erasmus mundus programme - europa facile · 2004. 1. 13. · erasmus mundus masters courses will be...

EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate-General for Education and Culture Education

Brussels, 22.12.2003

Disclaimer

This document reflects the Commission’s intention as to how it proposes to implement the Erasmus Mundus programme. As

the programme decision is not yet in force, this text is not definitive.

OPERATIONAL DESCRIPTION OF ERASMUS MUNDUS – REVISION 2

1. INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................... 3

2. BASIC FACTS AND FIGURES................................................................................. 3

3. DEFINITIONS ............................................................................................................ 4

4. SELECTION PROCEDURES .................................................................................... 5

5. ACTION 1 : ERASMUS MUNDUS MASTERS COURSES .................................... 5

5.1. Application process ........................................................................................... 6

5.2. Selection and award process.............................................................................. 6

5.2.1. Eligibility and selection criteria .......................................................... 7

5.2.2. Award criteria...................................................................................... 8

5.3. Consultation of national structures.................................................................. 11

5.4. Selection Board ............................................................................................... 11

5.5. Grant duration and funding arrangements....................................................... 11

6. ACTION 2: SCHOLARSHIPS ................................................................................. 12

6.1. Application process ......................................................................................... 12

6.2. Selection and award process............................................................................ 12

6.2.1. Eligibility and selection criteria ........................................................ 13

6.2.2. Award criteria.................................................................................... 13

Commission européenne, B-1049 Bruxelles / Europese Commissie, B-1049 Brussel - Belgium. Telephone: (32-2) 299 11 11. http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/education_culture

6.3. Approval by the Commission.......................................................................... 14


6.5. Funding arrangements ..................................................................................... 14

6.6. Insurance.......................................................................................................... 15

7. ACTION 3: PARTNERSHIPS.................................................................................. 15




7.2.2. Award criteria.................................................................................... 17


7.4. Selection Board ............................................................................................... 18


8. ACTION 4: ENHANCING ATTRACTIVENESS ................................................... 19

8.1. Strategic lines .................................................................................................. 20

8.2. Eligible activities ............................................................................................. 20

8.2.1. Promoting European higher education in the world ......................... 20

Facilitating access for third-country students to European higher education............................................................................................ 21

8.2.3. Complementary activities.................................................................. 21




8.4.2. Award criteria.................................................................................... 23



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Disclaimer

This document reflects the Commission’s intention as to how it proposes to implement the Erasmus Mundus programme. As

the programme decision is not yet in force, this text is not definitive.

1. INTRODUCTION

The present paper describes how the Erasmus Mundus programme will be implemented. It will serve as a reference for the preparation of the Guidelines for Applicants and other implementation documents, such as application forms, grant agreements, etc.

The paper builds on the draft programme decision (Council common position).1 It also takes into consideration the obligations laid down in the New Financial Regulation applicable to the Community budget and its implementing rules.

This text does not provide all details of programme implementation, but attempts to provide an answer to all questions of a more general nature that may arise when preparing the launch of the programme. It gives an overall view of the system without which it would be difficult to ensure the internal coherence of the programme. This is all the more necessary, as there is a distinct link between the first three Actions of the programme and as the Commission suggests some new implementation approaches.

This paper explains the standard implementation method for Erasmus Mundus. Due to the late adoption of the programme, the year 2004 – and to a lesser extent 2005 - will be special years in which particular implementation provisions and a special implementation timetable will apply. Those provisions are not part of this document, but explained in a separate paper (“Implementation in year 2004”). In order to apply under the Erasmus Mundus programme in 2004, the two papers need to be read in conjunction.

2. BASIC FACTS AND FIGURES

To facilitate the reading of this paper some of the basic programme management data are summarised in this chapter.

Duration and timing: The programme covers 5 years, from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2008. The programme proposal was adopted by the Council on 25 November 2003; the programme decision is likely to be published in the Official Journal in December 2003 / January 2004, 20 days after which it will enter into force.

Participating countries: Apart from the Member States2, the programme is open to the participation of accession candidate countries and EEA / EFTA countries. Official

1 OJ C 240 E/1 of 7.10.2003

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participation of the non-EU countries will be formalised through the relevant instruments governing the relations between the European Community and those countries. This process is likely to be concluded in 2004 so that the institutions of those countries could participate in the programme in 2005.3

Budget: The draft decision establishes the budget at EUR 230 million, EUR 30 million up with respect to the original Commission proposal. In 2004, the budget stands at a rather modest EUR 8 million, but funding will increase to over EUR 90 million in 2008.

Committee: The programme foresees the creation of a Committee which will act both as a management and an advisory body. The Committee will exercise its management function on issues such as the annual work plan, selection criteria and procedures (including composition and procedures relating to the “Selection Board” – see point 5.4 below - and the selection of Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses), the general implementation guidelines, the annual budget, the evaluation of the programme as well as the dissemination and transfer of results.

National structures: The draft decision foresees that national authorities designate national structures which will contribute to the delivery of the programme and which will be consulted on selection. National authorities will be invited to designate these structures the earliest possible.

3. DEFINITIONS

Article 2 of the draft decision provides the following definitions for the purpose of the programme:

1) "higher education institution": means any institution which according to national legislation or practice offers qualifications or degrees at that level, whatever such establishments may be called;

2) "third-country graduate student": means a national of a third country other than those from EEA-EFTA States and candidate countries for accession to the European Union; who has already obtained a first higher education degree; who is not a resident of any of the Member States or the participating countries as provided for in Article 11; who has not carried out his or her main activity (studies, work, etc.) for more than a total of 12 months over the last five years in any of the Member States or the participating countries; and who has been accepted to register or is registered in an Erasmus Mundus Masters Course as described in the Annex;

3) "third-country scholar": means a national of a third country other than those from EEA- EFTA States and candidate countries for accession to the European Community; who is not a resident of any of the Member States or the participating countries as provided for in Article 11; who has not carried out his or her main activity (studies, work, etc.) for more than a total of 12 months over the last five years in any of the Member States or the participating countries; and who has outstanding academic and/or professional experience;

2 In the present document, the term “Member State” always refers to the 25 present or new members of the

European Union.

3 It should be noted that the EFTA / EEA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) have expressed their desire to take the necessary steps for the EFTA / EEA institutions to be involved as from year 2004. Depending on progress in this matter, the call for Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses to be launched for the academic year 2004 / 2005 could already be open to EFTA / EEA institutions on the condition that the necessary procedures be completed in time.

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4) "graduate or postgraduate studies": means courses of higher education study that follow a first degree lasting a minimum of three years and lead to a second or further degree.

4. SELECTION PROCEDURES

The annex to the draft decision defines the selection procedures as follows:

The selection procedures will be laid down as provided for in Article 7(1). These procedures should respect the following provisions:

(a) The selection of proposals under action 1 and under action 3 shall be carried out by a Selection Board presided over by a person whom it elects, composed of personalities of high standing from the academic world who are representative of the diversity of higher education in the European Union. The Selection Board shall ensure that Erasmus Mundus Masters courses and partnerships correspond to the highest academic quality;

(b) Each Erasmus Mundus Masters course will be allocated a specific number of grants under action 2. The selection of third-country students will be carried out by the institutions participating in the Erasmus Mundus Masters courses. Selection procedures shall provide for a clearing mechanism at European level, in order to prevent serious imbalances across fields of study and students’ and scholars’ regions of provenance and Member State of destination;

(c) Proposals under action 4 will be selected by the Commission;

(d) Selection procedures shall involve consultation with the structures designated in accordance with Article 6(2)(b).

The timetable of the full cycle of the selection process under Actions 1 to 4 which will apply as for the academic year 2006 /2007 can be found in annex 1.

5. ACTION 1 : ERASMUS MUNDUS MASTERS COURSES

The annex to the draft decision provides the following regarding Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses:

1. The Community will select European postgraduate courses which for the purposes of the programme will be called "Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses", as provided for under "Selection Procedures" in the second part of this annex.

2. For the purpose of the programme, Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses shall:

(a) involve a minimum of three higher education institutions from three different Member States;

(b) implement a study programme which involves a period of study in at least two of the three institutions under (a);

(c) have built-in mechanisms for the recognition of periods of study undertaken in partner institutions based on, or compatible with, the European Credit Transfer System;

(d) result in the awarding of joint, double or multiple degrees, recognised or accredited by the Member States, from the participating institutions;

(e) reserve a minimum of places for, and host, third-country students who have been granted financial support under the programme;

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(f) establish transparent conditions for admissions which pay due regard, inter alia, to gender issues and equity issues;

(g) agree to respect the rules applicable to the selection procedure of grantees (students and scholars);

(h) put in place appropriate arrangements to facilitate access for, and hosting of, third-country students (information facilities, accommodation, etc.);

(i) without prejudice to the language of instruction, provide for the use of at least two European languages spoken in the Member States where the higher education institutions involved in the Erasmus Mundus Masters Course are situated and, as appropriate, for language preparation and assistance for students.

3. Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses will be selected for a five-year period, subject to a light-weight annual renewal procedure based on progress reporting, which period could include a year's preparatory activities before the actual course begins to run. Balanced representation of different fields of study will be sought over the duration of the programme. The Community may provide financial support for Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses and funding would be subject to the annual renewal procedure.

It should be pointed out here that neither undergraduate nor doctoral studies are eligible for Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses or scholarships.

5.1. Application process

The Commission will publish a call for proposals4 in early March of year x-1 in order to select Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses for the academic year x / x+1. The deadline for the submission of proposals will be the end of May. Proposals will be submitted to the Commission and copied to the national structures of the higher education institutions involved.

Applicants will have to use the application forms provided by the Commission. Applicants should use as application language the operational language of communication between the institutions involved in the proposed Masters Course.

The group of higher education institutions participating in a Masters Course is called the “consortium”. The co-ordinating institution submits the application on behalf of the whole Erasmus Mundus Masters Course consortium. The co-ordinator will be the Commission’s contact point and contract partner for the Masters Course in question; it will speak and report for the consortium.

5.2. Selection and award process

The annual selection process involves the following steps:

(1) Registration of proposals by the Commission;

(2) Check for eligibility and selection criteria (see eligibility and selection criteria under point 5.2.1) carried out by the Commission;

4 In 2004, the Commission will also publish Guidelines for Applicants. The Commission envisages that the Guidelines become a standing call and replace the annual calls as from the year 2006 onwards, when the years 2004 and 2005 of phasing into the programme will be over.

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(3) Assessment of the proposals (see award criteria under 5.2.2) carried out by high-level international academic experts covering the appropriate disciplines and having experience in international co-operation projects in the field of higher education;

(4) In parallel to step 3, consultation of national structures designated by Member States;

(5) Meeting of the Selection Board to recommend proposals for selection. As for the composition and the role of the Selection Board, please refer to point 5.4;

(6) Adoption of a draft selection proposal taking into account the opinions issued during steps 3, 4 and 5 above;

(7) Submission of the draft proposal to the programme Committee for official opinion;

(8) Submission of the draft proposal to the European Parliament for its right of inspection (1 month);

(9) Adoption of the selection proposal by the Commission.

5.2.1. Eligibility and selection criteria

Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses must respect the following eligibility and selection criteria:

(1) Applicants must not be in one of the situations listed as exclusion criteria in the Community financial regulation (e.g. bankruptcy, professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, etc.);

(2) Applicants must have the operational and financial capacity to complete the proposed project;

(3) Applicants and partners must be higher education institutions recognised as such by the participating countries where they are located. The Commission will deem a higher education institution as recognised if it has been awarded an Erasmus University Charter under the Socrates programme. Award of the Erasmus University Charter implies prior recognition by the Member States concerned. If an applicant or a partner has not been awarded an Erasmus University Charter, the Commission will check with the national structure concerned whether the institution in question corresponds to the definition of higher education institution given in article 2 of the draft decision and quoted under point 3 above.

(4) Higher education institutions must be located in one of the participating countries, i.e. a Member State, or - where applicable - an accession candidate country or an EFTA / EEA State.

(5) The minimum consortium must consist of three higher education institutions from three different participating countries, two of which must be located in Members States.

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5.2.2. Award criteria

Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses must respect the following award criteria:

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(1) Applying consortia must be able to offer an integrated study programme. All three higher education institutions involved in the minimum consortium must be in the position to be a hosting institution, i.e. to offer in principle at least 30% of the ECTS credits necessary for course completion.5 An integrated study programme must already exist and must be ready to be fully operational at application stage, even if the applicant asks for a year’s preparatory activities.6 An integrated study programme has the following features:

Joint criteria for admission and examination: students must be able to apply to a single programme with common standards for admission, a common application procedure and a joint student selection process;

– Course integration: delivery of a jointly developed curriculum or full recognition by the Erasmus Mundus Masters consortium of courses which are developed and delivered separately, but make up a common standard course;

– Mobility: a period of study in at least two of the three participating institutions. The sequence of study periods spent in the various hosting institutions and the various possible mobility combinations7 must be known at the time of application for the Masters Course and made known to potential students in advance. In cases where the co-ordinator is an EFTA / EEA or accession country, at least one of the hosting institutions must be located in a Member State;

– Guaranteed award of a joint, or a double or a multiple degree after successful conclusion of the Masters Course: clear definition of the nature and the form of the final degree(s) delivered, i.e. a joint degree endorsed by all universities involved or two / several separate degrees (double or multiple degrees). The delivery by the consortium of a double degree is a minimal requirement. This condition must be fulfilled at the time of application for the Masters Course8;

– Recognition: Consortia must prove that the participating countries concerned recognise the degrees delivered at the end of the Masters Course. The Commission will consult with the programme Committee on which kind of national proof is considered satisfactory for each participating country.

5 For more details on ECTS credits, see next page.

6 A year of preparatory activities will serve the purpose of preparing the Masters Course to receive and host third-country students and scholars.

7 In a minimum consortia of three partners (A, B, C), mobility combinations would normally be A+B, A+C, B+C and A+B+C.

8 As an exception to this rule and for the 2004 selection round only, a consortium must guarantee the awarding of a joint, or a double or a multiple degree at the time of selecting the Masters Courses at the latest. In other words, if a consortium cannot guarantee the awarding of a joint, or a double or a multiple degree at application stage, it has to add a declaration that it will be able to do so at the time of selection (early September 2004). This declaration will be checked against its truthfulness before taking a selection decision. In case of non-fulfilment of this criterion the application will be rejected.

An Erasmus Mundus Masters Course would normally consist of 60 to 120 ECTS credits, i.e. normally one or two-year courses, but courses lasting between one and two years are also admitted. A Masters Course should normally consist of 90-120 ECTS credits, with a minimum of 60 credits. As from 2006 onwards, the Commission may suggest that all Masters Courses should consist of 90 credits.

The length of the study period in each of the participating institutions is not prescribed; it is rather determined by the need to ensure that students are granted a joint, or a double or a multiple degree and the need to ensure an integrated approach. However, the Masters Course must, in principle, foresee that at least 30% of the ECTS credits be acquired in each hosting institution. In case of Masters Courses involving EFTA / EEA or accession candidate countries, at least 50% of the ECTS credits must be acquired in a higher education institution located in a Member State.

(2) Applicants must commit themselves to fully participate in the Erasmus Mundus scholarship scheme, demonstrate their capacity to implement it and respect its rules. To this end, the consortium must reserve a minimum of places9 for, and host, third-country students who have been granted financial support under Action 2 of the programme. Common rules applicable to the selection procedure for grantees (scholars and students) must exist at application stage and consortia must agree to respect these rules. If a Masters Course benefits from a preparatory year, third-country students / scholars would not be taken before the second year.

(3) Study periods must provide students with the possibility of using at least two European languages spoken in the Member States where the institutions participating in the Masters Courses are located. However, the use of at least two languages does not imply the use of two different languages of instruction. Also, there is no obligation that the institution uses the national language as the language of instruction.

Institutions should have a clearly identifiable language policy to promote the national language. This could include language training or other induction courses (e.g. “survival language”, cultural induction), regardless of the language of instruction.

(4) The yearly call for proposals will be open to Masters Courses operating in all fields of study. Against the experience gathered during the first years of implementing the programme, the Commission may envisage identifying yearly priority themes, in order to ensure a balanced representation of different fields of study over the duration of the programme.

(5) Applicants must commit themselves to participate in Erasmus Mundus according to the rules established for the purpose of the programme, in particular world-wide publication of the Masters Course including all admission provisions, delivery mechanisms and participation costs.

The selection of Masters Courses will be a competitive process based on the assessment of the quality of co-operation and content of Masters Courses, against the background of the award criteria mentioned above.

9 For figures, see chapter 6.5.

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As regards the quality of co-operation, the following issues will be examined:

– How sound are the co-operation mechanisms established within the consortium (degree of institutionalisation, regular meetings, clearly defined and active role of all partners, established feed-back system, etc.)?

– How adequately are content-related and administrative aspects of the Masters Course staffed and funded?

– To which extent is the Course truly integrated and fully recognised?

– How adequately structured is the Masters Course and in particular how adequate are the mechanisms for students’ / scholars’ mobility between hosting institutions?

– How developed are mechanisms to reach out to potentially interested third-country students / scholars?

– How adequate are the provisions to deliver the scholarship scheme, in particular, the common standards for joint application, selection and admission procedures, the distribution of scholarships between institutions and the financial management of scholarships?

– How developed are services provided to host third-country students (existence of an “international office” with adequate opening hours and linguistic coverage, housing facilities, coaching, language courses, activities aiming at social integration, assistance with visas and social insurance)?

– How well are the linguistic aspects of mobility developed?

– Are there appropriate internal evaluation and quality assessment mechanisms in place? Does the evaluation mechanism foresee a student feed-back system?

As regards the quality of the content of the Masters Course, quality can only be assured, if the Masters Courses already exist, have been operational and thus have a track record. The assessment will include the following elements:

– the academic quality of the integrated study programme compared with courses that already exist in the same field at national and international level;

– the extent to which the Masters Course has a distinctive European added value;

– the quality of the learning outcomes and the acquired competencies;

– the extent to which quality and ECTS mechanisms are assured by the institutions themselves or by national, international or professional bodies;

– the extent to which the Course is linked to research activities in the field.

Applicants will receive a summary of the assessments to provide them with a feed-back on their applications.

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5.3. Consultation of national structures

Consultation of the national structures is an integral component of the selection process. They will be invited to give an opinion to the Commission on quality elements which are normally best known at national level, such as the academic reputation and the innovation potential of an institution, the track record of an institution in European co-operation, etc.

5.4. Selection Board

Regarding the Selection Board, the annex to the draft decision stipulates the following:

The selection of proposals under action 1 and under action 3 shall be carried out by a Selection Board presided over by a person whom it elects, composed of personalities of high standing from the academic world who are representative of the diversity of higher education in the European Union. The Selection Board shall ensure that Erasmus Mundus Masters courses and partnerships correspond to the highest academic quality;

The Selection Board will consist of high-level experts and personalities with a long-standing experience of higher education policy and its European dimension. The Selection Board will rank the proposals taking into account, first of all, the comparative quality of the proposals as well as, where necessary, other issues, such as geography or subject variety.

5.5. Grant duration and funding arrangements

Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses will be selected for a five-year period. The Commission envisages to conclude a five-year “framework partnership agreement”10 with each selected Masters Course. The framework partnership agreement will be concluded between the Commission and the co-ordinator of the Masters Course.

An annual lump sum of EUR 15,000 will be granted for a five-year period up until 2008 (and beyond if the programme is prolonged) to each consortium via an annual grant agreement subject to an annual renewal process. The annual amount of EUR 15,000 is calculated as a flat-rate amount of EUR 5,000 to each partner of the consortium. As this amount represents a small fraction of the total cost of a Masters Course, the co-funding principle is respected. The beneficiary will not be asked to report on the use of the lump sum.

The renewal process will be based on an activity report from the co-ordinating institution on behalf of the consortium. The decision to renew will be based on proof that the Course has been delivered, that third-country students have followed the Course and that high standards of quality are maintained. In cases of patent non-compliance with high quality standards the Commission may refuse to renew the grant and designation of the course, or even ask for the reimbursement of the grant. The respective national structure and, maybe, third-country students / scholars involved in the Course in question could be consulted.

10 This is an initial annual agreement followed by four light-weight renewals.

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6. ACTION 2: SCHOLARSHIPS

The annex of the draft decision provides the following for Erasmus Mundus scholarships:

1. The Community will establish a single, global scholarship scheme targeted at the third-country graduate students and scholars.

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(a) The Community may provide financial support to third-country students who have been admitted, through a competitive process, to Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses.

(b) The Community may provide financial support to third-country scholars visiting the Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses, with a view to carrying out teaching and research assignments and scholarly work in the institutions participating in Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses.

2. Scholarships will be open to third-country students and scholars as defined in Article 2, without any precondition for participation other than the existence of relations between the European Union and the country of origin of the students and scholars in question.

3. The Commission shall take steps to ensure that no student or scholar receives financial support for the same purpose under more than one Community programme.


The call for proposals11 mentioned above under point 5.1. to be published in early March of year x-1 will also contain a section designed for third-country students / scholars12 to be selected for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship for the academic year x / x+1. Once the selected Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses are known in October of year x-1, the Commission will publish them on its Internet site. Students / scholars can then apply to a Masters Course directly using the application system provided by the respective Masters Course. It must be made clear in the call that students / scholars apply to a Masters Course and not to a particular university. Applications will be submitted to the co-ordinating institution. Applicants will have to use the application system provided by the co-ordinating institution using the prescribed language.

Institutions involved in selected Masters Courses will be responsible for advertising their Masters Course world-wide, throughout the 5-year-period for which the Masters Courses have been selected. The scholarship scheme as a whole will be publicised by the Commission and national structures.

Consortia must submit their selection proposals, including a reserve list, to the Commission for approval by early March.


The annual selection process of applications for scholarships involves the following steps:

11 See also footnote 4.

12 A scholar is defined as a visiting professor or researcher.

(1) Registration of third-country students' and scholars’ applications by the co-ordinating institution of the Masters Course;

(2) Check for eligibility and selection criteria (see eligibility and selection criteria under point 6.2.1) carried out by the Masters Course consortium;

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(3) Selection of applications (see award criteria under point 6.2.2) by the Masters Course consortium;

(4) Submission of the draft selection proposal to the Commission for approval;


(6) Submission of the draft selection proposals to the programme Committee for consultation (accelerated procedure to be foreseen in the rules of procedure);

(7) Adoption of the proposal by the Commission.

Ideally, students / scholars should know well in advance before the Course starts whether or not they have been admitted to allow for enough time for visa formalities and travel arrangements. The timetable outlined in annex 1 allows for this time.


Erasmus Mundus students / scholars must respect the following eligibility and selection criteria:

(1) Applicants must declare on their honour that they are not in one of the situations listed as exclusion criteria in the Community financial regulation (e.g. bankruptcy, professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, etc.);

(2) Higher education institutions will have the responsibility of ensuring that third-country students / scholars meet the definition established in article 2 of the draft decision and quoted under point 3 above. Non compliance with this definition may lead to the cancellation of the scholarship granted to a student / scholar.

However, students may be admitted conditionally to courses, and selected conditionally for scholarships, on the basis that the scholarship grant only become effective when the student fulfils all the eligibility criteria.

(3) The European Community must entertain relations with the countries of origin of the selected students / scholars. The Commission will provide the Masters Courses with the appropriate information.


(1) Each Masters Course consortium lays down its own specific admission conditions. They will nevertheless be communicated to the Commission as part of the application process for the Masters Courses under Action 1; and they will be explained in detail in the application system for scholarships.

(2) In order to ensure a geographical balance in third-country student / scholar selection, Masters Courses will respect the following basic criteria:

– normally, no more than 25% of third-country students / scholars should come from the same country;

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– normally, no more than 10% of the third-country students / scholars should come from the same institution (20% where a Partnership under Action 3 has been established).

These levels may not be exceeded except with special permission from the Commission.

Higher education institutions forming a Masters Course consortium may participate in wider networks involving third-country higher education institutions. In such a case, the consortium is invited to solicit applications from beyond such established networks.

(3) The consortia will assess the academic performance and credentials of the applicants trying to identify and to select high-quality students / scholars only. It will be up to each Masters Course to identify the appropriate way of checking the academic quality of applicants (e.g. study records, exam results, letters of recommendation, cross-checking with home universities, etc.).

6.3. Approval by the Commission

The co-ordinating institution of the Erasmus Mundus Masters Course submits one selection proposal for third-country scholarships including a reserve list to the Commission. The Commission will agree to this proposal on the condition that:

– A certain geographical balance is respected across all Masters Courses over the medium term;

– No student / scholar has been selected by more than one consortium.


Consultation of the national structures is an integral component of the selection process. They will be invited to give an opinion to the Commission on the selection proposal.

6.5. Funding arrangements

The Commission will transfer the funds for students / scholars to the co-ordinating institution, and the consortium will make the necessary arrangements for them to be distributed to the individual beneficiaries.

The grant agreement for a one-year Masters Course breaks down as follows:

– Scholarships: number of students x 10 months x EUR 1,600; plus

number of scholars x 3 months x EUR 4,000; plus

– Travel expenses: number of students and scholars x EUR 1,000; plus

– Fixed amount: number of students x EUR 4,000.

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The grant agreement for a two-year Masters Course will be double the above amount. As for courses lasting more than one but less than two years, students will receive EUR 1,600 for each additional month of study following their first year at the Masters Course. On the other hand, students not having succeeded in completing the Masters Course within the usual duration of the Course will not receive an additional grant for “catching-up”. Scholarships are intended for full-time studies.

As for the monthly scholarship, one amount will apply to all participating countries regardless of actual living costs. Regarding scholars, consortia will be allowed to increase the grant payment for scholars and / or decrease the duration of their stay, if this is deemed useful. As for the fixed amount, this is a standard amount to cater for registration and tuition fees built into the student grant. Consortia are free to charge students as they wish according to their national legislation; students are free to use their grants as they wish. Also, institutions are free to establish their own payment modalities with their students and scholars.

In principle, the Commission will allocate an equal number of grants to each Masters Course, which will, in principle, range from about 10 in 2004 to about 30 in 2008. Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses must predetermine how grants would be allocated within the consortium taking into account the mobility requirements of the Course as well as an appropriate balance in the distribution of students within the Course. However, institutions will have some flexibility for readjustments.

In case of students / scholars renouncing their grants or withdrawing from the course, a person on the reserve list would receive the “free grant”. If a consortium is unable to absorb the number of grants allocated to it for lack of high-quality applicants, it will inform the Commission which may redistribute these “free grants” to consortia which can absorb them.

At final report stage the co-ordinator reports to the Commission on how many students / scholars have effectively received a grant and how much interest was earned on the financial agreement. On the basis of this count of “units” spent, the Commission will calculate the final grant amount.

6.6. Insurance

A health and accident insurance scheme will be implemented within Erasmus Mundus in order to ensure similar insurance coverage for all students from third countries13. This insurance would be complementary to any other (national) insurance scheme students may benefit from.

The insurance scheme will be contracted as part of the implementation of the Erasmus Mundus programme through a tendering process in early 2004.

7. ACTION 3: PARTNERSHIPS

The annex to the draft decision provides the following for Erasmus Mundus Partnerships:

13 The scheme could also cover outgoing EU-students in the framework of Partnerships.

1. The Community may support structured relations between Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses and third-country higher education institutions. While having regard to the overarching criteria of quality, a varied geographical distribution among the third-country institutions participating in the programme should also be taken into consideration. Partnerships will provide the framework for outgoing mobility of European Union students and scholars involved in the Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses.

2. Partnerships will:

– involve an Erasmus Mundus Masters Course and at least one higher education institution from a third country,

– be supported for periods of up to three years,

– 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 (and for purposes other than study) before the start of the outgoing mobility,

– ensure recognition of study periods at the host (i.e., non-European) institution.

3. Partnership project activities 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,

– development of cooperation schemes with third-country higher education institutions with a view to offering a course in the country in question.


As from 2005 onwards, the Commission will publish a call for proposals14 in early March of year x-1 in order to select Erasmus Mundus Partnerships for the academic year x / x+1. The deadline for the submission of proposals will be the end of May. Proposals will be submitted to the Commission and copied to the national structures of the higher education institutions involved. The application process under Action 3 will thus be parallel to the application process under Action 1.

Applicants are Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses consortia. They will have to use the application forms provided by the Commission. Applicants should use as application language the operational language of communication between the institutions involved in the proposed Partnership.

The co-ordinating institution of the Masters Course consortium submits the application on behalf of the whole consortium. The co-ordinator will be the Commission’s contact point and contract partner for the Partnership in question; it will speak and report for the consortium.


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(3) Assessment of the proposals (see award criteria under 7.2.2) carried out by high-level international academic experts covering the appropriate disciplines and having experience in international co-operation projects in the field of higher education;


(5) Meeting of the Selection Board to recommend proposals for selection. As for the composition and the role of the Selection Board, please refer to point 5.4;

(6) Adoption of a draft selection proposal taking into account the opinions issued during steps 3, 4 and 5 above;

(7) Submission of the draft proposal to the programme Committee for consultation;



Erasmus Mundus Partnerships must respect the following eligibility and selection criteria:

(1) Partnerships can only be established by Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses. In practice, a Masters Course must have been established for a year before it becomes eligible for a Partnership;

(2) As regards the mobility scheme under Partnerships, eligible students and staff 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 (and for purposes other than study) before the start of the outgoing mobility;

(3) Partnership grants will not exceed three years. They are, however, renewable.


Erasmus Mundus Partnerships must respect the following award criteria:

(1) Provide a framework for outgoing mobility for EU-students enrolled in the Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses and the Courses' teachers;

(2) Ensure recognition of study periods at the host (i.e., non-European) institution;

(3) If a Partnership is established with more than one third-country higher education institution, each of them must be located in a different country.

The selection of Partnerships will be a competitive process based on the assessment of the quality of co-operation and content of the Partnership proposals, against the background of the award criteria mentioned above.

Proposals will be assessed on the basis of their quality as under Action 1. Issues that will be considered include the following:

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– How sound are the co-operation mechanisms established within the Partnership (mechanisms for students’ mobility, regular meetings, established feed-back system, etc.)?

– How is the recognition of study periods guaranteed?

– How consistent, open and transparent are the mechanisms for the selection of out-going EU students?

– How developed are services provided to host EU students by third-country partner institutions?

– Does the Partnership foresee the exchanges of teachers, trainers, administrators, and other relevant specialists, possibly supporting the project’s curriculum development?

– How well are the linguistic aspects of mobility developed?

– Are the learning outcomes and the acquired competencies at the third-country institution of high quality?

– Are development and dissemination of new methodologies in higher education, including the use of ICTs, e-learning and open and distance learning included in the Partnership?

– Is the Partnership linked to research activities in the field?



Consultation of the national structures is an integral component of the selection process. They will be invited to give an opinion to the Commission on quality elements which are normally best known at national level, such as the academic added value of the proposed Partnership to the national institution involved, the possible track record of the third-country institution in the respective country, etc.

7.4. Selection Board

The same rules apply to Action 1 and Action 3 of the programme. Therefore, see point 5.4 above.


Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses will receive the following grant amounts for Partnerships:

– an annual lump sums of EUR 5,000 per participating third-country institution. If the partnership involves more than three third-country institutions, the annual amount will be a maximum of EUR 15,000;

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– an annual fixed amount to be used for outgoing mobility. The fixed amount will be calculated on the basis that 5 students per EU institution involved in a Masters Course and three scholars per Masters Course per year would be sent out. The average mobility cost of a partnership student amounts to EUR 3,100 (three monthly grants of EUR 700 plus EUR 1,000 for travel), of a partnership scholar to EUR 13,000 (three monthly grant payments of EUR 4,000 plus EUR 1,000 for travel). Consortia will have the flexibility to send out more students and fewer scholars than foreseen, if the individual interest shown in mobility warrants this approach. Similarly, consortia will be able to increase the grant payment for scholars and / or decrease the duration of the stay abroad, if necessary.

The resulting amount, which depends on the duration of the Partnership, will be paid to the co-ordinator of the Masters Course consortium concerned by means of a specific grant agreement covering one, two or three years in various instalments (pre-financing payments and final payment). The number of instalments will depend on the duration of the Partnership. Payment of further pre-funding will be subject to:

– the annual renewal process for the Masters Course consortium in question. Should the Erasmus Mundus Masters Course not be renewed, the Partnership would be cancelled;

– the presentation of an annual progress report by the co-ordinating institution on behalf of the consortium. The progress reports will have to show that the Partnership is operational, that EU students have been sent out and that high standards of quality are maintained. In cases of patent non-compliance with high quality standards the Commission may ask for the reimbursement of the grant. The respective national structure and, maybe, EU students / scholars involved in the Partnership in question could be consulted.

The final payment will be subject to the presentation and approval of a final report which proves that the Partnership has been carried out. The beneficiary will not be asked to report on the use of the lump sum. As for the amount used for mobility, the beneficiary will have to report on the “units” (students and scholars) actually sent out.

8. ACTION 4: ENHANCING ATTRACTIVENESS

The annex to the draft decision provides the following regarding the action « Enhancing attractiveness »:

1. Through this action, the Community may support activities aimed at enhancing the profile and visibility of and accessibility to European education. The Community shall also support complementary activities that contribute to the objectives of the programme including activities dealing with the international dimension of quality assurance, credit recognition, recognition of European qualifications abroad and mutual recognition of qualifications with third countries, curriculum development and mobility.

2. Eligible institutions may include public or private organisations active in the field of higher education domestically or at international level. Activities shall be conducted within networks involving a minimum of three organisations from three different Member States and may involve organisations from third countries. Activities (which may include seminars, conferences, workshops, development of ICT

tools, production of material for publication, etc.) may take place in the Member States or in third countries.

3. Promotional activities shall seek to establish links between higher education and research, and exploit whenever possible potential synergies.

4. Through this action the Community may support international thematic networks to deal with these issues.

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5. The Community may support as appropriate pilot projects with third countries with a view to developing further co-operation in the field of higher education with the countries in question.

6. The Community shall support an alumni association of all students (third-country and Europeans) graduating from Erasmus Mundus Masters courses.

Activities funded under Action 4 should not aim principally at information and publicity for the Erasmus Mundus programme in general.

8.1. Strategic lines

The type of eligible activities mentioned under point 8.2 follow from two strategic lines aimed at enhancing the attractiveness of European higher education:

(1) World-wide promotion of the “brand” of European higher education (e.g. activities (a), (b), (c), (d), (q), etc. below);

(2) Support for the creation of an appropriate infrastructure (e.g. activities (f), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k), etc. below).

8.2. Eligible activities

The following, which are taken from the original Commission proposal, are examples of projects eligible for funding under Action 4. They will in all cases involve partners from at least three participating countries.

8.2.1. Promoting European higher education in the world

Activities should seek to establish links between higher education and research, and whenever possible exploit potential synergies. Support may be given (e.g.) to:

(a) General written or visual information and dissemination tools contributing towards a better understanding of the value of study in Europe;

(b) Representation of European higher education and Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses at international fairs and other events;

(c) Seminars, workshops, etc. with a view to co-ordinating information and dissemination efforts;

(d) Activities targeting geographical areas having a significant potential in terms of international student mobility;

(e) Specific actions seeking to involve higher education institutions of a high profile and with a long experience in promotion activities.

8.2.2. Facilitating access for third-country students to European higher education

Eligible activities may include:

(f) Development of courses or material for language training and cultural preparation;

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(g) Development of more effective methods of hosting and integrating third-country students;

(h) Development of distance education modules targeting third-county students;

(i) Services facilitating mobility between university partnerships within and outside Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses;

(j) Development of services facilitating mobility with children and other dependent people;

(k) Further development of an Internet gateway to facilitate access Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses as well as to other European courses suitable for third-country students, and other ICT support such as “apply on-line” services.

8.2.3. Complementary activities

These will provide support for activities dealing with issues inherent in the internationalisation of higher education, such as the international dimension of:

(l) Quality assurance, including accreditation or other types of quality labels/specifications;

(m) Credit recognition;

(n) Recognition of European qualifications abroad and mutual recognition of qualifications with third countries;

(o) Evolving curriculum development needs;

(p) Consumer protection issues linked to education;

(q) Surveys and studies (e.g. on the decision-making process of foreign students seeking study abroad, on obstacles to study in Europe, etc.).


The Commission will publish a call for proposals15 in early March of year x in order to select co-operation and pilot projects expected to start as of October/November of the same year. The deadline for the submission of proposals will be the end of May. Proposals will be submitted to the Commission and copied to the national structures of


the institutions involved.16 The application process under Action 4 will thus be parallel to the application process under Actions 1 and 3.

Applicants will have to use the application forms provided by the Commission. Applicants should use as application language the operational language of communication between the institutions involved in the project.





(3) Assessment of the proposals (see award criteria under point 8.4.2) carried out by international experts having experience in international co-operation projects in the field of higher education;


(5) Adoption of a draft selection proposal taking into account the opinions issued during steps 3 and 4 above;

(6) Submission of the draft proposal to the programme Committee for consultation (accelerated procedure to be foreseen in the rules of procedure);



(1) Applicants must not be in one of the situations listed as exclusion criteria in the Community financial regulation (e.g. bankruptcy, professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, etc.);

(2) Applicants must have the operational and financial capacity to complete the proposed project;

(3) In addition to higher education institutions and consortia, eligible institutions may include public or private organisations active in the field of higher education domestically or at international level;

(4) Activities shall be conducted within networks involving a minimum of three organisations from three different Member States and may involve organisations from third countries;

(5) Activities may take place in the Member States or in third countries.

16 In case of international associations, applicants are requested to copy their application to the national structure of the country where the association is registered.

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The selection of projects will be a competitive process based on the assessment of the quality of the proposals. The Commission will attribute the grants after having taken into consideration the following award criteria:

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– Relevance of the content of the project to the policy developments in higher education at the European level;

– Expected results to be of direct impact on these policy developments;

– Involvement of organisations working in the specific area covered by the proposed activity;

– European dimension of the proposed activity, measured both in terms of contribution to the content and involvement of organisations from different countries;

– Promotion of intercultural dimension aiming at the dialogue and understanding between cultures world-wide;

– Existence of a European added value (in particular as far as pilot projects are concerned);

– Realistic and coherent work plan, project calendar, staffing and budget (clear and appropriate with regard to the objectives and means proposed);

– Monitoring and evaluation methodology;

– Co-operation mechanisms established within the project (regular meetings, established feed-back system, etc.).



Consultation of the national structures is an integral component of the selection process. They will be invited to give an opinion to the Commission on quality elements which are normally best known at national level, such as reputation and potential of an institution, the track record of an institution in European co-operation, etc.


Projects will be selected according to the annual budget available under Action 4 and the relative quality of proposals submitted. The average cost of one project will be EUR 50,000. However, these figures should be considered as indicative, since the cost of a large-scale project may be considerably higher.

The EU grant will not normally cover more than 75% of the eligible costs.

The duration of the contract will vary from one to three years. The beneficiary must submit a final report on completion of the project. This report will describe the results of the activities and contain a financial statement. It should also be accompanied by any material produced within the framework of the contract.

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Annex 1

TIMETABLE FOR THE SELECTION OF ERASMUS MUNDUS MASTERS COURSES (ACTION 1) AND ERASMUS MUNDUS SCHOLARSHIPS (ACTION 2)

Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April

1. Call

2. Eligibility check and assessment

3. Consultation with national structures

4. Selection Board

5. Programme Committee Art. 8.217

6. EP’s right of inspection

7. Commission decision

Scholarships

1. Applications under call mentioned above

2. Selection by Masters Courses

3. Approval by Commission




TIMETABLE FOR THE SELECTION OF ERASMUS MUNDUS PARTNERSHIPS (ACTION 3)

Erasmus Mundus Partnerships Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April

1. Call



4. Selection Board



17 Management procedure

18 Advisory procedure


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TIMETABLE FOR THE SELECTION OF “ATTRACTIVENESS” PROJECTS (ACTION 4)

“Attractiveness” Projects Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April

1. Call






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