Erasmus+ National Focal Points (ENFPs) in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Bangladesh are doing more than sharing information. They are now mapping specific national needs, building capacity, and support coordinated action across institutions.
Three recent events reflect the new approaches ENFPs in Asia are taking to respond to national priorities and create practical routes into the Erasmus+ programme.
Sri Lanka’s model for sustained national impact
The Erasmus+ Sri Lanka Connect 2026 ‘Training of Trainers’ showed how a targeted event can lead to continuing institutional action. The hybrid event involved 80 in-person and five online participants from state universities and non-state degree-awarding institutions. Participants were selected from international relations and career guidance functions, ensuring that the knowledge reached the right people to promote opportunities, and support students within their institutions.
The event brought together the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, the University Grants Commission, the EU Delegation, higher education institutions, Erasmus Mundus alumni and regional expertise. Alongside information on Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (EMJM) opportunities and applications, institutions identified challenges and developed their own promotion and student-support plans.
The key achievement was the follow-up action. The participating institutions established a working committee and initial action plans were collected. Each institution will be encouraged to organise an EMJM awareness session, while a practical application workshop is planned for December. The Ministry will maintain communication, share resources, and monitor progress.
The progression from national training to on-campus application support and monitoring has created an ongoing coordinated national process. It also gives the ENFP a clearer coordination role and creates a feedback loop to ensure Erasmus+ supports can respond to institutional needs.
National partnership building in Thailand
Erasmus+ Thailand 2026, held in Bangkok on 28 August, focused on strengthening Thai institutions' capacity to prepare competitive CBHE proposals. More than 110 vice-rectors, deans, international relations officers, staff, and students participated, including representatives from universities outside the capital. The initiative involved the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), the Thai ENFP, Thammasat University, and the EU Delegation to Thailand.
The programme followed the CBHE application journey from identifying partners, building consortia, and creating structured proposals through to understanding the evaluation perspectives and learning from successful projects.
A dedicated workshop on the Tourism-Zero project illustrated how CBHE can connect universities with businesses, communities, and sectoral stakeholders.
Overall, the event’s emphasis was on transferable lessons such as combining technical training with real project experience, geographical inclusion, and structured opportunities for partner search.
Bangladesh links participation with internationalisation agenda
The Erasmus+ Information Day for Bangladesh, held at the University Grants Commission (UGC) in Dhaka on 25 August, attracted a large number of representatives from public and private universities across the country. Participants included vice-chancellors, registrars, international affairs and research officers, and other stakeholders. The participation of senior UGC representatives, the EU Delegation, and the Bangladesh ENFP strengthened national ownership and created wide visibility for Erasmus+ opportunities.
The programme covered EMJM, CBHE, International Credit Mobility (ICM) and Jean Monnet Actions. Bringing senior decision-makers together with university staff was particularly valuable: institutional support with input from specialist personnel can translate opportunities into partnerships, applications, and student guidance.
The UGC Chair also outlined an initiative to establish international and research offices across the country's universities, supported by institutional internationalisation strategies. These offices will help institutions pursue scholarships, research funding, academic exchange, joint projects, and international partnerships. The discussion also highlighted joint research, joint or dual degrees, shared laboratories, and engagement with the Bangladeshi academic diaspora. This showed how an ENFP activity can reinforce broader national reform instead of remaining a stand-alone information event.
Together, the three events demonstrate how the ENFPs’ role is becoming increasingly strategic and connected to i results as they help institutions move from awareness to sustainable participation in Erasmus+.
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