significant in 2026. The Erasmus Days theme places skills at the centre of the conversation, with particular attention given to basic and digital skills, the role of teachers and trainers, and cooperation between institutions. These priorities are closely connected to Europe’s wider green and digital transitions and to the need for education and training systems that can continue adapting to change.
For Erasmus+ coordinators, this creates an opportunity to think about mobility strategically. Rather than viewing each mobility as an isolated experience, staff development can form part of a wider institutional plan, with different members of a team developing expertise that can subsequently be shared with colleagues.
Erasmus Days 2026 in Ireland
Ireland will once again be part of this European celebration, with events bringing Erasmus+ to life through workshops, exhibitions, cultural activities and opportunities for international exchange.
For anyone interested in seeing what is happening around the country, the official Erasmus Days website provides a searchable listing of registered events.
Explore Erasmus Days events in Ireland
At Erasmus Courses Ireland, we are particularly delighted that two of our member centres are hosting Erasmus Days activities this October, with events in Dublin and Cork.
The 21st Century Classroom in Dublin
Taking place online and hosted by CES Centre of English Studies, on 14 October, The 21st Century Classroom will bring the focus firmly onto education for a changing world. The event is registered as a public Erasmus Days event in the Vocational Education and Training sector.
It is an important theme. Education is increasingly taking place in an environment shaped by AI, digital technologies, changing learner expectations and new skills requirements. For institutions, responding to those changes is not simply a matter of introducing new technology. It means ensuring that educators themselves have the confidence, knowledge and professional skills to use innovation in ways that genuinely enhance learning.
This is also why digitalisation and AI have become important areas of professional development within Erasmus+. Erasmus Courses Ireland programmes include opportunities to explore AI, digital tools and innovative teaching strategies, with an emphasis on engagement and future-ready skills.
The Erasmus Village at Cork English College
Two days later, on 16 October, The Erasmus Village at Cork English College will take a very different but equally engaging approach to the Erasmus Days celebrations.
For three hours, Cork English College will become an interactive Erasmus Village, celebrating the experiences, skills and relationships created through international mobility.
Visitors will be able to explore different areas including a Culture Market, European Café, Music Square and Irish Corner, alongside photographs, videos, stories and contributions from current and former Erasmus+ participants. An Erasmus Passport will lead visitors through the different areas of the event.
The concept captures something particularly important about Erasmus+: learning does not only happen in a classroom.
Language, food, music, conversation and the experience of encountering another culture all contribute to intercultural competence. The event will also highlight language, digital and professional skills, lifelong learning and the longer-term impact of Erasmus+ experiences, directly reflecting this year’s “skills for tomorrow” theme.
We are delighted to see Cork English College bringing those ideas together in such a creative way.
From Individual Mobility to Institutional Impact
Erasmus Days is a celebration, but it can also prompt a useful question for institutions: what happens after the mobility ends?
The greatest value can be created when the experience and expertise gained by an individual participant travels back with them.
A teacher who develops greater confidence using AI and digital tools can share approaches with a department. A colleague exploring sustainability can help introduce environmental themes into teaching and learning. Professional development in inclusion can influence how an institution supports different learner needs, while stronger language and intercultural skills can help staff participate more confidently in international projects and partnerships.
This is why Erasmus Courses Ireland encourages coordinators to consider professional development in terms of institutional priorities as well as individual needs.
Our programmes in Ireland cover areas including Digital, AI & Innovation, Methodology & CLIL, Sustainability & Green Education, Wellbeing & Inclusion, Language, Culture & English Skills and Professional & Workplace English, alongside VET and school group mobility and structured job shadowing opportunities.
The objective is not simply to return home with a certificate. It is to return with knowledge, experience and practical ideas that can be shared and applied.
Explore Erasmus+ professional development courses in Ireland
Cooperation Is One of Erasmus+’s Greatest Strengths
There is another element of the 2026 Erasmus Days theme that deserves particular attention: cooperation between institutions.
The official Erasmus Days programme identifies institutional cooperation as an important way to share good practice, strengthen expertise and respond collectively to future challenges.
Anyone who has participated in Erasmus+ will recognise the importance of those relationships. A conversation during a course, Staff Week or mobility can develop into a new professional connection. Institutions can discover partners with similar priorities. Teachers exchange ideas that continue long after they return home. In some cases, those introductions develop into longer-term European cooperation.
Ireland provides a particularly welcoming environment for those connections. Combining an English-speaking destination with a distinctive culture and strong international education sector, it allows participants to develop professionally while experiencing the intercultural dimension that sits at the heart of Erasmus+.
Join the Erasmus Days Celebration
Whether you are an Erasmus+ coordinator, teacher, trainer, education professional, learner or former participant, Erasmus Days is an opportunity to celebrate the possibilities created when people and institutions learn from one another.
We encourage institutions across Europe to get involved between 12 and 17 October 2026 – attend an event, share an Erasmus+ experience, bring colleagues together or use the week to start a conversation about where international mobility could take your institution next. The official listings provide inspiration from events taking place across Europe and beyond.
And we are especially looking forward to seeing Erasmus Days celebrated here in Ireland, including by members of the Erasmus Courses Ireland community in Dublin and Cork.
Interested in developing Erasmus+ opportunities for your staff?
