As part of the Future4Alliances project, Foundation Tempus held an online webinar on 10 February 2026, presenting good practice case studies from universities engaged in European University Alliances. The event convened 122 participants from over 15 countries and enabled direct exchange with representatives of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN), the Italian Ministry of University and Research – Directorate‑General for the Internationalisation of Higher Education, European University Alliances, and Foundation Tempus (Serbian Erasmus+ National Agency). The discussion focused on practical hosting policies, inclusive support services, and alliance‑driven approaches to international mobility.
The European Affordable Housing plan and European Initiatives
Foundation Tempus presented how Europe’s housing affordability crisis has become a direct mobility bottleneck for students and staff, making housing policy a core enabler for Erasmus+ participation. Since 2013, house prices in the EU have risen by over 60% and rents by around 20%, a trend confirmed by recent Eurostat series, which is pushing some learners to cancel, shorten or downgrade their stays. The European Affordable Housing Plan addresses this through four pillars: boosting supply, mobilising investment, immediate support with structural reforms (including tools for short‑term rentals in stressed university cities), and protecting the most affected, with explicit reference to young people and students. Within this framework, Erasmus+ is part of the solution: skills development and traineeships to ease construction‑sector bottlenecks; the possibility of targeted housing support for mobile students; and work toward a 2026 pilot with cities to expand affordable options for disadvantaged mobile students. Key milestones are expected in 2026 (design of the city pilot, investment platforms, and instruments for rental markets) and 2027 (permitting and digitalisation reforms to speed new builds and renovations). In the meantime, higher‑education institutions can act now by mapping demand (by term, price bands and risk groups), partnering locally with municipalities and residence providers, lining up finance via various channels for builds and refurbishments, and prototyping deposit‑guarantee measures to cut upfront costs for Erasmus+ participants – steps that strengthen readiness for the upcoming EU instruments.
ESN HOME² Research findings and further initiatives
Wim Gabriels of the Erasmus Student Network presented findings from HOME² on how housing shapes mobility, aiming to identify barriers, capture stakeholder perspectives, and develop practical improvements across Europe. As programme context, Erasmus+ counted about 1.2 million participants in 2021 to 2022; mobilities are highly concentrated, with over half going to Spain, Italy, Germany, France and Portugal, and about a quarter to the fifteen most popular university cities. Most stays last three to six months, which raises the need for flexible rental terms that actually work for short periods.
Survey evidence points to persistent pressure points: many students confirm housing very late, roughly one in eight only after arrival; most pay a security deposit; reported scams have surged; and only about half report satisfaction with overall housing quality. Support from institutions is uneven: a notable share report no help, and the most common assistance is information provided on host‑university websites. To address these gaps, the HOME accommodation module in the Erasmus+ App aggregates verified listings from professional providers through a digital data‑standard feed, while the consortium scales up quality‑labelled offers. Existing labels cover international friendliness, security, accessibility and equipment; new labels on inclusion and sustainability are in development, alongside guidelines, proposals for common minimum standards in student‑housing contracts, and a study‑visit report with best practices.
Policy documents and national regulations on hosting international students in Italy
Internationalisation is a strategic priority for Italy’s higher‑education system under the national Strategy 2024–2026, which strengthens mobility, bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and the European dimension. Recent data show steady growth in international enrolments: they now represent 5.5% of students in A.Y. 2024/25, rising from about 84,000 in 2022/23 to 110,566 in 2024/25. Effective hosting policies rest on quality services, inclusion, and digitalisation through Erasmus Without Paper, the European Student Card, the Erasmus+ App, and Italy’s Universitaly portal; student housing and predictable visa procedures remain key challenges.
Italy’s housing system is decentralised and managed mainly at regional level by DSU (Right to Study) agencies, with places offered via public residences, private or affiliated halls, and the private rental market. The current supply is around 85,000 beds nationwide, covering only a limited share of students and creating pressure in major university cities. To address this, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) targets at least 60,000 new beds by 30 June 2026, supported by €1.2 billion in total resources and a public contribution of about €19,966 per new bed under the MUR Housing Call (DM 481/2024). The call requires a minimum of 20 beds per residence, at least 70% single rooms, at least 30% of beds reserved for low‑income and merit‑based students, and locations near campus or well connected by public transport; implementation uses competitive national calls that encourage public–private partnerships and a mix of renovations and new residences. The expected outcome is an expansion to around 145,000 beds nationally, more than 70% growth, with improved services for international and mobile students.
Policy frameworks for supporting incoming students
Serbian NA presented the EU policy framework foundations for hosting incoming students: the ESG (Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the EHEA), which provide the quality baseline for trust and recognition; the EQF (European Qualifications Framework), an eight‑level reference to compare qualifications across countries; the European Strategy for Universities; the proposal “Europe on the Move” (learning‑mobility framework that raises 2030 targets and reinforces inclusion and recognition); and the Commission’s 2024 proposal for a European Quality Assurance and Recognition System in Higher Education supporting joint offers and automatic recognition. In practice, institutions must also align with EU entry and mobility rules: the Schengen Visa Code, the Schengen Borders Code, and Directive (EU) 2016/801 on students and researchers (admission conditions, intra‑EU mobility, and post‑study stay). Within Erasmus+, hosting responsibilities are defined by the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE), the Erasmus+ Student Charter, and the Programme Guide—they require non‑discrimination and transparent procedures, clear pre‑arrival guidance (visas, housing, insurance), and automatic recognition of agreed credits, ensuring a reliable, high‑quality mobility experience for incoming students.
Mobility in NEOLAia alliance – Örebro University, Sweden
NEOLAiA is an alliance of nine young, regional European universities, established in 2019, with Örebro University (ORU) joining in 2020; the alliance is funded under the European Universities Initiative (EUI) 2023 call and is structured into 10 work packages, 3 pillars, and 1 key application area. The presentation focused on results, success factors, and challenges for several Erasmus+ mobility formats.
A good‑practice highlight was teacher and staff mobility, where outgoing mobilities rose from 44 (2022) to 122 (2024). Success was linked to hosting incoming exchanges that generated a “snowball effect,” clear management involvement, public acknowledgement of participants, and ample Erasmus+ funding; challenges included managers not seeing the value, lack of time, and difficulty engaging academics.
Another strong example were Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP): in 2024 ORU hosted 70 incoming BIP students. The result was attributed to intensive support for teachers (time, small funds, hands‑on help), perseverance, engaged academics, and acknowledgement, while key hurdles were rules, reluctance toward a new format, and on‑boarding students.
Within the international dimension of NEOLAiA, Örebro University deepened cooperation with its Ukrainian associated partners by signing two Erasmus+ agreements and launching student and staff mobilities (financed from ORU’s Erasmus+ budget), a collaboration sparked by a chance meeting at EAIE and sustained through regular online meetings, strong mutual interest, and additional funding opportunities.
The presentation also showcased a pedagogical course for teachers (BIP format), with 40 participating teachers (8 from ORU); success drew on a previous KA2 project, strong organiser engagement, and earlier BIP experience, while challenges were to design a concept that fits all and to manage staff changes.
Hosting policies for international students and strategies for cooperation – EUGLOH alliance, University of Porto
EUGLOH brings together nine research‑intensive, comprehensive universities and uses the alliance as a platform to turn cooperation into concrete mobility, hosting and learning offers. Its portfolio spans annual student research conferences and summits, transdisciplinary joint research projects, entrepreneurship and summer schools, plus workshops, with more than 120 activities certified with ECTS so outcomes are formally recognised. In mobility, EUGLOH scales short‑term training delivered in blended, virtual or physical formats and complements them with online courses, webinars, guest lectures and conferences; participants receive either a Transcript of Records with ECTS or an EUGLOH certificate for inclusion in the diploma supplement. Campus‑life and inclusion actions deepen belonging and skills through more than 30 transnational events covering diversity and inclusion, sustainability, intercultural and language training; the E‑Conference series has run since 2020, while the “EUGLOH Unites” webinars addressed gender‑based violence through co‑created sessions. To make this work at scale, partners rely on enabling tools: the EUGLOH Management Tool to register and manage all short‑term learning, teaching and training activities and produce statistics, and EUGLOH Connect as a single entry point for matchmaking across teaching, research and opportunities for students and staff. U.Porto also operates an internal Erasmus Plus staff‑mobility incentive that tops up grants with two additional days of individual support per destination. Finally, U.Porto institutionalised BIPs via an annual call, nine ran in 2024, with alternating editions across partners, and uses them to build communities of practice such as a career network, a research management network and a communications hackathon.