Tempus is a European Union programme designed to help the process of higher education reform in Partner Countries. Itsupports projects between the higher education sector in the EU and its 27 partner countries to facilitate university modernisation, mutual learning between regions and peoples and understanding between cultures.

The Programme promotes voluntary convergence with EU developments in the field of higher education deriving from the Lisbon agenda and the Bologna process. Tempus partner regions are:
- Western Balkans
- Eastern Europe and Central Asia
- North Africa and the Middle East

The first Tempus programme lasted from 1990 until 1994. The programme was consolidated and renewed for the 1994-1998 and 1998-2000 periods and, again, for the 2000-2006 period. It has become customary to refer to these periods of the programme as “Tempus I”, “Tempus II”, “Tempus II bis” and “Tempus III”.