Every year, there are new Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (EMJM) added to the Erasmus Mundus Catalogue, and there is an equal increase in student interest and applications. In August, EMA Country Representatives (CRs) participated in more Pre-Departure and Welcome events for the 2023-2025 Erasmus Mundus cohort. The rise in scholarship holders in Ecuador, Kenya, and Indonesia reflects the positive impact CRs have in promoting Erasmus Mundus programmes in their countries.
Ecuador triples number of Erasmus Mundus Scholars
The Delegation of the European Union in Ecuador and the EMA in Ecuador officially congratulated the 51 Ecuadorian students pursuing their Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's Degrees in Europe. Since 2020, Ecuador has tripled the number of scholars and has become the third country in South America with the highest number of scholars after Colombia and Brazil, with much bigger populations.
Denis Daniilidis, Head of Policy and Press for the EU in Ecuador, congratulated students "on this great achievement that will transform their lives both academically and personally. Erasmus is one of the most successful programs of the European Union that, for 35 years, has benefited thousands of people, allowing them to expand their knowledge through new cultures. You will be the ambassadors of Ecuador in the different European cities where you are going. I wish you all great success and that you take advantage of every minute of this enriching experience".
During the welcome event, students received information on how to start their master's studies from Cristina Martínez Tapia and Sue Gonzalez, former scholarship holders and representatives of the Erasmus Mundus Association in Ecuador.
In the picture are Michaela Zelenaska, Cooperation Officer at the EU Delegation in Ecuador, Cristina Martinez Tapia, Erasmus Mundus Country Representative for Ecuador, Denis Daniilidis, Head of Policy and Press for the EU in Ecuador and the new Ecuadorian Erasmus Mundus students.
Kenya EMJM Scholarship Awardees are now in double Digits!
The Delegation of the European Union in Kenya prepared a pre-departure event for the 2023 EMJM awardees with the help of EMA's Country Representative for Kenya, Jane Nduta Wambura. The event was a cocktail party where the EU Ambassador, Henriette Geiger, officially met the new awardees. In attendance were other EU Ambassadors in Kenya alongside Kenyan EMJM alumni who encouraged the students in their journey ahead, highlighting their willingness to offer advice during their mobilities and extending their help to other prospective students.
The number of awardees in Kenya was something to rave about during the event, with now over twenty successful candidates, from the previous years’ eight to nine candidates. “This is a great improvement in numbers, and we hope to keep this momentum in the coming years,” stated EMA's Country Representative for Kenya.
The European Delegation in Kenya hopes to continue the outreach activities for prospective candidates, targeting university graduates, newly employed youth, and other University staff and youth who can benefit from other EU-funded opportunities. The event was a success, and the awardees were excited to watch the global session dubbed: “Embarking on Excellence: Welcome EMJM Intake of 2023” since it was an eye-opening experience to them for what is lying ahead.
Overall, the day was a success, and we hope to see the Erasmus Kenyan community grow over the years.
EU awards 78 Indonesians with Erasmus Mundus Scholarships
The European Union (EU) has awarded scholarships to 78 Indonesians to pursue studies in Europe under the prestigious Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (EMJM) programme. This number places Indonesia among the top 12 countries with the most EMJM awardees worldwide.
The EU Ambassador to Indonesia, Vincent Piket, said: “The EU is proud to welcome talented Indonesian students to Europe. I am sure these bright Erasmus awardees will benefit from the outstanding education and research ecosystem we offer throughout Europe. Moreover, the Erasmus awardees are essential pillars of people-to-people cooperation between Europe and Indonesia.”
A pre-departure event kicked off on Saturday, 5th August, with an online public talk about the Erasmus scholarship programme. The public session discussed the benefits of the scholarship, the steps to apply, and testimonies from Erasmus Mundus alumni. Speakers featured Amanda Restu Hamirani, who will study the Global Markets Local Creativities (GLOCAL) programme, M. Qoimam B. Zulfikar, who will undertake the Europubhealth+ programme, and Virza Maradhika, Erasmus Mundus Association Country Representative for Indonesia.
The event was also co-organised with the Erasmus Mundus Association (EMA) Indonesia, which aims to facilitate alumni networking opportunities and promote the benefits of the Erasmus scholarship to broader prospective applicants. EMA Indonesia Country Representative Dwi Fitriah Arrisandi said, “In this pre-departure event, we hope that awardees capture all the valuable insights shared by the alumni and help them be more prepared to seize the opportunity during their Erasmus journey. We wish all 2023 Erasmus awardees success in soaring to new adventures and unlocking boundless horizons."
Pre-Departure Reception for Vietnamese Erasmus Mundus Scholars
On 25 July 2023, the Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam and representatives from Embassies of European Union Member States held a Pre-Departure Reception in Hanoi to celebrate the 2023 intake of Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (EMJM) scholars from Vietnam.
EMA Vietnam also took part in the coordination and communication for this special event. As shared by Mr. Jesus Lavina (Acting Head of the Cooperation Section of the EU Delegation to Vietnam), we hope that the European experience will bring knowledge in lecture halls and plenty of joy and discovery in their everyday life to our 48 EMJM scholars.