Erasmus Mundus - Scholarships for students and academics

The Erasmus Mundus Scholarship Programme

The Scholarship programme aims to enhance the quality of higher education and promote dialogue and understanding between people and cultures through mobility, academic cooperation,  and scholarships between the EU (European Commission) and the rest of the world. Erasmus Mundus scholarship is one of the best prestigious scholarships for higher studies and research works. The first choice of the students who want to pursue their higher education is Europe is the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship given by the European Commission. The Erasmus Mundus Scholarship opens the threshold of study and research according to the desired subjects in the countries of Europe. While the Erasmus Mundus Programme ended in 2013, Action 1 master and doctoral consortia and Action 2 partnerships will continue to offer scholarships until the academic year 2017-2018.

Objectives of Scholarship

Erasmus Mundus ( http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus ) 2009-2013 is a cooperation and mobility programme in the field of higher education for:

• the enhancement of quality in European higher education;
• the promotion of the European Union as a center of excellence in learning around the world;
• the promotion of intercultural understanding through coopera­tion with Third Countries as well as for the development of Third Countries in the field of higher education.

Supports to be Provided

The Erasmus Mundus programme provides support to:

• higher education institutions that wish to implement joint programmes at postgraduate level (Action 1) or to set-up inter-institutional cooperation partnerships between universities from Europe and targeted Third-Countries (Action 2);
• individual students, researchers, and university staff who wish to spend a study/research / teaching period in the context of one of the above mentioned joint programmes or cooperation partnerships (Action 1 and Action 2);
• any organization active in the field of higher education that wishes to develop projects aimed at enhancing the attractiveness, profile, visibility, and image of European higher education worldwide (Action 3).

Services & Securities

• The Erasmus Mundus programme designs a platform where people can not only go through higher education and research, culture of new environment and people but also they can glean monthly scholarship, travelling cost, health insurance, exam fee, research fundings where the various relevant conferences, seminars, and internship programmes are set for being utilized for free of cost.
• Students can get the opportunity to study in two (minimum) universities under the rules and regulations of Erasmus Mundus Scholarship as the programme has unique contracts to be collaborated different universities together.

 

Who can participate?

• The Erasmus Mundus Programme 2009-2013 is open to higher education institutions and to any organization active in the field of higher education and research as well as to students, doctoral candidates, teachers, researchers and university staff (academic and/or administrative) from any part of the world.
• The website ( http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus )  of Erasmus Mundus gives more (http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus/programme/who_participate ) information in order to help anyone to know about the requirements and eligibilities.

How to apply?

The Programme Guide ( http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus/programme/how_apply ) provides all the necessary information on the application conditions and criteria corresponding to each of the 3 Programme Actions. Regular Calls for Proposals are published to specify the activities, the application criteria and the budgetary allocations relevant to the call concerned.

• The applications for most of the programmes regarding Erasmus Mundus Scholarship are to be processed through online procedures. There is no fee for the applications. Either necessary documents are to be scanned to be uploaded in the definite place or the documents are to be emailed.
• Every applicant should be aware of the requirements and eligibility before applying. Each programme has its own website in where one can find the points of requirements and eligibility.

Documentation

• In general, one needs to prepare the curriculum vitae, transcripts, test scores (English Language Tests), Letter of Motivation and Letter of recommendation (minimum 2 LOR to be collected), relevant research papers, relevant co-curricular activities, certificates of degrees completed with a view to applying for any respective programme of scholarship.In order to apply in Ph.D. programme one has to submit the proposal of relevant research.
• The applicants should be kept in mind that they are allowed to apply for maximum 3 programmes of Erasmus Mundus Scholarship.

Actions

Erasmus Mundus 2009-2013 is implemented through of the following actions:

• Action 1: Erasmus Mundus joint programmes of outstanding quality at masters (Action 1 A) and doctoral (Action 1 B) levels including scholarships/fellowships to participate in these programmes;
• Action 2: Erasmus Mundus Partnerships between European and Third Country higher education institutions including scholarships and fellowships for mobility at all academic levels;
• Action 3: Promotion of European higher education through projects to enhance the attractiveness of Europe as an educational destination and a centre of excellence at world level.

Remarks to Remember:

Relevancy

• One should be concerned in the process of applications on the basis of degrees achieved, relevant subject, research interests as one can apply only in three programmes. So, it is wise to arrange enough time to sit for preparing a complete application.
• The website ( http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus ) is well-oriented to direct anyone to choose the right route with ease and comfort.
• Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Degrees:

https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-plus/library/scholarships-catalogue_en

• Erasmus Mundus Doctorate Degrees:

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus/results_compendia/selected_projects_action_1_joint_doctorates_en.php

English Language

The applicants have to appear definite exams (GRE/SAT/IELTS/TOEFL) to get their test scores ready for the application of higher education. They should be concerned about the validity of the test scores. They can get helped by various websites, books, and other resources. My Study Notebook (www.mystudynotebook.com) is such a website to practice and test in a customized way in a computer with comprehensive explanations for GRE/SAT/IELTS/TOEFL. You can practice HERE.

Curriculum Vitae

In most of the programmes of Erasmus Mundus Scholarship, one needs to submit the Curriculum Vitae. It has been suggested by the expert to use and apply the Europass (http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu) format to prepare a CV for European Scholarships. They can also get helped to glean ideas of an ideal structure of a CV from the blog of My Study Notebook (www.mystudynotebook.com).

Letter of Recommendation

A recommendation letter or letter of recommendation, also known as a letter of reference, reference letter or simply reference, is a document in which the writer assesses the altitude of the aptitude & attitude of the person being recommended in terms of that individual's ability to perform a task or function of relevant field.

One should adept at the art of acquiring a luminous letter of recommendation by sensing the structured strategies.

• Each of applications for each college/school should be read individually and carefully. Schools often ask for letters of recommendation from an academic teacher and even sometimes on a specific subject or a school counselor or both. One needs to identify from whom he/she should glean it.
• Professors or teachers from immediate last academic institutions who have known one for a while should be selected to ask for a letter. Colleges always want the current perspective for their evaluation.
• A teacher who also knows one not only in the classroom but also in the productive work or projects should be selected to ask for a recommendation letter. For example, a teacher/adviser/mentor/instructors who directed one in a project, thesis, or research work can make a great reference proactively in a strong & credible sense to aid the letter.

 

Statement of Interest/ Letter of Motivation

• The statement of interest/statement of purpose or letter of motivation functions as the driving force to reflect the innate interest of one’s motivation along with the eligibility with dedication. This can help a lot and increase the possibility to achieve the scholarship.
• This should be represented on the basis of one’s academic background, interest and relevant reasons for applying the specific programme, professional experience, a possible output of the programme, a future plan regarding the subjects.
• One should finish the letter within 1-2 pages so that the significance can get the proper attention with an elucidated efficacy.   

Deal with Deadline

• In order to apply for any scholarship around the world, one needs to keep enough time to prepare all relevant documents, scores on the basis of the forthcoming deadline. It is very unwise to wait for applying the time very nearer to the deadline.
• It can be risk due to the complexities of documents, correction in any kind of documents or uncertain disruption of the internet. So one should start working on the processing of application taking at least 1-3 months before the deadline.

Erasmus Mundus Scholarship is a cooperation and mobility programme in the field of higher education that aims to enhance the quality of European higher education and to promote dialogue and understanding between people and cultures through cooperation especially with Third-Countries by increasing mobility between the European Union and these countries. One can take proper steps on the basis of the proper utilization of time and decisions with a view to achieving the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship.