Erasmus Mundus II

Oproep 2009

Erasmus Mundus Infodag, Leuven: 30 Maart 2009

Koen NOMDEN – Programme Coordinator Erasmus MundusEducation, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency

EM II Actions

• Action 1 : joint masters and joint doctoral programmes (former Actions 1, 2 and 3)

• Action 2: structured partnerships between EU and targeted non European countries (the current ECW)

• Action 3: promotion of European higher education (former Action 4)

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EM II Budget

• 493.69 Million EUR for Actions 1 and 3 (from the EU’s Education Budget)

• About 460 Million EUR for Action 2 (from different funding instruments: ENPI, DCI, IPA, ICI, EDF)

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Action 1: Joint Masters (EMMC)

• Offered by HEIs in at least 3 EU countries• HEIs in Third Countries may participate • Joint admission, selection and exam criteria• Award of double, multiple or joint degrees• Selected for 5 years• Obligatory mobility for students• Student scholarships for non European and European

students (min 1 max 2 years)• Fellowships for non European and European scholars (3

months max)

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Obligations of EMMC

• Be fully developed at the time of the application and ready to run for 5 consecutive editions as from 2010/11

• Provide for the use of at least two European languages spoken in the countries where the study/research is carried out

• Provide insurance coverage • Sign a consortium agreement between the partners• Support third country candidates in obtaining their visas

and residence permits• Take measures to recruit top class students / doctoral

candidates / scholars

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EMMC scholarship amounts

• Maximum contribution to fees and other participation costs:• 8,000 € per year for non European students• 4,000 € per year for European students• A fee waiver should be granted by the consortium if tuition fees are

higher• Integration of insurance costs in fee contribution• Annual flat rate contribution to the Masters Course: 30,000 €

• Scholarship Calculation:

3C Students 1,000 € / month for costs of living 4,000 € for travel and installation costs per yearEU Students 500 € / month for costs of living3,000 € in case of non-EU mobility

Scholars 1,200 € / week (duration: 2 weeks – 3 months)

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EMMC – Number of scholarships

• A constant number of students scholarships per Masters programme during the first 4 editions of the programme (17)

• A reduction as from the 5th edition for reasons of sustainability of the EMMC (7 in the 10th edition)

• Between 43 and 50% of scholarships for European students• 3 or 4 scholarships for non European scholars (standard

duration: 3 months, with some flexibility)• 3 or 4 scholarships for European scholars, provided that non

European HEI are part of the consortium (standard duration: 3 months, with some flexibility)

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EMMC Scholarships - Eligibility

• Category A Scholarships: non European students who are not residents nor have carried out their main activity for more than a total of 12 months over the last five years in a participating country

• Category B scholarships: – All other students (mainly Europeans)– Study periods must be spent in at least two different

countries than the country in which the last university degree was obtained

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EMMC Scholarships – other aspects

• Obligation for signature of a Student agreement• If a TC partner is involved in the consortium:

– Category A: possibility to spend a period up to 3 months/15 ECTS in the TC for study/fieldwork under the supervision of the partner(s) concerned (not in the student's country of origin)

– Category B: possibility to spend between two months and half of the Masters duration in a TC under the supervision of the partner(s) concerned

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EMMC Award Criteria

• Academic quality: 25%• Course integration: 25%• Course management, visibility and

sustainability measures: 20%• Students’ facilities and follow-up: 15%• Quality assurance and evaluation: 15%

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Academic quality (25 %)

• Needs analysis and added value of the integrated study programme both on national and international level

• The adequacy of the partnerships to the objectives of the programme (capacity, expertise and experience and quality of the teaching staff)

• The quality and relevance of the learning outcomes, acquired competences and professional outcomes

• Work placements and/or research activities, interrelation with business including the role of associated members

• EMMC structure (including including mobility mechanisms) and its relevance for its academic and professional objectives

• If relevant, the level and appropriateness of Third-Country partner(s) contribution to the EMMC

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Academic quality – expert comments

“The objectives of the Course are quite general … no comparison to other

courses that already exist in the same field in Europe

“The academic quality and added value of the programme can hardly be

assessed, as the structure of the study programme is only described along

general lines”

“Very confused programme presented with participation of excellent

universities”

“the Consortium made a survey on existing European training

programmes at the Masters level in the field”

“Linkage between research, education and practice offered by a consortium, which has credentials on excellence and composed by partners that are

complementary”

“The competences and learning outcomes are very well described and

were designed after consultation”

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Course Integration (25%)

• Integration of the Masters Course (jointly developed by the consortium partners, full recognition of the programme by all participating HEIs); if relevant, integration of the Third-Country partner HEIs

• Common student application, selection, admission and examination procedures

• Financial arrangements among the partner institutions (calculation and distribution of fees among participating institutions)

• Use of ECTS or other compatible mechanisms (including the “grading scale”)

• Degree(s) awarded and, if applicable, the measures taken by the consortium to deliver a joint degree

• Diploma Supplement (if possible jointly issued)

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Course integration – expert comments

“The proposal mainly focuses on the separate Masters Courses that are being taught at each partner University. The

study programme is not really fully integrated

“Tuition fees depend on the Universities where the students choose to study”

“The role of each institution in awarding this degree is not at all clear, neither is

the project's strategy for the recognition of the Master degree”

“The final degree awarded already exists and double degrees

agreements have already been provided”

“The proposed Course is modularised and the ECTS credit allocation is done

in a proper way”

“The application procedure will be on-line and common to all students, and

the selection process will be very transparent and will pass different

filters”

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Management, visibility, sustainability (20%)

• The quality of the cooperation mechanisms within the consortium

• Financial and human resources dedicated by the consortium to the EMMC implementation

• Strategy and measures to ensure the visibility and worldwide promotion of the EMMC

• Sustainability plan (involving all partners, associated members, other organisations)

• Complementary funding sources (availability of additional scholarships to participating students)

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Management, visibility, sustainability – expert comments

“A real coordination among partners is lacking. A lot of tasks will be done

by the coordinator alone”

“No mention of funding sources that ensure the course’s sustainability”

“The publicity of the Master is more based on the partner's existing

contact with institutions of the third-countries than on an integrated policy

”

“detailed description of the cooperation mechanisms to be created: Board of Directors, External Advisory Board, Admissions and Quality Committee,

Secretariat and Students Checkpoint”

“The partners have a very extensive world-wide network useful to attract

students and scholars”

“A report on all the financial aspects will be presented at every meeting of the

Board of Directors, which adds a control value to the financial management of

scholarships”

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Students’ facilities and follow up (15%)

• The existence of a Student Agreement• The nature and quality of the services provided to host

students/scholars including the insurance scheme proposed to cover the non European students during their EMMC studies and services available to grantees with family or with special needs

• EMMC language policy and linguistic facilities offered• Arrangements to facilitate networking among EMMC

students (e.g. Alumni Association)

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Students’ facilities and follow up – expert comments

“there is no mention about support activities for visas and other

arrangements ”

“The information provided about the services offered to the students

(welcome, hosting etc.) are very general, no reference is given about what exactly

one or the other institution can offer”

“No information is provided on the linguistic services offered ”

“the Consortium has agreed to develop a learning Platform which may be really helpful for students”

“The language policy is clearly presented (language diversity,

language of instruction, languages of examination, language learning

support offered)”

“All course documents will be available online. Linguistic, cultural

preparation, coaching and counselling, housing facilities and social activities

are planned

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Quality Assurance and Evaluation (15%)

• Internal (e.g. student/scholar feed-back systems, etc.) and external quality assurance (by e.g. national, international or professional bodies) mechanisms

• If applicable, the involvement of associated members are in course monitoring

• Measures taken to allow balanced gender participation and to facilitate access to students/scholars with special needs

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Quality Assurance and Evaluation – expert comments

“No external QA is foreseen and no criteria or indicators are listed ”

“The answer refers to the coordination mechanisms and barely to the quality

assurance mechanism”

“no formal and anonymous involvement of students or staff is mentioned “

“The students will have the opportunity to evaluate teachers and courses, also non academic aspects

such as infrastructure and organisational points ”

“A quality assurance committee (international panel) will intervene to

monitor the programme”

“The evaluation of the Programme by its success in terms of completion of the Masters Course: time to get the

first employment, career performance... is also relevant’”

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Action 1: Joint Doctorates (EMJD)

• Same features as joint masters programmes +:– Fellowships for a period of 36 months

(employment contracts or stipends)– Obligatory mobility of 6 months (over

the 3-year period)– Focus on inter-disciplinarity and

innovation– Participation of research institutes +

industry (associated members)– “Co-tutelle” for thesis

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EMJD fellowship amounts

• Fellowships paid for a duration of 36 months• Annual flat rate contribution to the EMJD: 50,000 €

• Fellowship Calculation:

Category A 2,800 € / month (employment contract) or 1,400 € month (stipend) for costs of living 7,500 € for travel and installation costs

Category B 2,800 € / month (employment contract) or 1,400 € month (stipend) for costs of living 3,000 € for travel and installation (in case of non-EU mobility)

Participation costs contr.

Max 300 € / month for non laboratory based and Max 600 € / month for laboratory based EMJD

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EMJD Fellowships - Eligibility

• Category A Fellowships: non European doctoral candidates who are not residents nor have carried out their main activity for more than a total of 12 months over the last five years in a participating country (exception: former EMMC scholarship holders)

• Category B Fellowships: – All other doctoral candidates (mainly Europeans)– Research periods to be spent in at least two different

countries than the country in which the last university degree was obtained

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EMJD Fellowships – other aspects

• Mobility:– Training/research in at least two countries for min 6 months

(cumulative or consecutive)– At least two thirds of the doctoral programme must be spent in

Europe– In case of TC partner instutitions in the consortium:

• Cat A: can spend a period of max 6 months (cumulative or consecutive) in the relevant TC

• Cat B: can spend a period of max 1 year (cumulative or consecutive) in the relevant TC

• Obligation for signature of a Doctoral candidate agreement

• Every edition of the EMJD: between 6 and 10 fellowships (for Category A and B together)

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EMJD- Award Criteria

• Academic and Research quality: 20%• Partnership experience and composition: 20%• European integration and functioning of the

programme: 20%• Provisions for candidates granted an EMJD

fellowship: 20%• Management, sustainability and Quality

Assurance of the programme: 20%

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Academic and research quality (20%)

• Needs analysis (including a socio-economic perspective) and objectives of the EMJD (including those relating to inter/multi-disciplinary, inter-sectoral and/or newly emerging fields)

• Contribution to European education, research excellence and competitiveness, added value, expected educational, scientific and innovative outcomes

• Scientific quality of the education, training and research programme, existence of training activities, articulation between education/training and research, participation of industry (where relevant)

• Inter-sectoral and inter-organisation collaboration and mobility (such as placements), graduate employability

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Partnership experience and composition (20%)

• Partners’ capacity, expertise and experience• Diversity (countries/regions, type of organisations),

complementarities and synergies between partners; their track records in joint cooperation activities and their level of internationalisation

• The appropriateness of industry (or other types of partners) participation (e.g. co-funding, co-supervision, intellectual property rights, publishing possibilities, quality assurance, etc.) + their formalisation in agreements

• If relevant, the level and appropriateness of the Third-Country partner(s) contribution to the EMJD

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European integration and functioning of the programme (20%)

• Organisational structure + integration of the EMJD programme: research environment (doctoral/graduate/research schools or “co-tutelle” arrangements), recognition (ECTS or other in-built mechanisms)

• Relevance and organisation of the mandatory mobility periods

• Joint mechanisms for the selection, supervision/monitoring and assessment of doctoral candidates

• Financial arrangements among partners including the participation costs to the EMJD, co-funding possibilities in particular for candidates without EMJD fellowships

• Degree(s) awarded and the extent to which the consortium aims to deliver fully recognised and accredited joint degrees

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Provisions for EMJD candidatesand fellowship holders (20%)

• Information and marketing strategy• Use of employment contracts• Implementation of the principles of the European Charter for

Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers; the Doctoral Candidate Agreement

• The administrative arrangements to cover the fellowship holder's rights (e.g. health care, social security and pension rights, etc.), the mechanisms for the delivery and financial management of the fellowship scheme, the distribution of grantees between institutions

• The services provided to EMJD candidates (housing, coaching, visas, candidates with a family or special needs), language policy and linguistic facilities

• The arrangements concerning the candidate’s career (prospects, monitoring after graduation)

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Programme Management and Quality Assurance (20%)

• The organisational arrangements and cooperation mechanisms within the consortium and the specific role played by each of its members

• The development and sustainability plan• Internal and external evaluation quality

assurance mechanisms• Gender balance, access for disadvantaged

students (for economic, racial, religious or any other reason) and for students with special needs

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Selection procedure (EMMC + EMJD)

• Prior eligibility check by the Agency• Expert assessment procedure:

– Two individual expert assesments of each proposal– Consensus discussions between the two experts on

each proposal; if necessary a third expert will assess– The best proposals are submitted to the sectoral and

general panels

• Selection Board (composed of high standing academic personalities):– Adopts selection proposals on the basis of the

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Submission of proposals - Important points

• Respect of all formal eligibility criteria (e.g. deadline, signatures etc.)

• Coverage of all questions of the application form• Be clear, simple, coherent and explicit • Use examples to demonstrate evidence• Provide crosschecked information regarding degree

recognition• Elaboration of methodology (not only « Where » and

« When » but also « How »)• Clear information about the role of the coordinator and

the partners in the consortium• Provision of supporting information where necessary

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Selection of EMMC + EMJD in 2009

• Publication of Programme Guide and Call for Proposals on 6 February

• Selection of EMMC and EMJD to start in the academic year 2010-2011

• EMMC:– Selection of at least 15 new EMMC– Possible reselection of 2004 (19) and 2005 (17)

consortia– Same assessment for existing EMMC and new

proposals

• Selection of 10 EMJD3330/3/09

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EMMC + EMJD: Timetable

• Submission of summary sheet: 31 March (only EMJD, no eligibility criterion)

• Deadline for Application: 30 April • Assessment by external experts: May • Selection Board: June • Selection Decision: July• Communication of results (including experts’ comments):

September• Framework partnership agreement: Autumn 2009 • Submission of student and doctoral candidate lists:

– Cat A: Late Jan 2010– Cat B: May 2010

• Specific agreements: Spring 2010• Start of the EMMC and EMJD: academic year 2010-2011

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Management of EMMC and EMJD by the Agency

• Conclusion of a 5-year « framework partnership agreement » between the coordinating institution and the Agency

• Conclusion of annual specific agreements with each consortium for the duration of the EMMC or EMJD

• Payments to the coordinating institution • Day-to-day contacts with the consortia• Analysis of progress and final reports• Monitoring visits • Organisation of coordinators meetings• Possibility for audits

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Further Information

• Erasmus Mundus Website:

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus/index_en.php

• koen.nomden@ec.europa.eu

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