Sofia Corradi, Founder of Erasmus Programme, Dies

Sofia Corradi, the Italian academic who created the Erasmus student exchange programme, has died in Rome at the age of 91. She was a professor of Educational Sciences at Roma Tre University and was known as 'Mamma Erasmus'.

Corradi received a Fulbright scholarship and obtained a master's degree in Law from Columbia University. Upon returning to Italy, she faced difficulties with the recognition of her degree, which inspired her to propose the Erasmus programme, launched in 1987.

Through Erasmus, approximately 16 million students have had the opportunity to study in other European countries. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to Corradi for her contribution to European education.