Rethinking the ‘Erasmus Effect’ on European Identity

The Erasmus programme for university student exchange was developed, in part, to foster E uropean identity among its participants, who complete a short‐term sojourn studying in another E uropean country. However, two previous panel studies of the impact of E rasmus participation on E uropean identity find no significant ‘ E rasmus effect’. This article analyzes new survey data – a novel panel study of 1,729 students from 28 universities in six countries – and finds the opposite: participation in an E rasmus exchange is significantly and positively related to changes in both identification as E uropean and identification with E urope. Furthermore, the data underscore the significance of cross‐border interaction and cognitive mobilization for explaining identity change: transnational contact during the exchange is positively related to change in both dimensions of E uropean identity, and increased knowledge of E urope and attention to E uropean news over the course of the exchange is associated with enhanced identification with E urope.