Co-operations for student exchanges almost always require a contractual basis. The following types of contract exist:

• Cooperations within the Erasmus+ area ("Europe"): Erasmus+ agreement
• Cooperations outside the Erasmus+ area ("Worldwide"): Worldwide agreement
• Cooperations with partner countries outside the Erasmus+ area: Erasmus ICM agreement

Please agree the content of the cooperation agreement with your partners at an early stage. The following points must be clear before the negotiation process begins:

• Target groups of the exchange (MA/BA students, doctoral students, researchers, etc.)
• Type and duration of the stays
• Number of people to be exchanged per semester or year
• Required language skills

To make the procedure easier for you, please submit a complete proposal for the institution of a partnership with all the necessary information to the International Office. The International Office will then take care of the agreement negotiations based on the information in the proposal.

• Proposal for the conclusion of an Erasmus+ cooperation agreement
• Proposal Erasmus+ Cooperation Agreement (English version)
• Proposal for the conclusion of a cooperation agreement worldwide (outside the Erasmus area)
• Proposal for a worldwide cooperation agreement (outside the Erasmus+ area) (English version)

The above forms for concluding a cooperation agreement should also be used for agreement extensions .

It makes it easier to conclude agreements if all the information to be included in the contract is already available at the start of negotiations and the framework conditions have been clarified by Paderborn University researchers with the academic cooperation partners.

The formal agreement negotiations with the partners are conducted by the International Office on the basis of your information, if necessary in consultation with the data protection officer and the lawyers at Paderborn University. Student exchange agreements are generally signed by the Vice President for Business and Personnel Administration or the President through administrative channels; within the Erasmus+ area, agreements are concluded digitally by the Erasmus+ University Coordination Office.

For agreements concluded outside the Erasmus+ area, so-called "worldwide agreement", it is strongly recommended to provide the partners with a sample contract from Paderborn University and to work towards ensuring that this becomes the basis of the cooperation. Draft contracts of the partners entail a considerably greater examination effort and delay the finalisation by several months! A sample agreement for worldwide contracts with notes (for internal use only!) is available on request.