1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:16,320 Ask European students what the European Union does for them in concrete terms and the first 2 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:21,400 answer is very likely to be mobility and exchanges. 3 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:24,940 This is not a coincidence. 4 00:00:24,940 --> 00:00:28,820 The European Union considers the mobility of its citizens, the sharing of knowledge 5 00:00:28,820 --> 00:00:37,140 and openness to other cultures essential to its development. 6 00:00:37,140 --> 00:00:41,520 So it's multiplied its initiatives to promote exchanges and to give everyone the chance 7 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:48,720 to study or to get further training in other countries of the European Union. 8 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:52,960 All levels taken together, Europe has hundreds of thousands of educational institutions on 9 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:55,000 its territory. 10 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:59,560 So the range of possibilities is wide and when it comes time to make a choice, it can 11 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:04,000 be hard to find the right information. 12 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:08,680 That's why the European Commission has financed the development of Plotius, an internet portal 13 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:17,740 that groups all information on all educational resources in all the European Union countries. 14 00:01:17,740 --> 00:01:25,100 To see how the portal works, we're off to Prague in the Czech Republic. 15 00:01:25,100 --> 00:01:26,460 Beth is English. 16 00:01:26,460 --> 00:01:29,780 She's been studying photography for several years. 17 00:01:29,780 --> 00:01:34,260 A few months ago, she decided to take part in the Erasmus program and to continue her 18 00:01:34,260 --> 00:01:41,540 training at the Academy of Film and Photography in Prague, one of the most renowned in Europe. 19 00:01:41,540 --> 00:01:46,540 I chose it because of its good reputation, the school's good reputation. 20 00:01:46,540 --> 00:01:52,140 The difficult bit was once I had arrived, finding the source of information within Prague 21 00:01:52,140 --> 00:02:01,820 and places to go and the good shops to shop at and the whole currency in the language. 22 00:02:01,820 --> 00:02:08,180 One of the biggest difficulties for applicants is getting information on the host country. 23 00:02:08,180 --> 00:02:10,820 Finding answers remotely takes a lot of time. 24 00:02:10,820 --> 00:02:16,980 And this is where Plotius comes into the picture. 25 00:02:16,980 --> 00:02:21,160 The portal is designed to help everyone looking for information on studying and or moving 26 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:29,100 to a European Union country. 27 00:02:29,100 --> 00:02:33,700 Plotius is a one-stop shop offering quick access to all the information sites on education 28 00:02:33,700 --> 00:02:37,500 in the different countries of the European Union. 29 00:02:37,500 --> 00:02:41,380 All it takes is four clicks, for instance, to reach the site of the Academy of Film and 30 00:02:41,380 --> 00:02:45,300 Photography where Beth has decided to enroll. 31 00:02:45,300 --> 00:02:49,140 The member states and regions provide input to Plotius by entering links to their own 32 00:02:49,140 --> 00:02:56,660 databases. 33 00:02:56,660 --> 00:02:59,900 Applicants are thus sure to find the most up-to-date information available on a permanent 34 00:02:59,900 --> 00:03:01,460 basis. 35 00:03:01,460 --> 00:03:03,700 Plotius goes well beyond the academic sphere. 36 00:03:03,700 --> 00:03:07,640 It also provides access to a large number of sites containing practical information 37 00:03:07,640 --> 00:03:10,420 on the countries and regions of Europe. 38 00:03:10,420 --> 00:03:15,420 It helps users find an answer to every question, finding accommodation, travelling, entertainment, 39 00:03:15,420 --> 00:03:20,660 staying healthy and so on. 40 00:03:20,660 --> 00:03:26,780 Every year in the Europe of 25, millions make the choice of mobility as part of their education. 41 00:03:26,780 --> 00:03:31,300 By facilitating mobility through better information, Plotius indirectly promotes the aim of the 42 00:03:31,700 --> 00:03:36,220 European Union, namely to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy 43 00:03:36,220 --> 00:03:43,220 in the world.