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14th EMA Newsletter

Dear EMA members,

the annual EMA General Assembly took place in Vilnius. Besides electing the new president (Chunyu Liang, MESPOM), re-electing the vice-president (Ricardo Chavez, EMMS) and having active discussions on the EMA Statute Amendments, the delegates also had a chance to talk to the representatives of the European Commission, experience the European Cultural Capital 2009 during a walk around the city with local students and arrange new EMA Service Teams. We hope that the new faces also would bring new ideas and the Course Representatives will stay an active link between the EMA, the European Commission and the Master Courses.

IMESS is featuring in this 14th EMA newsletter, and vacation trips or final exams are probably featuring in your life. We hope that you enjoy the summer days!

EMA

EMA General Assembly in Vilnius
Vilnius University, the oldest university in Lithuania, hosted the EMA General Assembly, which took place in Vilnius - European Cultural Capital 2009, on the 5-6.06.2009. [more]

EMA Network in Brazil participates in Universities Forum
Latin American EMA Chapter presented at the 21st annual meeting of Faubai [Forum das Assessorias das Universidades Brasileiras para Assuntos Internacionais; Forum for Brazilian Universities’ Officers for International Matters] in Manaus on 12-15 May 2009. [more]

Reminder: Field Reporter Initiative
The Internal Communication Team of EMA is proud to launch the FIELD REPORTING PROJECT. [more]

CIS & Mongolia Regional Chapter EMA Launched!
The CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) and Mongolia Regional Chapter EMA has been launched on the 4th of June in Vilnius, just before the start of the General Assembly! The CIS & Mongolia Regional Chapter EMA has the aim of enhancing the communication and cooperation between the current students and alumni from the region, as well as exchange the experiences and ideas with the external parties. It also promotes the Erasmus Mundus program and EMA. [more]

Erasmus Mundus Programme

Event Report: EMQAL Cultural Night
Muhammad Saif Ur Rehman reports on the course event: EMQAL Cultural Night - Joining Hands and Creating Memories. [more]

Event Report: Successful Networking at the University of Aveiro, Portugal
On May 30th, 2009, the Inaugural Networking and Publicity Event for Erasmus Mundus Programmes took place at the University of Aveiro, Portugal. Read about the successful get-together of students enrolled in different EMA programmes at Aveiro, as well as visiting students in the event report by Almudena Garcia I Sastre, Organising Committee, and Goh ZhiQian Dave, Advisory Committee. [more]

EU Blue Card
The EU confirms the plan to adopt work permit called "Blue Card" aimed at attracting highly skilled foreigners. [more]

Share experiences with Mobi-Blog!
A new blog service enables mobile students in Europe to share their experiences and tell their stories, providing interesting information for all those in similar situations. [more]

International Education Events

Summer Academy ”Freedom and Responsibility in the Media“ for young journalists
The International Institute for Journalism (IIJ) of InWEnt – Capacity Building International, Germany, announces its Summer Academy "Freedom and Responsibility in the Media" for young journalists in Hamburg, Germany from July 26 to August 21, 2009. [more]

Seeing Through the Eyes of Others: European Week Eindhoven 25-29 May 2009
European identity and the EU expansion are controversial issues. Yet, when discussed together with over 300 students from around the world, you can get closer to resolving the puzzle, as Field Reporter Ksenia Ashrafullina explored...[more]

ESNSurvey 2009: Information for Exchange is online!
This edition aims to find out what information the exchange and international students need, what information they are provided, by whom and in which quality – especially concerning academic matters, housing and extracurricular activities. We hope that with the results, ESN will contribute to the improvement of availability, quality and access to information for international students. [more]

Research on Bologna process: students' perspective
EMA member participates in giving feedback on implementation of Bologna Process in Denmark. [more]

One Issue One Programme

IMESS
International Masters in Economy, State and Society (IMESS) is featuring in the present One issue - One programme section. [more]

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EMA General Assembly Feedback

Dear all,

I hope to find most of you relieved now that the main deadline for the Dissertation Report and the final Dissertation has passed. To the rest of you, I wish you luck!

As some of you know, I attended a meeting as Course Representative in Lithuania 2 weeks ago. Some of the issues concern us all as Mundus students so I’m sending you a PDF document with all the relevant information gathered on that meeting. If you have any questions, you can email me directly.

Also, I’d like to inform you that last week I was present in a meeting with the consortium coordinators where the future of our programme was discussed. I suggested some changes according to what was discussed in our General Meeting last November. At the moment I cannot tell you for sure if and what is going to change but I’m sure either Cheryl or Prof. Girard will inform you in due time. If I hear of anything certain I will let you know.

Finally, I’d like to tell you that a new Crossways website is to be launched soon, with a different layout so check it out.

I wish you all a great summer.

Cheers,

Ana Sofia Guerreiro

---

General Assembly of Erasmus Mundus Students and Alumni Association

1. What is EMA?

The Erasmus Mundus Student and Alumni Association

Services Provided:

Newsletter; Field Reporter; Website; New EMA statute; Magazine; Share Point

(software); Live Meeting (online meeting; desktop share)

EMA progress 2008/09:

* Online voting for EMMC Representatives, President and Vice-President

* Reaching out to members: Website content improved

* Steering Committee Meetings, Liaison Group Meetings

* IFISO: Informal Forum of international students’ organisations

* Continued and extended support from the European Commission

* Launching Erasmus Mundus II:

* Input

* Tuition fee (institutions have to demonstrate how it was calculated)

* Fixed amount for student expenses

* Quality Assurance of Erasmus Programmes

* Erasmus Mundus II selection board

2. Vilnius – European Capital of Culture 09

Why Vilnius?

• Vilnius was nominated along with Linz

• Ancient role as a cosmopolitan city

• To promote historic cultural links

• To strengthen Lithuanian identity and knowledge of ecumenical commonwealth

history

• To increase positive long term effects

• Vilnius used to be a twilight zone, now more visible

The goals:

Celebrate – special events (eg: opening event; Street music day)

Discuss – conferences and conventions

Create – European Art Programme

Remember – Living History Programme (drama, handicraft, architecture, literature,

1984 survival time: 2 hours of survival in a bank during the soviet times)

Communicate – culture (re)discovery programme

Enjoy – People programme (eg. Children’s creativity festival; fashion weekend; Haiku

for Vilnius)

Nearly 90 projects (600 events), most of which are free.

www.vilnius2009.lt

3. Graduate Impact Survey

General Information:

* Long-term study: 2007 – 2009

* Performed by ICUnet

* Online survey among all Erasmus Mundus

* Participants from 113 countries

The Impact of the Erasmus Mundus Programme:

- What does it influence the most?

• 44.6% Attitude towards Europe

• 42.5% Career

• 40.2% Subject related expertise

• On Personality and Career increase after graduation

o Especially intercultural competence

• On Private life: decreases after graduation

- How long does it take to get a job?

1) Less than a month

2) 2-4 months

3) + 4 months

4) 1-2 months

- 24.5% of the graduates have found a partner during the Erasmus Mundus Master

Course

Detailed report from July in www.em-a.eu

4. Erasmus Mundus Phase 2

General Information:

* Between 2009-2013

* Erasmus Mundus I + EM External Cooperation Windows

Erasmus Mundus I

• 140 students (2004) 􏰂1957 students (2008)

• 55% Asia; 16% South America; 14% Africa; 9% Europe; 5% North America;

1% Australia

• Top Countries: 1) India; 2) China; 3) Brazil; 4) Ethiopia; 5) Russia

Erasmus Mundus II: Programmes that…

* Satisfy the identified needs

* Have an impact on national legislation (e.g.: joint degrees)

* Impact on attractiveness of EU Higher Education

* Satisfy the need for better balance between non-EU and EU students

* Satisfy the need for extending the programme to the Doctoral Level

New Characteristics:

* Integration of External Windows

* Provide Joint Doctoral Programmes

* Provide full-study scholarships for Europeans

* More third country HEI’s

* Reinforcement of the role of other socio-economic roles

From 2010…

Action 1: Joint Programmes (include scholarships)

Action 2: Partnerships

o Between HEI in EU and third countries/regions

o 3rd countries covered by external co-operation instruments

o Definition of priorities according to needs

o Scholarships of varying lengths (3 months to 3 years)

Action 3: Promotion of European Higher Education

o Promotion Projects (employability, sustainability)

o Information Grants for Erasmus Mundus national structures

o EMA

o Studies: Quality Assurance Initiative

Budget: € 493 millions for Actions 1 + 3

€ 460 millions for Action 2

Joint Doctoral Programmes in 2010

140 Applications 􏰂 10 will be selected (results published in the summer)

Expected Outputs (2009-2013):

— 150 EM Master Course

— 35 EM Joint Doctorates

— 3500 EU Master Students

— 330 EU Doctoral Students

— 5300 Third country – Masters level

— 450 Third country – Doctoral level

The EMMC (Erasmus Mundus Masters Course) period will not be taken into account for scholarships applications when applying for a PhD.

Useful Links:

* ec.europa.eu/erasmusmundus

* eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus/index_en.php

* www.study-in-europe.org

5. Changes to the EMA statute

The following changes to the EMA statute were voted:

* Addition of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctoral Programme to the association;

* Collective Membership to organizations demonstrating an affiliation with EMA;

* Minutes of the meeting available within 6 weeks;

* Elections for the Vice-President - procedure;

* Voting rights for Chapter Representatives;

* Voting rights for Observers of the GA;

* Candidates running for Presidency and Vice-Presidency simultaneously;

* Observers in the GA active participation in Service Teams;

* Mechanisms for the Course Representative elections provided by the

Association;

* Formation and recognition of regional chapters.

If you require any additional information, you can ask me directly for the entire statute.

6. Chapters and Service Teams

Chapters

* An integral part of the internal EMA structure, representing the EMA in

their geographical area;

* Dedicated to support the implementation of the EMA mission within that

region – improve networking and promote Erasmus Mundus as a

European Programme of excellence

* Chapters Functions: Information Sharing and events; Promotion and

Marketing; Job Placement and Professional Development; Political

Representation; Cultural, academic and professional cooperation.

* Current Chapters: Africa, China, Commonwealth of Independent States

and Mongolia, India, Latin America.

* Chapters in construction: Europe, North America, Pacific Region, South

East Asia.

* Country Representatives: Promote the Erasmus Mundus within their

country.

Service Teams:

* Provide specific services within the EMA to EMA members

* Newsletter; Magazine; Jobs; Conferences; IT; Policy.

7. Elections

President Candidates:

Peter Bentley:

* Focus on overcoming basic barriers such as level of education or accommodation

* Academic quality; communication

* Career prospects

Jenny Lenhart:

* Focus on a more direct involvement from EMA

* Regional Chapters

* More help to new students and alumni

* More memberships

Chunyu Liang:

* Construction of a community

* Networking; enhance the success of the community

* Academic/professional networking

* Thematic conferences

* Support EMMC association

* Self-dependent community

Elected Candidate – Chunyu Liang

Vice-President Candidates:

Ricardo Chavez:

* Focus on supporting the further development of chapters

* Creating an archive

* Interaction between the chapters and the European Commission

* Focus on the students and alumni association

* Establishment of forums

* Promote the association of students in courses that don’t have one

Salman M. Khan:

* Introduction of new regional chapters

* More coordination between EMA and the EC (jobs and conferences)

* Quality Assurance between the Steering Committee and the European

Committee

* Assistance with Accommodation

Jorge Marcano:

* Regional Chapter

* Promotion through youtube, 4 yearly numbers of Emanate (the magazine)

* EMA support to previous, current, and former EM students

Adedeji Ogunlaja:

* Promote EM as an excellence programme

* Social Networking with alumni and students

* Improvement of welfare packages

* Career advice

Elected Candidate: Ricardo Chávez

8. Panel Discussion

* E-voting/Elections

* Improvements to the GA

* Role of EMMC Representatives

* More room for input

* Improvements to EMA

* Budget

* Transparency

* Anything to add to next year’s agenda?