For the second time, Indian students have received the highest number of prestigious Erasmus Mundus scholarships to study in universities located in the European Union. EU has garnered popularity among Indian students in the past few years to pursue their study abroad journey.
A total of 161 Indian students, including 88 students, have been awarded the Erasmus Mundus scholarship to begin various academic programmes in 2022-23. In 2021,153 Indian students had received this scholarship among students of 167 nations.
For two consecutive years, Indian students have occupied the first position for receiving the highest number of Erasmus Mundus scholarships.
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Mr Ugo Astuto, the European Union Ambassador to India and Bhutan told the Times of India that these figures recognise the academic excellence of Indians and the attractiveness of the European universities and scientific institutions which have 17 million students and 1.5 million academics and 4,35,000 researchers. To date, more than 6,000 Indian students have been able to utilise the benefits of Erasmus Mundus scholarships.
The EU is an emerging hub of academic activity for Indian students who are choosing countries such as Ireland, Italy, Germany, France, Belgium, Finland, Spain, Austria, Netherlands and Portugal.
It established the EU Erasmus + programme - European Region Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students in 1987 to fund scholarships for the education of students from other countries and promote partnerships between universities and countries.
Indian students selected for the 2022-24 Erasmus Mundus scholarship will be provided with the opportunity to study and conduct research in a minimum of two universities in different EU countries and get double, joint and multiple degrees. As the scholarship is fully funded, it will cover the attendance costs, living expenses and travel fares of students.
The scholarship budget for the 2021-27 period is EUR 26.2 billion. It is the most extensive programme in the world and an important collaborative funding project for the mobility of students. Students from 19 Indian states have received this scholarship to stay and study in 18 different countries across Europe for two years.
Mr Astuto commented that the quality and diversity of the academic courses are attracting Indian students. The scholarships also provide scope to develop personally and professionally along with an opportunity to gain a rich human experience.
Recipients of the scholarship will soon embark on their journey to Europe. The countries and the number of students are given in tabular format below:
Country |
Number of Erasmus Mundus Scholars |
France |
34 |
Italy |
23 |
Belgium |
20 |
Spain |
11 |
Finland |
10 |
UK |
10 |
Portugal |
8 |
Germany |
7 |
Austria |
7 |
Poland |
6 |
Sweden |
6 |
Netherlands |
5 |
Denmark |
3 |
Hungary |
3 |
Czech Republic |
2 |
Greece |
1 |
Norway |
1 |
Indian students have chosen disciplines like engineering, natural sciences and social sciences. In engineering, they have opted for ICT, health, circular economy and green energy. Social science students have taken women and gender studies, international law and rural development.
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Astuto hopes that these students, when they return will act as a bridge between India and Europe and build a network of mutual knowledge and trust.
Source: Times of India
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