Erasmus Mundus Master's programmes celebrate 20 years – new Finnish projects mark the anniversary year

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The internationally renowned Erasmus Mundus programme for joint degrees has become a well-established part of the Erasmus+ programme for higher education. In the 2024 application round, six Finnish projects received funding.

Two students sit in armchairs, immersed in a book and a computer.

Joint degrees lay the foundation for Finland’s participation in European university networks

In Finland, higher education institutions have been actively involved in the Erasmus Mundus programme since its inception.

“When Erasmus Mundus was launched in 2004, the goal was to enhance the quality and attractiveness of European higher education. The programme combined academic expertise from different countries into new study programmes that were administratively highly integrated. The Mundus programme has had a catalytic effect on the formation of the European Higher Education Area and provided an opportunity to test Bologna Process tools at the programme level,” says Annika Sundbäck-Lindroos, who has worked with the programme at the Finnish National Agency for Education since its launch.

“Through the Mundus programme, Finnish higher education institutions have done pioneering work in developing transnational competencies. The results are now visible in Finland’s active participation in the EU’s flagship initiative, the European university networks,” Sundbäck-Lindroos summarizes.

Over the past 20 years, Finnish higher education institutions have participated in Erasmus Mundus projects 85 times, either as coordinators, partners, or associated partners.

In addition to significantly increasing Finnish interest in joint programmes, Erasmus Mundus has also accelerated changes in national legislation.

For example, reforms regarding tuition fees and the scope of degrees in the 2000s have enabled Finnish higher education institutions to participate more broadly in international joint degree programmes.

Six Finnish higher education institutions receive funding in the 2024 application round

Three projects in Finland were awarded funding through Erasmus Mundus Design Measures (EMDM), which supports the preparation of master’s programmes.

The University of Eastern Finland coordinates two projects planning master’s programmes in advanced nursing practice as well as in medical physics and biomedical engineering. Satakunta University of Applied Sciences coordinates a project that combines technology and rehabilitation into an innovative master’s programme.

The funding is highly competitive, with a success rate of 25% this time. The funding, amounting to €60,000 over 15 months, can be used for developing cooperation networks, planning programme content, and improving student services.

Three projects involving Finnish higher education institutions received funding through Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (EMJM), which supports the delivery of master’s programmes. These are existing master’s programmes that received funding to continue their operations. The success rate for this action was 28% this year.

The University of Eastern Finland played a significant role here as well. It coordinates the IMLEX project, which combines imaging and lighting technologies in augmented reality, and is a partner in a French university-led project focusing on the synergy between photonics and artificial intelligence.

Tampere University is a partner in the well-established MARIHE project, which trains experts in managing higher education and research in a global context. The project is coordinated by an Austrian university.

EMJM funding covers six academic years and amounts to a maximum of €5 million.

Finnish higher education institutions awarded Erasmus Mundus funding in 2024:

IMLEX: Erasmus Mundus - Master of Science in Imaging and Light in Extended Reality, University of Eastern Finland, Coordinator (EMJM)
IPSRS: Intelligent Photonics for Security Reliability Sustainability and Safety, University of Eastern Finland, Partner (EMJM)
MARIHE: Research and Innovation in Higher Education, Tampere University, Partner (EMJM)
EU-MasterAPN: European Master of Science in Advanced Practice Nursing, University of Eastern Finland, Coordinator (EMDM)
MaTeRe: Master of Technology in Rehabilitation, Satakunta University of Applied Sciences Ltd., Coordinator (EMDM)
MENU4MEPBIO: Erasmus Mundus Design Measures for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University of Eastern Finland, Coordinator (EMDM)

The 2025 application round opens

The Erasmus Mundus 2025 application round opens in November 2024 and closes in early 2025. The action is managed by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) in Brussels.

The application deadline is 13 February 2025 at 18:00 (Finnish time).

EACEA will host a general Erasmus Mundus information webinar on Wednesday, 27 November 2024, from 11:00–14:00 (Finnish time).

The Finnish National Agency for Education organises a morning coffee for Finnish applicants on Tuesday, 3 December 2024, from 8:30-10:00. Details about the webinar can be found in the event calendar.

Background

Launched as an independent programme in 2004, Erasmus Mundus was integrated into Erasmus+ in 2014. The goal of the Erasmus Mundus programme is to promote the development of high-quality international master’s programmes and strengthen cooperation between higher education institutions worldwide.

Over two decades, Erasmus Mundus has funded 585 projects focused on delivering or developing master’s programmes. These projects aim to provide students with the opportunity to study in multiple countries and earn internationally recognized degrees, enhancing their career prospects in the global job market.

The programme has involved 600 higher education institutions across Europe and reached 34,000 students from 179 countries.