Dear EMA members, Here comes the 9th EMA newsletter keeping you updated about EMA's current activities! EMA has held its 2nd General Assembly in Perugia, Italy. The conference marked a great success and an important step forward for our association. In the course of the General Assembly, some amendments to the EMA statute have been voted upon. The results are published with this newsletter. Though still half a year away, the second edition of 'Emanate' already casts its shadows ahead. Like last year, you are invited to express yourself in your association's magazine. We wish all of you a great summer and all the best for those who are about to take exams! Enjoy reading this newsletter issue! Results of the EMA Statute amendments voting Submit your article for the next edition of Emanate 2nd EMA photo competition is open First EMA Small Scale Event successfully held Job opportunities online! Striking new paths: The 2nd EMA General Assembly New scholarships for citizens from Africa, Caribbean, Pacific! The handbook guiding prospective Erasmus Mundus students through the programme Erasmus Mundus - Does it make a difference? EMA represented at Web 2.0 Congress in Madrid IFISO Leadership Summer School in Ankara Apply for participation in the Economic Forum of Young Leaders 2008! The story of the Master in Women's and Gender Studies 9th EMA Newsletter
At the 2nd EMA General Assembly in Perugia, Italy on June 6-7th, some items of the EMA Statute were to be voted upon by GA delegates. [more]
What are your thoughts on 'Changing Climates'? Write an article for the second issue of Emanate and share your ideas with other Erasmus Mundus students and alumni. Deadline is November 1st 2008. [more]
'Changing Climates' is the theme of this year's EMA photo competition. Send us a photo inspired by the theme and win books. Deadline is November 1st 2008.[more]
On May 23rd 2008, a job fair was organised within the students of the Erasmus Mundus Masters of Economics and Management of Network Industries (EMIN) where students within the same Masters programme gathered at a university in the Netherlands to mutually benefit from the internal communication and the professional growth through the multinational companies visiting. [more]
The EMA Jobs team has internship and employment opportunities available at multinational companies in Europe (ArcelorMittal, ING, Norfolk Lines, Ingersoll Rand). [more]
The 2nd EMA General Assembly and 4th Erasmus Mundus Student Seminar was held in Perugia, Italy last week (6-7 June 2008) The meeting proved to be a most productive and successful event for EMA. [more]
Do you have friends from these regions who would like to do an Erasmus Mundus Master Course? Do you know a good place to post this information so it reaches many potential students? Then this is for you. [more]
The new Erasmus Mundus Student Handbook is now available to download! It is an information tool for Erasmus Mundus applicants, as well as for current students. [more]
The first round of the Erasmus Mundus Graduate Impact Survey conducted by the EMA service provider ICUnet is now over. [more]
EMA Jobs Team Representation in "XIII International Congress in Technologies for the Education and the Knowledge: The Web 2.0" organised by the National University of Education at Distance (UNED) in Madrid, Spain, July 3-5 2008.[more]
On 4th‐12th July, the Baskent University of Turkey in Ankara held the first Leadership Summer School (LSS), an official IFISO project with a Youth in Action (YiA) grant as the major financial support. [more]
The Economic Forum of Young Leaders, accompanying the Economic Forum in Krynica, will take place in Nowy Sącz, Poland, on 9-12 September 2008. It is a meeting of young social, economic and political leaders from Eastern Europe and Caucasus. [more]
The EMA Internal Communications Team regularly offers a platform to introduce individual EM courses and their alumni association and share stories on the website and in the EMA Newsletter.
This time, we thank Tuba Samih for contributing an article about her EMMC, the Master in Women's and Gender Studies (GEMMA). [more]
Welcome
Monday, 11 August 2008
General: 9th EMA Newsletter
Sunday, 6 July 2008
St Andrews: Getting Started
by Anuradha Choudry
Hope Church at end. Bus route to Market St.
St-Andrews is a cute little town with three main streets in the City Centre that are parallel to each other. They are North St, Market St and South St. Most of the University buildings that we would be concerned with and the main library are in and around these streets.
Market St - Student Union Building on left corner
Regarding accomodation in St-Andrews - I don't remember their comparative rates off-hand (you can find them on their website). I didn't have a choice as they sent me a contract and said that if i didn't accept it I would have had to fend for myself which was not a wise option since I knew nothing and no one in St-Andrews. I therefore accepted to stay in the most expensive Apartments called David Russell. It was undoubtedly very comfortable - a double bed, spacious room, excellent heating, own bathroom, internet connection (don't forget to take your own ethernet cables or you could pay upto 3 pounds for a new one!!), phone, TV. 5 people live in a flat where each one is allotted his/her own room and share a common kitchen.
David Russell was very comfortable on the whole but very expensive and 'far' - about 20 mins brisk walk away from the main town area. (beautiful routes but not very inviting during winter!!) For those who are not great walkers staying in DR would involve an extra weekly expense of 5 Pounds for the bus pass that allows as many trips on them for that week (unless they have increased the fare!). The regular one way fare is 80 pence with the Student's card.
The third option to reach the main town is to buy a 2nd hand bike and keep it safely because there are incidents of them being stolen! Beside David Russell, there is Fife Park which is the cheapest accomodation offered by the University but I would prefer someone who has lived there to give more information on that.
On the whole, it would be ideal to apply early for your accomodation and ask for something in the town itself that will enable you to participate in the many activities offered by the various student societies of the University. They hold a Societies Fair a week before classes begin that would be worth attending to find out the myriad activities going on all the time in the Univ. There are debates, singing, dancing, sports, adventure, literary activities... you name it and someone has already formed a society on it!! The University of St-Andrews is constantly buzzing with events which is almost completely absent in Bergamo except for the parties. So if you want to participate in these activities insist on an accomodation in town. Try to tell them that you are a foreign student, there only for 1 semester, and would like to make the most of your stay in St-Andrews.
If you can get catered accomodation - you'll save a lot of precious time as the study load is truly hectic - and you would be expected to read up a few books before every class! The classes are very interactive (which is again not necessarily the case in Bergamo) and the teachers in both places are very approachable and are open to discuss any problem or doubt.
The other option regarding Accomodation is to check on Facebook where the students have set up a site providing information about places on rent. But I can't vouch for that as I have no experience with them.
You will find the Scottish people very friendly and since students form a large percentage of the town's population they are usually very helpful to foreigners. That reminds me to make a special mention of a scheme called the Befriender's Scheme which I would highly recommend to all students going to St-Andrews. It is a programme organised by the Hope Church (at the corner near the Bus stand) that finds local befriender for foreign students - this means that local families 'befriend' some students and introduce them to Scottish culture during their stay in St-Andrews and often invite them home and make them acquainted with Scottish life style. Personally I found this progaramme a very warm gesture on their behalf and I have very loving memories of my befrienders Christine and Eleanor who gave me and my friends the feeling of a home in foreign lands! Regarding this you could get in touch with Fiona of the Christian Association. This Association also organises excellent 1 Pound lunches every Thursday and a sumptuous opening meal for anyone who is free to attend before classes begin.
But frankly, once you are there .. you will come to know of all that's going on by word of mouth in the hostels and from the notices on the boards everywhere.
I know this mail has got far longer than intended but a last and important note regarding visas - please ask the University to send you admission letters directly as the UK Embassy might ask for it. Either way it is a useful document to have when entering the UK. Moreover, in case you are not given long time visas that would cover the duration of the course, do contact Wendy in the Visa Section in the Student's Union building and follow up at the earliest for an extension or you would end up paying for a new visa like I did!!! :(
And a parting tip - for warm clothes - if you don't want to carry much (you'll need them believe me! ) there are several charities on Market and South St and around - like Oxfam, British Heart Foundation etc that have very good second hand clothes, boots, gloves, caps and a variety of other interesting things (sometimes new ones as well!) for very reasonable prices ... Moreover Dundee is not very far and a trip to Primark (clothes store) can keep you all day choosing stuff for yourself ..(I speak as a woman and realise that men don't necessarily suffer from this tendency! :)) . but it's a cheaper place to shop if need be ...
And a last last note of advice ... We would have an account with BNP Paribas which implies that the ATMs in St-Andrews would take a commission every you withdraw money. Barclays (in Dundee) doesn't charge a commission ..so you might just want to make your trip to Dundee a 'wee' bit more useful!
And for the road ... There is a Tesco Supermarket on Market St but an early visit to Morrisons, once you are comfortably settled in your rooms, would be worth the trouble as they have a huge range of products at very competitive rates!!
To sum it all - Enjoy your stay in St-Andrews!!
Friday, 4 July 2008
Lisbon: A prova do Real
by Lorenza TiberiSomething special has been going on in Lisbon in the last few weeks. Thanks to the good will of the Núcleo de Programação Cinematográfica members, we had the opportunity to watch several movies representing the Italian neoralism. The movie cycle called "A prova do real" proposed a wide selection of movies realised by the most important filmmakers of that period, such as, Federico Fellini, Michelangelo Antonioni, Roberto Rossellini, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Luchino Visconti and Vittorio De Sica. The choice of this particular subject is strictly related to the work the students did in their first semester. All the projections were accompanied by presentation and eventually a debate held by leading personalities in the cultural and cinematographic field. The movies were shown in the University's auditorium and the surrounding ambient was carefully decorated with limelight and music from the movies' soundtracks.Furthermore, the equipe of the Núcleo de Progamação Cinematográfica published a book introducing and better explaining this Italian cycle, and made available to all the participants a short synopsis of the movie of the day.Finally, to whom will be in Lisbon during the next semster you can check their blog to get info: http://www.nucleodeprogramacaocinematografica.blogspot.com/.
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