The Erasmus Mundus External Co-operation Window (EM ECW) is a co-operation and mobility scheme in the area of higher education co-operation launched by Europe Aid Cooperation Office and implemented by the Executive Agency Education, Audiovisual and Culture. Its objective is to achieve better understanding and mutual enrichment between the European Union and third countries co-operation in the field of higher education through promoting the exchange of persons, knowledge and skills at higher education level. This will be achieved through the promotion of partnerships and institutional co-operation exchanges between European Higher Education Institutions and Third Country institutions and a mobility scheme addressing student and academic exchanges.

Within the EM ECW program there were 9 geographical lots as the clusters of third countries grouped by geographical proximity. Since January 2008, the Tenth Lot has been launched for the Western Balkan countries. Under the auspices of the University of Ghent (Belgium), the University of Niš entered this form of exchanging students and teaching staff in 2008 as a partner in the Project BASILEUS. The partnership in this Project gathered 8 EU universities and 12 universities from the region of the West Balkans.