Pakistan remains 3rd in scholarships; tops in application numbers: EU envoy

Islamabad: The European Union delegation to Pakistan Thursday hosted a pre-departure event at
Higher Education Commission (HEC) to honor 130 Pakistani students, who got Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree scholarships for 2020 for study at different EU universities.

The event, organized in collaboration with the HEC and it was the first time that Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree scholarship had been awarded to Pakistani students besides providing an opportunity for networking among peers and Erasmus Alumni, said a press release.

During her welcome remarks, the Ambassador of the European Union in Pakistan Androulla Kaminara said: “This year 2,542 students from 142 countries were selected for the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree scholarships. Pakistan was 3rd in the world for number of scholarships awarded and remained the top country in terms of scholarship applications.”

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She said : “Today we congratulate the young men and women who will embark on an educational and cultural journey through the Erasmus programme over the coming months. I am sure that they will return strong knowledge and rich experiences, and will help contribute to the development of Pakistan.”

The Ambassador further added, “This year the experience of students worldwide will be very different due to COVID-19. European universities are making a special effort to provide the best possible experience to all students, including those from abroad, while making sure they are safe.”

This year 2,542 students from 142 countries were selected for the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree scholarships. Pakistan was 3rd in the world for number of scholarships awarded and remained the top country in terms of scholarship applications, he added.

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Erasmus Alumni shared their experiences, followed by a question and answer session.

Higher Education Commission Chairman Dr. Tariq Banuri, Ambassadors and representatives from EU member states and members of the Erasmus Alumni Association also attended the event.

Erasmus is the EU´s programme to support education, training, youth and sport across the world.
The first Erasmus Programme was launched in 1987, initially for exchanges with Europe only. It was extended beyond Europe´s borders in 2004.

It funds programmes, projects, scholarships and fosters cooperation both within the European Union and globally.
The overall Erasmus budget for the last seven years was EUR 14.7billion including 1.7billion for international students.

Approximately 21 percent of this amount was allocated to Asia. There are no country specific quotas or allocations under the Erasmus programme.