It is not only in an economic sense that membership has been good for the Irish. I have been involved in the education field for many years. Ireland's membership has enabled Irish educators and students to participate in many training and education programmes throughout the European Union. From 1987 until 2000 about 750,000 university students across Europe have spent up to 12 months studying in another EU country as part of their education. A total of 15,000 Irish students have taken part in the ERASMUS programme during this period. Research has shown that the ERASMUS programme has been a successful European project. ERASMUS students have succeeded in finding jobs and work linked to the international skills acquired or reinforced during their study abroad. The second phase of the ERASMUS programme is now known as the SOCRATES programme. It incorporates 30 different countries, including those countries seeking to join the European Union.