Candidate countries - Countries with which the European Community is negotiating or plans to negotiate membership.

Consortium/ Partnership - The group of partners involved in a Tempus Joint Project or in Structural Measures.

Consortium member/ partner - Any university, industry, company or institution involved in a Tempus Project. (*Please note that the terms ‘partner’ and ‘Partner Country’ have distinct meanings*)

Individual Experts - Indicates individuals invited to participate in specific Tempus project activities at the request of the consortium members and who are not employed by any of the consortium member institutions.

Joint Projects – Joint Projects are one type of project eligible under the Tempus programme.  They are based on multilateral partnerships between higher education institutions in the EU and the partner countries.  Joint Projects are implemented at institutional level.

Multi-country Projects – Tempus projects (Joint Projects or Structural Measures) involving more than one Partner Country.

National Contact Points -Tempus reference points in each of the Member States

National Priorities – National priorities, established in close consultation between the Commission Delegations and Ministries of Higher Education in the Partner Countries, apply to National Projects i.e. National Projects have to address the National Priorities identified in the Call for Proposals.

National Projects - Tempus projects (Joint Projects or Structural Measures) involving one Partner Country.

National Tempus Offices – Tempus reference points in the Partner Countries.

Partner Countries – Partner Countries refers to: the 6 countries of the Western Balkan region; the Russian Federation and the 16 countries in the Southern and Eastern neighbouring area of the European Union; 5 Central Asian Republics. *Partner Countries does not refer to the Member States of the European Union, the EFTA countries or self-financing countries.*

Programme-wide Priorities – Programme-wide Priorities apply to Multi-country Projects and are identical for all countries/ regions.  

Structural Measures - Structural Measures are another type of project eligible under the Tempus programme.  They contribute to the development and reform of higher education institutions and systems in partner countries, to enhance their quality and relevance, and increase their convergence with EU developments.  Structural Measures are implemented at system level with the ministry(ies) of higher education of the Partner Country(ies) directly participating or formally supporting the proposed project objectives.

Higher Education Institutions – State-recognised, public or private, post-secondary educational and vocational training establishments which offer, within the framework of advanced education and training, qualifications or diplomas of that level, whatever such establishments may be called (“University” or “Polytechnic”, “College” or “Institute” etc.)