The European Union recognises the importance of higher education for economic and social development. Higher education plays a crucial role in producing high quality human resources, in isseminating scientific discovery and advanced knowledge through teaching and educating future generations of citizens, high level professionals and political leaders, who in turn can contribute to better governance.
Against this background, the promotion of international cooperation between the European Union and Third-Country higher education institutions and in particular the facilitation of institution-based mobility is a win-win situation for its potential contribution to the mutual enrichment of nations and to a better understanding of peoples. Institution-based mobility has the capacity not only to improve he results of education, but also to create lasting links and generate mutual enrichment and understanding between the peoples.

The Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation Window complement current and previous schemes such as Tempus, ALFA, AsiaLink and Edulink. This new window covers new actions and builds on the positive results that other programmes like Erasmus, the general Erasmus Mundus and ALBAN have generated.