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The European Commission (EC) has announced it will award 10,000 new grants to graduates and academics for the 2009-2010 academic year.
These will be issued by Erasmus Mundus, a worldwide corporation and mobility programme specialising in the field of higher education, which is entering its second phase after a 2004-2008 first phase. The grants will pay for 8,385 students and academics to study or teach in Europe and also extend to bursaries for 1,561 Europeans to travel outside of Europe and study at partner institutions of Erasmus Mundus worldwide.
Students from 105 countries will take part in the inbound programme including China – which has secured a bulk of the scholarships – Brazil, Mexico, Bangladesh, the USA, Ethiopia, Russia and Indonesia. Meanwhile, academics from 75 countries have also been selected to spend time teaching on the Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses, with a majority hailing from the USA.
Ján Figel, European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth, said, “Erasmus Mundus is going from strength to strength. In the years since 2004, when it began, the programme has been able to establish itself as one of the world’s foremost international mobility programmes. With its emphasis on quality and excellence, it is doing an outstanding job of promoting European higher education on the world stage.”
Depending on course length, each student is eligible to receive a grant of between e21,000 (US$29,619) and e42,000 (US$59,238). Meanwhile, stipends for scholars – e13,000 (US$18,335) – will support a three-month teaching or research assignment.
Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, stated that further education was important to a country’s development as well as an individual’s, and she praised the Erasmus project for attempting to bridge the gap between Europe and the rest of the world. “By promoting academic exchanges between Europe and the rest of the world we are giving university students the means to better shape their own futures and to understand and respect each other,” she said.
Founded in 2004, the Erasmus Mundus programme aims to promote European higher education institutions and to help foster cooperation between the European Union and non-EU countries. The second phase runs until 2013.
British students encouraged to
go Dutch
Cheaper tuition fees, a relaxed teaching style and an international outlook are just some of the reasons being touted to British students as incentives for studying in the Netherlands.
While the average cost of a year’s tuition at a UK university sets students back £3,200 (US$4,513), tuition fees at the University of Maastricht are said to cost between £1,200 (US$1,692) and £1,500 (US$2,115). What’s more, many of the degree courses on offer are delivered in English, loans are said to be available from the Dutch government and having adopted “problem-based learning” – whereby students work collaboratively to solve problems and in some instances are taught by one another – the learning experience is said to be a unique one.
The Independent newspaper quoted Dr Jo Ritzen, President of the University of Maastricht, saying, “Maastricht is a world-class institution. I am confident that UK students will get an even better education here and for less than half the price in the UK. And our master’s programmes are even better value”.
Boston University offers financial aid to quell Korean student exodus
Boston University (BU) in Boston, MA, in the USA has implemented an action plan that looks to prevent South Korean students from abandoning their studies.
The economic crisis has forced many South Korean students to return home, according to a report by the Korean Times and Dr Robert Brown, President of the university, noted an outreach programme – whereby international students can appeal for financial aid – had been a big success at this institution. “We reached out to all of our students and did everything we could. The minute students talked about withdrawal or asked for a transcript, we stepped in to talk to them,” he said. He also noted that letters had been sent to parents and that students had been invited to talk about their concerns with administration staff.
There are an estimated 700 South Korean students currently enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programmes at BU – one of the university’s top three provider countries – and the university is keen to maintain this level of enrolment, said Brown. “Korean students come from excellent high schools and strong foundational courses,” he said. “They are incredibly competitive… ambitious and hardworking”.
Despite tuition costing upwards of US$37,000 a year, a reported 4,200 international students have applied for the 2009 academic year.
News in brief
Thailand to internationalise curriculum
The Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) in Thailand plans to invest BT500 million (US$14.6 million) in an international curriculum for its secondary schools. The move is part of the Education Ministry’s three billion baht policy to promote Thailand as the Asian region’s educational hub and looks to include vocational and higher education institutions also. The ministry hopes to induct 100,000 foreign students into international education systems in Thailand by 2014.
Record funding for higher education in Germany
Higher education institutions in Germany will soon benefit from an e18 billion (US$25.3 million) grant provided by federal and state governments. The Higher Education and Research pact aims to promote academic excellence, boost funding for research and provide more university places – it is hoped the package will help cater for an additional 275,000 students by 2015. According to Margret Wintermantel, Head of the German Rectors’ Conference, it is “a signal that research and education are being taken seriously.”
SIT in New Zealand targets Asia
The Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) in Invercargill, New Zealand, is trying to boost enrolments by linking up with rural education institutions overseas. “We’re always looking for areas where no one else is looking and we do quite well marketing [this region] to other rural communities,” said Bharat Guha, SIT’s Business Manager.
The university has conducted several recruitment missions to China, Nepal, India, Singapore and Malaysia. International Manager for China, Pat Mao, said, “We’re hoping to develop relationships with 10 (Chinese) schools over the next 10 years.” She added that SIT also had its sights set on India, Singapore and Vietnam.
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