35 students to go to Europe to study in framework of Erasmus Mundus program

35 Belarusian students and magistrands will go to study to the European universities in the framework of the program Erasmus Mundus. The competition among the Belarusian students reached 10 people per place this year!

The European Commission decided to finance the second component of the Erasmus Mundus program, for the universities of Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova, last year.

"The total budget of the whole consortium is about 5 million euros. This money is counted on 48 months", – the coordinator of the educational and cultural projects of the EU representation in Belarus Viachaslau Shelehejka has said.

Two higher educational establishments of our country were included in the consortium - Belarusian State University and Brest State University.

261 applications for participation in the program were filed in Belarusian State University: 202 students and 35 magistrands. However, only 12 students and 12 magistrands were lucky to get to the program, an employee of the university's international department Liudmila Katsko has told to Euroradio. According to her, the competition for post-graduates and teachers has been prolonged till April.

"It has been decided to prolong the competition for certain categories of participants at the session of the consortium. Thus, candidates have been chosen only in two categories of mobility by now. We will be able to speak about the final list and BSU results only in the end of April. However, speaking about such categories as students and magistrands, we can state that 24 people passed".

40 applications were filed in Brest State University - 32 student exchanges, 3 magistrands, 1 post-graduate, 2 scientists and 2 teachers. The candidates have been chosen also only among students and magistrands, the head of the department for international contacts of Brest State university Aliaksaej Khomich has told to Euroradio.

"32 applications have been filed by our younger students in the "student" category. There have been 3 applications of magistrands, one has passed, and 10students' applications have also passed".

65 exchanges for students, post-graduates and teachers have been planned in the framework of the project for Belarus. The winners can continue their education in the universities of Turku (Finland), Bordeaux (France), Humboldt University in Berlin, as well as in higher educational establishments of Lithuania, Italy, Greece, Poland, Portugal.

The students who wanted to participate in the project should have addressed to the deans' offices of their universities, which made the lists, in September 2010. 301 applications were filed in just two higher educational establishments, 35 people passed, and competition in some categories has been prolonged till the end of April. Selection of students was conducted in several stages. First all the applications were sent to Deusto University in Spain, which supervises the project, then each separate university selected students. The students who were lucky to get into the program will be provided scholarship by the European Commission.