The Partnership is composed of 10 European Universities representing 9 European states and 10 Asian Universities settled in 9 Asian countries: all partners have been carefully selected in order to ensure both a fair geographical balance and academic excellence proved by the position covered in national and international ranking by the represented Universities. The main objective of AREAS (Academic Relations between Europe and ASia) project is to promote higher education cooperation between EU and Asia within the EU’s general goal of improving the quality of the education worldwide. The specific activities aiming at the objective will be: • Mobility from the Asian countries involved (Vietnam, Mongolia, Laos, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and The Philippines) to the European Union at all levels, from Undergraduate to Master Students, from Doctorate students to academic and administrative staff for the purpose of studying, researching, teaching and training in order to develop their qualifications and their international experience; • promoting transparency, mutual recognition of qualifications and periods of study, research and training, and, for the student mobilities, portability of credits; • promoting mobility paying a special attention to an equal and fair treatment to all students and staff, selecting those coming in particular from disadvantaged groups (for gender, handicap, economical reasons) always taking into account the academic excellence; • supporting the mobility of professionals (academic and administrative staff) in order to promote the mutual understanding, the expertise and the relations between the European Union and Asia.