For future students/scholars
For current students/scholars
General Questions about the Erasmus Mundus

What is the difference between the scholarship for students/scholars?
We offer 2 kind of scholarships.  For students, with minimum a Bachelor degree, we offer scholarships for a 2 year Master programme.  Scholars are academic researchers who can participate to research in one of the research groups linked to the master. For such scholars we offer a scholarship for 3 months.

Who can apply as a scholar?
People working at a university, who have been teaching for minimum 5 years, who are strong in research and who have a good knowledge of English.  Scholars are expected to do research and  give lectures.

Certified copy?
You can have your photocopies of diploma and transcripts certified by the university that issued the diploma and transcripts, or by the Belgian diplomatic post.  This is needed for the selection procedures.  However, in case you are selected, you need to show your originals when registering at the university.

I have a degee in …  Can I be accepted?
We never select students based on a degree title.  The only way to judge whether a student can be allowed is by the online application form and the required documents (degree, transcripts, English proficiency test, etc.).  We do require a strong background in physics.  It goes without saying that if you have no scientific background at all, you can not be selected, merely because you won’t have the right basic knowledge to follow our classes.

I want to apply for the programme, but will only get my degree after the application date.
Most students apply in the year they will graduate and thus can not send in their degree and transcripts for the final year.  This is not a problem;  we ask students for the transcripts from all previous years.  Should a student be selected for the programme he/she will have to provide us with the final transcripts/degree before starting the programme.

Recommendation letter
We do not have a standard form for the recommendation letter.  The recommendation letter can be written by anyone from your university who can recommend your capabilities in the field.

Grants
The European Commission provides a limited number of scholarships for non-EEa students.  No special application needs to be done.  By completing the application for the programme, you are automatically considered for the scholarship as well, unless specifically mentioned that you do not wish to apply for the scholarship.  More info on the grants can be found here http://www.emm-nano.org/grants.htm

When does the academic year start?
The academic year starts in September/October, depending on the university you go to.  Since it is a 2-year Master you have to start at the beginning of the academic year.

When does the selection take place?  How does it happen?
The selection of the non-EEA students takes place mid February, for the EEA students this is mid June, after the deadlines for application. 
Before the selection, all Board Members, consisting of members from the 4 universities, will thoroughly review all applications and prepare their grading.  During the selection meeting all files will be discussed and we commonly agree whether a student will be accepted or not.  After the selection all students will receive an email informing the Board’s decision.  As soon as the selection has been approved by the European Commission, the official acceptance letters will be sent to the selected students.

top

How do I get my first scholarship paid?
In order to get your first scholarship you need to be registered at the university where you study. At the same timeyou should also register at the KU Leuven. If you are not studying in Leuven registration at the KU Leuven can be done online.   As soon as that is done, please send your bank account number, bank address, Iban and BIC banking codes and your address in your new location to lieve.vermeulen@int.kuleuven.be  As soon as this is sent, the payment will follow quickly.  As of then the money will be paid monthly into your account.
For scholars, this will depend on the university you go to.  Please contact your local contact person.

top

What is Erasmus Mundus?
Erasmus Mundus is an EU co-operation and mobility programme in the field of higher education which promotes the European Union as a centre of excellence in learning around the world. It supports European top-quality Masters Courses and provides EU-funded scholarships for third-country nationals participating in these Masters Courses, as well as scholarships for EU nationals studying in third countries. The Erasmus Mundus External Co-operation Window (EM ECW) also promotes partnerships and institutional co-operation exchanges between European higher education institutions and third country institutions and a mobility scheme addressing student and academic exchanges. (For more information on the EM ECW, please see the website http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/extcoop/call/index.htm.) The name of the programme comes from Desiderius Erasmus Rotterdamus, a 15th-century Dutch humanist and theologian who studied in the best monastic schools throughout Europe. In his days, he was known as one of the most brilliant students of the time. “Mundus” is the Latin word for “world” and thus stands for the programme’s global outreach.

Why Erasmus Mundus?
Erasmus Mundus provides a response to the challenges European higher education is facing today: preparing European citizens for life in a global, intercultural and knowledge-based society and enhancing the quality and world-wide attractiveness of European higher education. This coincides with the European Union’s "Lisbon strategy": EU governments have committed themselves to making Europe the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world and to turning European education systems into a world-wide reference for excellence and quality. Erasmus Mundus also supports the intergovernmental "Bologna process" by helping converge European university degree structures, which will make European higher education more transparent and attractive to students and academics both within and beyond the European Union.

What are the objectives of the programme?
The programme's overall aim is to enhance the quality of European higher education by fostering co-operation with third countries. The programme's specific objectives are:

• to promote a quality offer in higher education with a distinct European added value, attractive both within the EU and beyond its borders;
• to encourage and enable highly qualified graduates and scholars from all over the world to obtain qualifications and/or experience in the EU;
• to develop more structured co-operation between EU and third-country institutions and to encourage outgoing EU mobility as part of European study programmes;
• to improve the accessibility of higher education and to enhance the profile and the visibility of European higher education throughout the world.

Which countries participate in which part of the programme? What is the status of the EEA-EFTA (European Free Trade Association/European Economic Area) states, the candidate countries and third countries in the programme?
The 27 EU Member States and the 3 EEA-EFTA states (Iceland Lichtenstein and Norway):
Higher education institutions can participate in Actions 1, 3 and 4 of the programme. Action 4 is also open to private and public bodies active in the field of higher education. Students and scholars can benefit from an Erasmus Mundus Scholarship in the framework of Action 3. The participation of the 3 EEA-EFTA states has been formalised through the relevant instruments governing the relations between the European Union and these countries.
The candidate countries for accession to the EU (presently, Croatia, Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Turkey): Their official participation needs to be formalised through the relevant instruments governing the relations between the European Community and these countries. At present none of the candidate countries has formalised its participation in the Erasmus Mundus programme. Consequently, they cannot participate in Action 1 and have the status of third countries as regards Actions 3 and 4, until they formalise their participation in the programme. . In the framework of the Western Balkans Window, students from Croatia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are eligible to apply for Erasmus Mundus scholarships under Action 2.
Third countries: The scholarship scheme under Action 2 is exclusively reserved for graduate students and scholars from third countries, i.e. all countries of the world with the exception of the 27 EU Member States, the 3 EEA-EFTA states and the candidate countries for accession to the EU. Third-country higher education institutions can be partner institutions under Action 3. Third-country higher education institutions and other third-country bodies active in higher education can participate in projects under Action 4.

Is Erasmus Mundus a development aid programme?
Erasmus Mundus is intended to promote excellence and quality in the European higher education area. Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses are run by European higher education institutions, although they may set up Partnerships with institutions in other countries throughout the world. While Erasmus Mundus offers opportunities for third-country students and visiting scholars – including students and scholars from developing countries - to benefit from a period of study in Europe, Erasmus Mundus is not a development aid programme.

Is there not the risk that "Erasmus Mundus" will aggravate brain drain from developing countries?
The risk that the programme causes a brain drain from developing countries is rather limited, as the number of grantees per third country is relatively small. What is more, the grantees participate in a specific Masters Course in Europe over a limited period of time only. The idea is that they return to their home countries afterwards.

Are there national information centres or contact points for the programme?
Yes, there are Erasmus Mundus National Contact and Information Points ("National Structures") in the EU Member States and the EEA-EFTA states. (See the list of National Structures).

top

More FAQ you can find on the website of the European Commission

top