EU awards Erasmus Scholarships to 139 Indonesians students and lecturers

One hundred and thirty-nine (139) Indonesian students and lecturers received a scholarship through the European Union (EU)-funded Erasmus programme this year. Awardees will undertake a Bachelor’s, Master’s or a Doctoral degree at various universities in Europe.

The 139 Indonesian awardees were seen off today (17/07) at a virtual pre-departure event hosted by H.E. Vincent Piket, EU Ambassador to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam.

Out of 139 Erasmus awardees this year, 81 students have received the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s (EMJM) degree scholarships. This ranks Indonesia as the 9th country in the world to receive the most Erasmus Mundus scholarships, a significant increase from its 20th place last year. These awardees will study in at least two universities in different EU Member States up to two years.

Meanwhile, there are 58 students and university lecturers who have been awarded short-term exchange scholarships. This Erasmus mobility programme also provides two-way exchanges whereby European students and scholars will be able to undertake short-term studies and teaching opportunities in various universities across Indonesia. Notwithstanding the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the Erasmus scholarship awardees will be able to leave for Europe to commence their studies in universities in Europe.

"The Erasmus scholarships provides a great opportunity to the scholarship awardees to develop academically and professionally at top-quality European universities. What’s more, the Erasmus scholarships broaden the personal horizon and present valuable lessons for the Erasmus alumni to be brought back to Indonesia. All awardees are potential future leaders in their fields of expertise. We are proud to contribute to Indonesia's future through this scholarship programme," said EU Ambassador Vincent Piket.

In his opening remarks, Prof. Ir. Nizam, MSc, DIC, PhD, Director General of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Higher Education of the Republic of Indonesia said, "The Erasmus+ Scholarship is an excellent opportunity for Indonesian students and lecturers to obtain international education and experience from universities in Europe and partner countries. In addition, it establishes extensive networks and cooperation. On behalf of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Higher Education of the Republic of Indonesia, we would like to convey our full appreciation to the European Union for the support of the Erasmus+ scholarship and congratulations to the scholarship awardees.”

Ms Katya Manuella Permana, an Erasmus awardee, will undertake European Master in Public Health in Ireland and France. “Obtaining an Erasmus scholarship has always been an aspiration of mine. The idea of forming friendships and sharing knowledge with people from different countries fascinated me, and I think that is in the core of an Erasmus scholarship,” said Katya.

Another Erasmus scholarship recipient, Mr Yoce Aprianto, will undertake Erasmus Mundus Master of Science in Environmental Contamination and Toxicology in France, Portugal and Spain. “I wish to have the opportunity to interact with people from diverse professionals and cultural backgrounds from around the globe. I believe, after I graduated from this Erasmus Master’s programme, I will be able to take part in the process of strengthening strategic cooperation between the EU and Indonesia,” said Yoce.

Each year, the EU offers Erasmus scholarships to Indonesian students and lecturers who wish to pursue their Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral degree in Europe. Between 2004 to 2021, the EU has awarded Erasmus scholarships to more than 2,000 Indonesian students and lecturers. Annually, around 1,200 scholarships are provided to Indonesian students and scholars by the EU – through its flagship Erasmus programme – and by the EU Member States. More than 4,000 students and scholars depart to study in Europe every year, both self-funded students or those with scholarships.

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About Erasmus Scholarships

Erasmus is a programme funded by the European Union to support education, training, youth and sports. For the 2021 academic year, the Erasmus Masters programme will open the application process around October 2021. Information on Erasmus scholarships is available at: 

https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/node_en

https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-plus/scholarships_en

Europe has more than 4,000 tertiary institutions and more than 15,000 postgraduate study programmes held in English. Many of them are organised by European universities which are among the 100 best universities in the world, with cutting-edge facilities and unlimited research opportunities.

The Erasmus programme offers a variety of instruments to support higher education institutions, such as the Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) programme, the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree (EMJMD), Jean Monnet and International Credit Mobility (ICM).

About the European Union

The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of 27 Member States. Together, they have built a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development whilst maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedoms. In 2012, the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for advancing the causes of peace, reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe. The EU is the largest trade block in the world, as well as the world's largest source and destination of foreign direct investment. Collectively, the EU and its Member States are the largest donor of Official Development Assistance (ODA), providing more than half of ODA globally.

The 27 EU Member States (in alphabetical order) are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.