Kathmandu: On 14 August 2019, the Delegation of the European Union to Nepal organized a Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO) for the new scholarship recipients of Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree (EMJMD) batch 2019-2021.
Altogether 52 Nepalese students have been awarded full scholarships for the period 2019-2020 and they will spend 2 years fulltime in prestigious European Universities to pursue their Master Degrees in various fields. During the Pre-Departure Orientation the students were given useful tips and advice for living and studying in Europe, says a press release issued by the EU in Nepal.
While welcoming the awardees, the EU Ambassador to Nepal, H.E. Veronica Cody, said: “These Erasmus+ scholarships offer a lifetime opportunity for young Nepalese to pursue their studies at the highest level, to learn more about European cultures, languages, academic systems and, not least, people at some of the best universities in Europe. Apart from improving student’s expertise, the scholarships are also meant to enrich young people’s life experiences, help create mutual understanding and openness between people and cultures. We hope that these scholarships will help these students to further excel and that they will return to Nepal with enhanced skills and knowledge useful for the country and themselves, as well as with fond memories of Europe”, adds the EU press release dated 14 August, 2019.
More than 700 Nepalese students have benefitted from the EU’s Erasmus+ Scholarship Programme. The Erasmus+ scholarships also provide opportunities for Europeans to undertake short-term studies and teaching in various universities across Nepal.
One Erasmus+ Nepal awardee, Ms Aasma Sharma, who will undertake EMJMD programme in Plant Health at UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE VALENCIA in Spain, said: “Erasmus+ is a valuable opportunity for us, as it will support our future career development, contribute to the enhancement of knowledge and science in Nepal and establish good mutual cooperation between Nepal and European universities.”
Another Erasmus+ Nepal awardee, Mr Hridaya Sagar Subedi, who will undertake the EMJMD Programme in Big Data Management and Analytics at UNIVERSITE LIBRE DE BRUXELLES in Belgium, said: “Being awarded the Erasmus+ scholarship is a dream come true after my long search for funding to study abroad. Our world is becoming more intertwined than ever. The rise of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Mining, Internet of Things and Cloud Computing creates economic opportunity if we can work together to capture it. Nepal needs more experts of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Humanities, that can collaborate well in the future”, adds the press note.
Erasmus Alumni also participated in the event. Ms. Rojika Maharjan and team shared their experience and advice with new awardees. “Everything, from your home and your language to your daily routine, changes. The first change is rather abrupt: you move from your home to a foreign city about which you only know details from movies or the internet. You don’t know anything about the specific neighbourhood or university you’ll be based in, and it’s the same each time you move on again. Each time, you have to start a home and make sure you continue to excel academically, once you’ve got used to how public transport works and found the nearest bank and post office, it’s time to move again. It’s important to stay flexible and not be frustrated by the constant changes. Learn to expect differences between one place and another, and make sure you enjoy the moment as much as you can in each destination. If you can do this, your Erasmus Mundus experience will be the best time of your life”; they said.
In addition to the Erasmus+ scholarships, the EU Delegation in Nepal has been providing ongoing support to the Government of Nepal/Ministry of Education, Science and Technology on Quality Education and Technical and Vocational Training, concludes the press release of the EU.
The programme was held at the EU Delegation to Nepal.