NZ university involved in new courses

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Issue Date: 10 September 2009

Erasmus Mundus   -   New Zealand and Australian Universities involved in 63 new Masters Courses and Joint Doctorates

One New Zealand and eight Australian Institutions will participate in the 50 new Masters and 13 Joint Doctorates selected under the EU's Erasmus Mundus programme. The new courses involve some 300 universities from Europe and 70 partner universities from a range of countries around the world.

This means students starting their studies in the 2010-2011 academic year will be able to choose from among 116 Masters offering scholarships.

“I am delighted to see so many New Zealand and Australian institutions involved in this new phase of Erasmus Mundus", said Ambassador David Daly, Head of the European Commission Delegation to Australia and New Zealand. "This will build on the success of the earlier partnerships and will give students and academics from both our continents a wonderful opportunity for an international education experience", he added.

New: Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorates

A major new element in this call for proposals was the selection of 13 Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorates, which together involve 65 EU universities, 12 from outside Europe.

New Zealand's Lincoln University will work with the University of Copenhagen in a Masters Programme called "Food of Life".  In Australia, James Cook University is a partner in a Joint PhD on Forest and Nature for Society with the University of Copenhagen and six other European Universities. The University of Sydney is a partner in a Joint PhD on Cultural Studies in Literary Interzones with the Scuola di Dottorato in Scienze Letterarie Universita Degli Studi de Bergamo in Italy and eight other European Universities.

Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses

231 European universities in 26 countries are participating in the courses selected. The courses offer a number of Erasmus Mundus scholarships to top-ranked students from "third countries", and to "scholars" (academics) to teach or carry out research. The new Masters Courses treat a wide variety of disciplines: the most popular area is engineering and technology, followed by social sciences, mathematics, natural sciences and agriculture.

This was the first selection year under which Masters applications could include universities from outside the EU as full partners in their consortium. As a result, 58 universities from non-EU countries - around 15% - are involved in the selected Masters courses.   One New Zealand institution is successful and six Australian institutions are also involved in seven of the projects.  In New Zealand, Lincoln University in Christchurch, is successful.  In Australia, these institutions are: the University of New South Wales (involved in two projects), the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission, Monash Asia Institute, Macquarie University, University of Queensland, and the University of the Sunshine Coast.   Consortia with partners in third countries can also offer scholarships to European students or scholars to spend periods of study, teaching or research in one of the partner universities outside the EU.

Erasmus Mundus has been in operation since 2004. Over 7800 students and more than 1600 scholars have been selected to study or research/teach under an Erasmus Mundus Masters Course scholarship including 29 New Zealand students, 8 New Zealand academics, 77 Australian Students and 89 Australian Academics. 
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