Albanian Erasmus Mundus students at the Delegation of the European Commission

TIRANA, Aug 27 – The Delegation of the European Commission to Albania met Wednesday with students who will start scholarships under the Erasmus Mundus master programmes in autumn 2008 as well as with alumni of the programme.
The meeting brought together the Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Albania, Ambassador Helmuth Lohan, the Minister of Education and Science, Fatos Beja, and the Minister of European Integration, Majlinda Bregu.
The EU Erasmus Mundus programme supports European top-quality masters courses and provides scholarships for third-country nationals participating in these courses on the one hand, and for EU-nationals studying at partner universities around the world on the other.
Erasmus Mundus was endowed with 230 million Euros over the period 2004 – 2008 and will continue with a 494 million Euros endowment over the next 5 years.
Albania is part of a special Western Balkans Window of Erasmus Mundus. In addition to the regular scheme, Albanians are therefore eligible for 4 million Euros of additional funding dedicated to the region.
This year, 25 Albanians have been accepted in Erasmus Mundus master programmes of a wide variety, including Public Health, International Trade, Urban and Regional Studies, Horticultural Sciences, Marine Biodiversity, Information Technology, Local Development, and Human Rights.
These students will have the opportunity to enrich their academic experiences through combining courses from different universities within the European Union. To facilitate their initial contact with their host countries, students were provided a package including practical information on travel in Europe, a Visa Facilitation Leaflet, useful material for their studies as well as brochures explaining the opportunities for research in the EU, an area pertinent to Albania’s development. In addressing the 2008 Erasmus Mundus students, Ambassador Lohan said: “I am very happy to meet you, excellent students and scholars, whom the EU invites to study at its centers of excellence in learning, and I wish you every success – for your studies and as “ambassadors” of Albania to your new universities.” (Tirana Times Staff)