Tribute to Sofia Corradi, ‘Mamma Erasmus’, honorary doctorate from the university
It is with great sadness that Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University learned of Sofia Corradi’s passing on October 17, 2025. Also known as ‘Mamma Erasmus’, she left a lasting mark on the history of higher education in Europe, devoting much of her life to the creation of the Erasmus program, a symbol of mobility and openness.
From the start of her career as a professor of education sciences at the University of Rome III and scientific consultant to the Conference of Italian University Rectors, and after experiencing the non-recognition in Italy of her master's degree obtained at Columbia University, Sofia Corradi became committed to the international recognition of academic qualifications and student mobility.
After twenty years of political twists and turns and through sheer perseverance, the Erasmus program was finally launched in 1987. This project, born of a deep conviction, has become, over the years, much more than just an academic program: it is a symbol of an open Europe, united by the sharing of knowledge.
In recognition of her exceptional career, on June 7, 2024, Sofia Corradi, represented by her granddaughter Margherita Ventura, was awarded an honorary doctorate from Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University by its president Christine Neau-Leduc. This distinction honors an exceptional woman, a visionary intellectual whose career fully embodies the humanist and European values that the university also upholds.
A few days after her passing, Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne wishes to pay tribute to her legacy. With the creation of the Erasmus program, Sofia Corradi enabled generations of students to cross borders, discover new horizons and enrich their educational experiences. Since 1987, more than 16 million Europeans have been able to participate in the program.
Today, her work lives on in every student who goes abroad to study for a year or a semester, in every friendship forged through an Erasmus exchange, and in the journeys of all those who have benefited from this program.
Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University pays tribute to the career and memory of Sofia Corradi, whose work will continue to inspire students, teachers, researchers and institutions in France and Europe for many years to come.