Europe reaches out
to students of the world

Dr Friedrich Hamburger, ambassador and Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Thailand.

If you dream of becoming an astronaut or a seismologist, where in Thailand would you go to realise this dream? Or, if these two appeal little to you, what about becoming an expert in space science, informatics, bioethics, humanitarian action, or European culture?

Although the choices for higher education have increased over the years, people who have a unique interest in one of these areas will find that the choice is virtually non-existent. In fact, some of these courses are so specialised that many people may think they do not exist.

But they do, though not in Thailand. In 2003, the European Commission initiated a five-year programme called Erasmus Mundus. One of the four goals that the programme aims to achieve is to provide free scholarships for students from outside the 25 member states of the European Union. The scholarships open the door to a world of choices in master level of education at top universities in Europe.

"Erasmus Mundus tries to bring Europe and Thailand closer together in the form of student and faculty exchanges," says Ambassador and Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Thailand Dr Friedrich Hamburger. "Personal contacts - human-to-human and inter-human relations - are the bases for good political and economic relations," he adds.

This year, the programme awards 66 Thai students and scholars, among a total of 1,377 worldwide, to study in universities across Europe. Under the programme, these scholars will spend up to two years studying in at least two universities. Most of the universities conduct the courses in English.

Future focus

An industrial engineer graduate and one of 66 scholars, Kitima Inthisang will study a Master's Course in European Joint Master in Water and Coastal Management. The Erasmus Mundus scholarship allows her to spend at least a year at Spain's University of Cadiz and another six months at Portugal's University of the Algarve.

Having previously worked in the factory environment, as an engineer, Kitima develops a concern in wastewater treatment and management in factories. "Although production is the main function of factories, the wastes are inevitable byproducts," she says. "And the reality of business is to minimise the cost of production, while maximising profits. Most factory operators still see the cost of treating wastewater an unnecessary expenditure."

The Water and Coastal Management programme, she says, will allow her to study how to manage both fresh and salt water as a complete system. She hopes to later apply this knowledge to improve the irrigation system for the country's agricultural sector and coastal area for the country's travel and tourism sector.

Originally, Kitima could choose among these five countries: Spain, Portugal, England, Finland, and The Netherlands. "I chose Spain and Portugal because the climate and geography, I think, are similar to those of Thailand. This implies that plants and animals may live under similar environments and, thus, will allow a better transfer of knowledge after I graduate and return," she says with a strong determination in her eyes.

Besides academic knowledge, most scholars feel excited about the prospect of learning and experience the European culture first-hand. Taking a two-year paid leave from the Ministry of Education's Office of the Higher Education Commission, Chaidarun Iamphak will study Euroculture at Sweden's Uppsala University and Czech Republic's Palacky University.

"It has always been my dream to study for a degree in Europe because, for me, Europe houses not only the most fascinating heritage, but also one of the best educations," Chaidarun says. "And where else is a better place to study about European culture than in Europe itself?"

With the ability to speak three foreign languages - English, French, Japanese - under her belt, Chaidarun hopes to intern at the European Parliament in France upon graduation. After about six months of training, she will return to the ministry to continue her post.

Distinguished bloodline

Erasmus Mundus programme is an international extension of its predecessor, Erasmus, which promotes student exchanges and academic collaborations among universities within the European Union's 25 member states. According to Mads Korn, attach? to the delegation in Bangkok, about one million students studied for a degree in more than one country under the programme in 2004.

Erasmus Mundus extends the opportunities for accessing higher education in European universities to students from all over the world. "The vision, in times of globalisation, was that now we should also start to get our universities globalised. We should open up, not only think about the EU - the 25 member states - but look abroad and strengthen relations with every part of the world," Korn says.

Besides providing scholarships to students from all over the world, the programme's other vital element is to encourage European universities to collaborate and design a joint graduate study programme, the Master Course, and work on an international scope, in order to make education relevant to a wider audience.

"Universities have to collaborate on which areas they can jointly offer an international curriculum, based on their respective specialisation and expertise," Korn explains. Once these universities work out the details and form a group of two or three, they apply to become the Erasmus Mundus Master Course universities, and one university will take the lead and act as the coordinator of that particular consortium.

So far, the Erasmus Mundus programme offers up to 56 Master Courses, including space science and technology, vision and robotics, journalism and media globalisation, water and coastal management, lifelong learning, earthquake engineering and seismology, bioethics, applied ethics, Euroculture, and more.

Thailand, China, India, Malaysia, and other Asian countries receive additional funding through the Asian Windows programme, which entitles additional students per country to qualify for the Erasmus Mundus scholarships.

Under the Thailand Windows programme, 3.2 million euros have been allocated for the two-year enrolment period. The additional funds, says Korn, will fund about 100 additional Thai scholarships, as opposed to merely two or three without the Thai Windows programme.

While there are no strings attached, the Erasmus Mundus programme encourages students to return to their home countries and make use of their education. This duty, says Ambassador Friedrich Hamburger, is not a requirement but is more of a moral obligation. "[They] may find it easier to find a good job or career in their own countries than if they were to stay in Europe," he adds.

For more information on the Erasmus Mundus programme, visit www.deltha.cec.eu.int/en/erasmus/index.htm or http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/mundus/index_en.html .