India leads in ‘Erasmus+’ scholarships for Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree program in 2020
134 Indian students have been awarded the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree (EMJMD) scholarship under the EU Erasmus+ programme, making India the top global recipient this year. Under the EMJMD scheme students will get an opportunity to pursue master’s degree in leading European universities in at least two different European countries. This year witnessed a 40% increase in the Indian students receiving the Erasmus Mundus scholarship as compared to last year. The fully funded scholarship will cover tuition fee, travel costs and living allowance of the recipient.
France, UK and Belgium, Germany, Italy and Portugal are the top six higher education destinations where the students will start their courses this year. Under this programme, the Indian students will be pursuing 78 different programmes ranging from Management, Food Sciences, Cartography, Vaccinology, Photonics, Biological & Chemical Engineering for a Sustainable Bioeconomy, Digital Earth, Sustainable Tropical Forestry, Decentralised Smart Energy Systems to Tribology of surface.
To mark this success, the Delegation of the European Union to India organised a virtual event for the Indian students. Congratulating the scholars, the Ambassador of the European Union to India, H.E. Mr. Ugo Astuto said, “An Erasmus degree fosters excellence, innovation and internationalisation. Being an Erasmus scholar also offers the opportunity to explore Europe and its diverse cultures and languages. You will meet fellow students from all over the world and study in a truly globalised environment. I hope you will come back as goodwill ambassadors for the EU-India cooperation and partnership.”
Bringing together Indian students, Erasmus Alumni and EU Member States, the event provided an interactive platform to share information on studying in Europe and other practical aspects. Sharing their experiences, Erasmus Alumni provided useful tips on how students can optimize the opportunity offered by the programme.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Abjay Jere, Chief Innovation Officer in the Ministry of Education encouraged Indian students to go to Europe see different countries and learn from different cultures. He asked them to “take maximum advantage of all opportunities and build networks for their future and their country, which needs them to address the problems and challenges that India and humanity at large are facing.” He emphasised that for this it is important that while studying, they develop a problem-solving mind and skills.
