Programme objectives
Erasmus Mundus is a cooperation and mobility programme in the field of higher education for:
– the enhancement of quality in European higher education;
– the promotion of the European Union as a centre of excellence in learning around the world;
– the promotion of intercultural understanding through cooperation with third countries as well as for the development of third countries in the field of higher education.
The Erasmus Mundus programme’s overall aim is to promote European higher education, to help improve and enhance the career prospects of students and to promote intercultural understanding through co- operation with third countries, in accordance with EU external policy objectives in order to contribute to the sustainable development of third countries in the field of higher education.
The programme’s specific objectives are:
— to promote structured cooperation between higher education institutions and an offer of enhanced quality in higher education with a distinct European added value, attractive both within the European Union and beyond its borders, with a view to creating centres of excellence,
— to contribute to the mutual enrichment of societies by developing the qualifications of women/men so that they possess appropriate skills, particularly as regards the labour market, and are open-minded and internationally experienced through promoting mobility for the most talented students and academics from third countries to obtain qualifications and/or experience in the European Union and for the most talented European students and academics towards third countries,
— to contribute towards the development of human resources and the international cooperation capacity of higher education institutions in third countries through increased mobility streams between the European Union and third countries,
— to improve accessibility and enhance the profile and visibility of European higher education around the world as well as its attractiveness for third country nationals and citizens of the Union.
The Erasmus Mundus programme comprises three actions:
Action 1: Implementation of Joint Programmes at Master and Doctorate levels and award of individual scholarships/fellowships to participate in these programmes;
This action that aims at fostering cooperation between higher education institutions and academic staff in Europe and third countries with a view to creating poles of excellence and providing highly trained human resources is composed of two sub-actions:
— Action 1A — Erasmus Mundus Master Courses (EMMCs) and
— Action 1B — Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorates (EMJDs)
The aim of the sub-actions is to support postgraduate programmes of outstanding academic quality, jointly developed by consortia of European and, where relevant, third-country universities and that could contribute to the increased visibility and attractiveness of the European higher education sector. Such joint programmes must involve mobility between the consortia universities and lead to the award of recognised joint, double or multiple degrees.
Action 2: Erasmus Mundus Partnerships;
This action aims at fostering structured cooperation between European and third-country higher education institutions through the promotion of mobility at all level of studies for students (undergraduate and masters), doctoral candidates, researchers, academic and administrative staff (not all regions and lots may include all types of mobility flow).
Action 2 provides:
- Support for the establishment of cooperation partnerships between European HEIs and HEIs from targeted third countries/territories with the objective of organising and implementing structured individual mobility arrangements between the European and the third-country/territories partners.
- Scholarships of various lengths – depending on the priorities defined for the third countries/territories concerned, the level of studies or the particular arrangements agreed within the partnership – for European and third-country/territory individuals (students, scholars, researchers, professionals).
Action 2 — Erasmus Mundus Partnerships (EMA2) is divided into two strands:
— Erasmus Mundus Action 2 — STRAND 1 — Partnerships with countries covered by the ENPI, DCI, EDF and IPA instruments (former External Cooperation Window)
— Erasmus Mundus Action 2 — STRAND 2 — Partnerships with countries and territories covered by the Industrialised Countries Instrument (ICI).
Action 3: Promotion of European Higher Education.
This action aims at promoting European higher education through measures enhancing its attractiveness, profile, image, visibility and accessibility. Action 3 provides support to transnational initiatives, studies, projects, events and other activities related to the international dimension of all aspects of higher education. These include promotion, accessibility, quality assurance, credit recognition, recognition of European qualifications abroad and mutual recognition of qualifications with third countries, curriculum development, mobility, quality of services, etc.
The Erasmus Mundus Programme Guide and the relevant application forms for the three actions are available at the following address:
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus/funding/higher_education_institutions_en.php
