EMA President Strengthens Collaboration at the 2025 Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (EMJM) Kick-off Meeting in Brussels

Brussels, 19-20 November 2025 - Adv. Marvi Qazi, President of the Erasmus Mundus Students & Alumni Association (EMA AISBL), delivered a strategic address at the annual Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Degree (EMJM) Kick-off Meeting held at the Albert Borschette Congress Centre  in Brussels.  Invited by the European Education and Culture Agency (EACEA), President Qazi highlighted EMA’s growing influence as a global partner in strengthening Erasmus Mundus’s global presence. 

1. Highlighting the Transformative Journey and Anchoring Global Mission

In her keynote address, President Qazi reflected on her personal academic trajectory from being the first girl from her family to attend university from Matiari, Sindh, Pakistan to becoming a global leader, and the contributions of the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship experience. President Qazi connected her journey to EMA’s commitment to widening access, advancing equity, and supporting thousands of students in various multi-country academic pathways.

My journey reflects what Erasmus Mundus makes possible: social mobility, global citizenship and confidence to be a leader, she highlights.

EMA’s Global Footprint

President Qazi outlined EMA’s extensive volunteer-led activities, demonstrating how the association continues to strengthen the Erasmus Mundus community at a global scale. She emphasised that EMA remains the only student and alumni body with the largest global footprint of  active representation.

The key highlights  included:

Pre-Departure Orientations (PDOs): Since July 2025, EMA Country Representatives (CRs) supported by the European Union Delegations (EUD), National Erasmus Offices (NEOs), and Erasmus National Focal Points (ENFPs), delivered  PODs across various countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America.

Program-Specific Engagement: Various Program Representatives, including those from EDISS, ECT+, SEFOTECH.NUT, including many others, have organized targeted events to support their respective program communities.

Global Outreach: EMA members have conducted awareness sessions in the Central African Republic (CAR) and organized EMA Days events worldwide including in the Philippines and Lebanon, with specialized training sessions for prospective students in Lebanon.

Organizational Development: The association continues to strengthen its structure through unit-specific meetings and mentoring programs across all organizational units of EMA.

Strategic Partnerships: President Qazi also highlighted  EMA's involvement in Erasmus+ projects, ESAA initiatives , and multinational awareness efforts that enhance  Erasmus Mundus experience.

2. A Collaborative Model of  Community Building

   
   

Through her intervention, President Qazi recognised the substantial contributions of  EMA's passionate volunteers whose efforts form the backbone of the association’s global operations.

EMA’s strength lies in its volunteers, EMJM students and alumni, who dedicate their time to empower others. Their lived experience gives authenticity to our outreach and credibility to our partnerships, she noted. 

The Global Pre-Departure Orientation Session, co-organized by dedicated CRs and PRs with support from the Outreach and Capacity Building Unit (OCB) and Communications and IT Unit, was also highlighted as an example of outstanding intra-organisational teamwork.

3. Addressing Key  Challenges Affecting EMJM Students

   
   

During the World Café session, President Qazi highlighted structural challenges that impact EMJM students’ academic and social experience. She highlighted the need for stronger collaboration between EMA, EACEA, and EMJM program coordinators in addressing:

1. Visa and Accommodation Issues: Students often face significant difficulties obtaining visas and securing accommodation, particularly in locations where institutional housing is not available. These obstacles hinder mobility and undermine the student experience.

2. Curriculum alignment across partner universities: Disparities in course content and academic expectations across partner institutions in some programs create inconsistency, which complicates the learning pathways and assessment alignment for students.

3. Employability and Industry Integration: President Qazi strongly advocated for embedding internship programs within EMJM curricula emphasising that practical experience is critical to graduate employability and EMJM programme competitiveness.

4. Peer Support and Wellbeing: She emphasized the importance of creating buddy programs that connect incoming students with previous cohorts, to facilitate smoother integration across the multi-country tracks.

4. EMA as a Strategic Partner for EMJM Consortia

   
   

President Qazi reaffirmed EMA’s readiness to collaborate closely with EMJM  coordinators on outreach, promotion and student support.

Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters students and alumni are our greatest ambassadors. Through EMA, their authentic voices amplify Erasmus Mundus across global communities in the farthest corners of the world, inspiring the next generation, she stated. 

5. Positive Reception and Community Reflections

   
   

The presentation received strong engagement from EMJM coordinators and EACEA representatives. The event also featured inspiring testimonials from existing EMJM projects, including a former Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate degree holder now serving as a program coordinator, demonstrating the long-term impact and continuity of the Erasmus Mundus community.

6. About the Event

The Kick-off Meeting took place over one and a half days, combining on-site participation at the Albert Borschette Congress Center with online accessibility for broader engagement. The meeting covered essential topics including project and scholarship management, monitoring and reporting, the new Mobility Tool, and exchange of best practices among projects through EMACT.

7. Looking Ahead

As EMA continues to expand its reach and deepen its impact, the invitation to address newly selected EMJM coordinators underscores the association's recognized role as a key partner in the Erasmus Mundus ecosystem. The presentation serves as an important bridge between EMA's volunteer-driven initiatives and the institutional framework of Erasmus Mundus programs.

For more information about EMA activities and how to get involved, visit our website or contact your regional Country Representative and/or Program Representative.

The Erasmus Mundus Students & Alumni Association (EMA) is a global network connecting current students and alumni of Erasmus Mundus programs, fostering community engagement, professional development, and cross-cultural exchange worldwide.