RIGA, Jan 3 (LETA) - Riga is one of the five finalists that will compete for the Erasmus Destination of the Year Award this year, LETA was informed by the association Erasmus Student Network Riga (ESN Riga).

The award highlights cities that provide outstanding support for student mobility, "making them an excellent choice for students on academic mobility trips", the association said. It also recognizes the role of local student associations in improving the quality of the student mobility experience.

Last year, Porto in Portugal won the title of the best Erasmus destination, the year before Ghent in Belgium, and in 2022, Thessaloniki in Greece was the winner.

The open competition was open to all ESN local sections from 45 countries. This year, five cities have been nominated - Lodz in Poland, Aarhus in Denmark, Tallinn in Estonia, Wroclaw in Poland and Riga.

The nomination assesses a city's commitment to inspiring and supporting student mobility, the integration of mobility and international students and the role of local student associations in building an inclusive international student community.

The winner is determined by the Erasmus Student Network International Board, an external jury and a vote of the network's members.

The winner will be announced at Europe's largest student-led conference, the Erasmus Generation Meeting, in Ancona, Italy, from April 3 to 6. The title will be presented by ESN in partnership with the European Commission.

ESN Riga represents ESN Latvia as part of the Erasmus Student Network, the association of students in Europe. The network includes more than 500 higher education institutions in 45 countries.