Erasmus Mundus – a Thorough Introduction

ESIB warmly supports the idea of educational co-operation with third countries. The aims
to improve the quality and attractiveness of European higher education and to add
international aspects to education are excellent, but the Erasmus Mundus programme in
its current form does not in the best possible way answer to the needs of European higher
education.

History

In July 2001 the European Parliament and Council received a Communication by the
Commission on strengthening EU-third country co-operation in higher education. Ministers
welcomed the communication and further emphasised the need to promote European
higher education and to encourage international collaboration, of which co-operation with
third-countries outside the European Union is an important element.
Since the first Communication, proposals and resolutions have been dealt with in different
European organs. Some things have been changed (e.g. name, budget) but most of the
contents have stayed more or less the same through the process. In December 2003 the
legislative process ended and the programme decision was adopted.
The decision came into force in January 2004, and it covers a time period till 2008. The
programme is called Erasmus Mundus and it has a 230 Million € budget. As a comparison
– the second phase of the Socrates programme has been given a financial framework of
1850 Million € for the time period of 2000-2006, covering eight different actions from
school/adult/higher education to teaching and learning of languages.
It is an undisputed fact that the EU is competing for economic and political power in the
world. The European Council stated in March 2000 that the Union must become the most
competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable
economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion. To achieve this
ambitious goal, not only radical transformation of the European economy was needed, but
also a challenging programme for the modernisation of social welfare and education
systems. It was said that by 2010 Europe should be the world leader in terms of the
quality of its education and training systems. Erasmus Mundus is seen as one of the tools
that enable reaching the ambitious goal.

Main objectives of the programme

The Erasmus Mundus programme’s overall aim is to enhance the quality of European
higher education by fostering co-operation with third countries in order to improve the
development of human resources and to promote dialogue and understanding between
peoples and cultures.

Main contents of the programme

The programme consists of the following actions.
Action 1: Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses (postgraduate) will involve studies at
minimum two higher education institutions of the minimum three of the organising HEI’s
(the consortium) in different member states. The studies can last from one to two years
carrying between a minimum of 60 and 120 ECTS credits. Studies will result in two or
more degrees recognised or accepted by the participating countries concerned.
Individuals and institutions from the current and new EU member states (25) and
EEA/EFTA –countries (Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein) can participate in this action.
However, the EEA/EFTA countries can only participate under certain conditional terms.
The masters Courses can be from all fields of study and they will be selected for a fiveyear
period.

The consortium gets an annual flat-rate of 15 000 € which does not need to be reported in
any way. The consortia are also free to charge students as it wishes according to their
national legislation and according to the agreement reached within the consortium.

Action 2: Scholarships will be distributed to students via the consortia. The grant
agreement for a one-year Erasmus Mundus Masters Course is for a ten-month period. The
same amount will apply to all participating countries regardless of the actual living costs.
For students the grant is 1600 € per month and for scholars 4000 € per month. A two-year
agreement will double the amount and if the courses last more than one year but less
than two years, costs will be covered by the same monthly amount. Additionally,
participants are given a fixed amount (students 5000 € and scholars 1000 €) for expenses
such as registration and tuition fees, establishment and relocation costs and teaching
material.

In 2004 the consortia must reserve 10 places for third-country students and 3 places for
third-country scholars who will be granted a scholarship for the academic year 2004/2005.
In the four subsequent years for which the Erasmus Mundus Masters Course has been
selected the consortia will have to reserve a minimum of 20 places for third-country
students and 4 to 5 places for third-country scholars every year.

Action 3: The idea of Partnership projects between Erasmus Mundus Masters
Courses and the most developed universities in third countries is to open possibilities for
European higher education and to strengthen its visibility in the world. The partnerships
provide a framework for outgoing mobility for students enrolled in the Erasmus Mundus
masters courses and the courses' teachers. Eligible students and scholars must be citizens
of the European Union or third-country nationals who had been legal residents in the
European Union for at least three years (for purposes other than study) before the start of
the outgoing mobility. In the academic year 2004-2005 no partnerships will be funded.
Partnerships will involve an Erasmus Mundus masters course and at least one higher
education institution from a third country. They are supported for periods of up to three
years and they must ensure recognition of study periods at the host (i.e., non-European)
institution.

The activities under action 3 may also include teaching assignments at a partner
institution supporting the project's curriculum development; exchanges of teachers,
trainers, administrators, and other relevant specialists; development and dissemination of
new methodologies in higher education, including the use of information and
communication technologies, e-learning, and open and distance learning and finally
development of co-operation schemes with third-country higher education institutions with
a view to offering a course in the country in question.

Action 4: Measures increasing the attractiveness of European higher education are
those that aim at improving the brand image, visibility and accessibility of European higher
education; or which deal with the international dimension of quality assurance, of credit
recognition, of mutual recognition of qualifications with third countries, of curriculum
development or of mobility. Institutions from all over the world can participate in this
action.

This action is addressed to higher education institutions and other organisations, whether
public or private, working in the field of higher education. They are invited to submit cooperation
projects which are based on a minimum partnership of three organisations
coming from three different participating countries, at least two of which must be located
in Member States. Third-country institutions may also be involved in the project.
Examples of potential measures are those under heading Facilitating access for thirdcountry
students to European higher education. Eligible activities may include (e.g.) the
development of courses or material for language training and cultural preparation, the
development of more effective methods of hosting and integrating third-country students
and services facilitating mobility.

Action 5: Supportive measures: In carrying out the programme, the Commission may
have recourse to experts, to an executive agency, to existing competent agencies in
Member States and, if necessary, to other forms of technical assistance, the financing of
which may be provided from within the overall financial framework of the programme.

Situation now

In September 2004 19 EM master’s courses were accepted for funding. Five of these were
accepted with a preparatory year. Money was also allocated to 7 projects aimed at
enhancing the attractiveness of and the interest in European higher education. Because of
the tight implementation schedule for the academic year 2004/2005, the consortia are not
in a position to call for applications from third-country students and scholars after the
Erasmus Mundus Masters Course has been selected. As a derogation to normal
procedures, the consortia were invited to submit a list of 10 third-country students and 3
third-country scholars proposed to receive a scholarship.

Criticism that ESIB has pointed out

Programmes that aim at the increase of attractiveness and quality of European higher
education should be directed towards the vast majority of students and institutions rather
than at institutions and students meeting the criteria of excellence. Programmes directed
at top-level institutions and/or students might lead to a situation where students from
better socio-economic backgrounds participate more in the programmes than average
students. At the institutional level the creation of such programmes may lead to further
segregation and ranking of higher education institutions.

One can also be very concerned of the one-way features of the programme. Most of the
resources are aimed at funding scholarships for third country students and scholars for
studies and research in Europe. Naturally the argument is that European students also
have possibilities for mobility within the framework of the partnerships (Action 3). This is
true – but to a very limited degree. Concerns about the increase of brain-drain have been
brought up in the programme initiative. It is very important to stress that the main
principles for any kind of educational co-operation with third countries should be solidarity
and reciprocity. The aims and actions of the programme can be predicted to lead to an
increase of brain-drain. When it comes to brain-drain it is also worth mentioning the
amount of grants in the programme. In some participating European countries the end
result may be that the grants of third-country students are bigger than the salaries of their
teachers.

The consortium is free to charge fees from the students as it wishes according to their
national legislation and according to the agreement reached within the consortium.
Studies will result in two or more degrees recognised or accepted by the participating
countries concerned. In most European countries this will cause major problems, since it is
only in a few countries where legislation at the time being allows joint degrees as they are
described in the programme. In those European countries where higher education aiming
at a degree recognised by the country is free of charge are the tuition fees for Erasmus
Mundus Masters Courses very problematic (this is the case in Finland and other Nordic
countries).

There are measures under action 4 in the programme that have been discussed for a long
time already regarding mobility in general. In it’s policy paper regarding mobility ESIB
supports full academic and social integration, and measures supporting this are e.g.
language courses, cultural preparation, developing more effective methods of hosting and
integrating students and services facilitating mobility. These supportive measures are
needed by European students in e.g. Socrates/Erasmus –programme as well, not only in
Erasmus Mundus which is aimed at a very small amount of privileged students from third
countries.

Students are not represented in the administrative or decision-making bodies of the
programmes in any way. The Commission does have a very positive stance towards
student organisations, at least based on what they say in the Education & Training website
(quotes).

“European student associations are essential actors in the field of Higher Education: […]
they are a preferential channel for informing and consulting students all over Europe.”
“In the year 2000, three major European student organisations, AEGEE, ESIB and Erasmus
Student Network, signed a protocol to create a « European liaison group » for University
student associations. This « joint venture » […] represents the « voice of students
associations » at European level and it will open the door to several European initiatives
for them (working and steering groups, consultative meetings, information activities).”

ESIB is interested in knowing how can e.g. the Selection Board of the programme be
representative of the diversity of higher education in the European Union, when students
are not represented in any way. Is the Erasmus Mundus (and its administrative and
decision-making bodies) not considered to be a European initiative as mentioned above?
It is also necessary to mention that the Commission in it’s proposal regarding the new
generation of Community programmes 2007 – 2013 (the so called third phase of Socrates)
stated that Erasmus Mundus will be integrated to the umbrella structure that will be
covering all other progammes (e.g. Socrates, Leonardo, Grundtvig) as well. It remains to
be seen how this integration will be implemented, since the Commission did not propose
any detailed plans (any plans at all) regarding this in its proposal.