Erasmus Mundus 2009-2013 higher education Programme gets green light

The European Parliament (EP) has given the green light to a second funding period for the EU's Erasmus Mundus Programme, which aims to promote the EU as a centre of academic excellence, it says in a press release. In backing the estimated budget of €950million for 2009-2013, Parliament adopted changes to some of the criteria for obtaining funding, with a view to simplifying visa applications for participants from non-EU countries and ensuring a balance in terms of students' gender and country of origin.

The Commission has welcomed the vote in the EP, noting in a press release that the EU will thus continue to support joint programmes in Europe with grants to the most highly-talented students and professors from third countries, but will also extend the scope of the programme to the doctoral level and give more financial support to European students.

Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth, Ján Figel', thanked Parliament, noting “Erasmus Mundus is a world-class, top-quality programme that promotes academic excellence, intercultural understanding, but also people-to-people contacts. With the significantly increased budget of € 950 million we will be able to meet the growing demand for this successful programme. It will reinforce the role of European higher education as a world reference. The Erasmus Mundus alumni are the ambassadors of openness and intercultural dialogue, citizens of a more cooperative world."

Erasmus Mundus is a co-operation and mobility programme in the field of higher education which promotes the EU as a worldwide centre of excellence in learning. By the end of its first phase (2004-2008), more than 6,000 students from outside Europe will have received an Erasmus Mundus scholarship to obtain a degree in Europe, and more than 1,000 teaching staff from third countries will have been given a scholarship to actively contribute to Master's courses in teaching or research activities.

European Parliament press release

Commission press release

Erasmus Mundus fiche and news

Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation Window

Contact information	Malene CHAUCHEPRAT; Simon DUFFIN (email: presse-dk@europarl.europa.eu ; simon.duffin@europarl.europa.eu) Phone: Telephone number in Brussels : (32-2) 28 42530 (BXL), Telephone number in Strasbourg : (33-3) 881 64123 (STR), Mobile number : (+32) 498 98 33 25 / Telephone number in Strasbourg : (33-3) 881 73785 (STR)
News type	Inbrief
File link	http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/038-40050-294-10-43-906-20081020IPR40049-20-10-2008-2008-false/default_en.htm
Source of information	EuroMed Info Centre
Subject(s)	INFORMATION - COMPUTER SCIENCES , MEASUREMENTS AND INSTRUMENTATION , METHTODOLOGY - STATISTICS - DECISION AID , TOOL TERMS
Geographical coverage	Euromed
News date	23/10/2008
Working language(s)	ENGLISH

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