The Hungarian RIA-AE national report clearly shows that Erasmus+ creates real added value in adult education. It does not only provide international contacts and inspiration, but also helps organisations offer more modern, inclusive, and learner-centred training.  

The research was carried out within the framework of the RIA-AE Network, an international research initiative focusing on the impact of Erasmus+ in adult education. More about the network and the research project is available here: https://www.ria-ae.eu/

In Hungary, the research was coordinated by the Hungarian National Agency, Tempus Public Foundation (TPF): https://tka.hu/

The research itself was carried out by Progress Consult Ltd.: https://eng.progress.hu/

The first-cycle national reports, including the Hungarian report, are available here: https://www.ria-ae.eu/partner-countries-and-national-reports

The first-cycle EU synthesis report can be accessed here: https://www.ria-ae.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/ria-ae.eu/Documents/Transnational_publications/First_survey_round/Transnational_report_2023_2024.pdf

Why does this matter for adult education professionals?

According to the report, Erasmus+ has particularly strong effects on staff professional development, internationalisation of organisations, the introduction of new methods and digital solutions, and learners’ confidence, motivation, and participation. Through participation, educators, trainers, and professional staff can bring home new pedagogical approaches, digital tools, and international experience. Organisations can build training materials, modules, and partnerships that strengthen their work in the long term.  

What can staff mobility offer?

The report makes it important to distinguish between staff mobility — that is, mobility for educators, trainers, and professional staff — and adult learner mobility. Staff mobility primarily supports professional development. When it is well prepared and connected to a meaningful learning process, it can strengthen professional confidence, improve language, intercultural, and communication skills, generate new ideas for daily practice, and encourage staff to work in a more open and innovative way.  

According to the report, Erasmus+ is especially valuable for staff in terms of pedagogical and methodological renewal, digital competence development, stronger international cooperation, and the creation of more learner-centred and inclusive educational practices.  

What can adult learner mobility offer?

The report also highlights that adult learner mobility follows a different logic and can be especially valuable for adults with fewer opportunities. In this case, the main added value is not primarily professional exchange, but the strengthening of self-confidence, communication, openness, motivation for learning, and participation in community life. This is particularly important for adults who may have had limited positive learning experiences in the past, or who face linguistic, social, geographical, or life-situation-related barriers.  

The report also shows that learner mobility works best when it is supported by strong preparation, guidance during the mobility, and follow-up afterwards. For this reason, adult learner mobility can be an especially powerful tool for involving and empowering more vulnerable or less confident adult learners in the learning process.  

What can KA2 partnerships bring?

KA2 cooperation projects allow organisations not only to participate in innovation, but to shape it. According to the report, partnerships are especially useful for developing new methods and learning materials, building international professional networks, supporting organisational learning, and improving the quality of training offers. 

It is also telling that 64% of respondents said that their supported activities would not have taken place at all without Erasmus+ funding. This shows how important the programme is as a driver of development.  

What is the key message?

The main lesson of the Hungarian report is that Erasmus+ supports professional renewal, strengthens international openness, builds organisational capacity, and opens new perspectives for both learners and professionals. At the same time, it is important to see that staff mobility and adult learner mobility do not serve the same purpose: the former mainly supports professional development and organisational renewal, while the latter can be a particularly important tool for the inclusion and empowerment of adults with fewer opportunities.