EU picks 16 Filipino students for scholarships in Europe

There are 16 new Erasmus Mundus students from the Philippines this coming academic year (I think there were more of us last year). If you're considering getting your Master's, consider Europe. Check out the list of programs available here. Spread the word!

The European Commission on Wednesday announced that 16 students from the Philippines have been chosen to receive Erasmus Mundus scholarships for the academic year 2007-2008.

Ambassador Alistair MacDonald, head of delegation of the European Commission in Manila, who hosted a reception for returning and departing Erasmus Mundus students today, said the 16 students are among the 1,825 students worldwide who availed of the scholarship for the upcoming academic year.

He said that the Erasmus Mundus programme offers a splendid opportunity for Filipinos to pursue high-level studies in the European Union.

The ambassador also noted that a total of 63 Filipinos have so far benefited from scholarships under the Erasmus Mundus programme, beginning with the academic year 2004-05.

"Like their predecessors, these sixteen new awardees will be able to earn their Masters degrees in Europe, and be ambassadors of goodwill between the Philippines and the European Union," he said.

The selected students will study in Europe for one or two years to obtain a European masters' degree and they will follow their courses in at least two higher education institutions from two different countries in the EU, giving them the opportunity to familiarise themselves with European society, culture and languages.

"The Erasmus Mundus programme promotes the EU as a centre of excellence in learning, and serves as the external wing of the Erasmus programme, which promotes student mobility within the European Union," McDonald explained.

The program provides EU-funded scholarships for third-country nationals participating in Erasmus Masters Courses as well as giving scholarships for EU citizens studying at partner universities throughout the world.

It will have a budget of about 190 million euros per year for the coming five years, 90 percent of which goes into scholarships.

These scholarships are open to third-country nationals of high academic qualifications whose enrolment in an Erasmus Masters Course has been accepted by the University Consortium offering the Course. (PNA)