EU varsities lure Indian students

Notwithstanding the UK?s move, the EU is now throwing its arms open to Indian students, writes Vijay Dutt.

Even as Britain is planning to make it difficult for overseas students from commonwealth countries like India to get visas for studying in universities in the UK, good news has come from Brussels for Indian post-graduate students wanting to go for higher studies in Europe.

The European Commission is encouraging Asian, and especially Indian students, to study in one of hundreds of European universities that have joined the European Union's Erasmus Mundus programme.

The programme officially launched last year, aims at fostering co-operation and mobility in the field of higher education and promoting the EU as a centre of excellence in learning around the world.

India, with total scholarship worth 33 million euro (one euro is equal to about Rs 56) earmarked for the 2005-2008 period, is the biggest recipient of the Asian window within the Programme followed by China (9 million euro) for 2005-2007 periods.

India's ambassador to the EU, Rajendra M. Abhyankar, had earlier signed the India-EU agreement under which Indian students could enroll under the Erasmus Mundus programme.

The programme, which has a total budget of 230 million euro, provides scholarships for students from non-EU countries. The courses are offered by consortia of at least three EU
universities.

The popularity Erasmus Mundus is apparently growing and an additional 57.3 million euro have been earmarked for the scholarship scheme.

More than hundred European universities in 18 countries are participating in 36 master level courses in fields like arts, sciences and humanities.

In the academic year 2005-2006, the number of recipients of Erasmus scholarships is expected to be given to 900 students and 100 academics.

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