Erasmus is a European Union program created in 1987 to allow university students to study abroad for 3 to 12 months at another participating EU university to experience other cultures and expand their knowledge. The program is named after the Dutch philosopher Erasmus of Rotterdam, who lived and worked in multiple places in Europe and opposed dogmatism. Students must be in at least their second year of university studies, have good grades, and have a basic knowledge of the language of the country they wish to visit.