E-mail from Erasmus Mundus Students and Alumni Association (EMA):

Dear current EMA General Assembly delegates,

The Erasmus Mundus Selection Board will be meeting on 19 June 2009 and the EMA will have a representative at the meeting. The meeting is designed to provide support to the Executive Agency of the European Commission in their selection of Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses (EMMCs) under Action 1 of the Erasmus Mundus 2009-2013 programme. The EMA would like to know what EMA members see as important in the selection of future programmes and would like to provide recommendations to the Erasmus Mundus Selection Board based on the past experiences of EMA members.

The EMA would greatly appreciate it if you could take the time to fill in the survey on the link below. The survey must be completed by Wednesday 17 June (at the latest) for your recommendations to be included in the Board discussions. Please feel free to forward this email or the link to the survey to your fellow EMMC students or alumni. We apologise for the late notice of this request and thank you for your time.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=ckFKalVPSUZ5alYwYm84QlhlZmg5dUE6MA..

Kind regards

Peter Bentley
EMA Policy

The British Council recently uploaded videos of Filipino students talking about aspects of their lives in the UK. View them here.

If you’re studying in the UK soon, catch the Pre-Departure Briefing on July 24, 5pm at the British Council Office. Details and registration instructions here.

[CC-licensed photo by musanggala]

New EM student Marcial shared this link with the Pinoy Erasmus Mundus Yahoo group. The PDF contains essays of Erasmus Mundus students about their EM journey.

Personally, I find it quite a chore going through all of them, but that’s understandable–a year or two of one’s life could take up the space of a book. I’m guessing I’m not as interested in their stories because I have lots of my own. But as someone whose dissertation was qualitative, I acknowledge the value of the narrative in research. Studying this is important and constructive for the EM community.

Part one, which tries to present the findings, could use some editing, but the conclusion does what it should. Prospective applicants, do take a look. At the very least, the photos paint a thousand words in one go.

ema-sea_invitation

ema-sea_dataxls

[note: remove the .doc extension of the second file and rename to ema-sea_data.xls]

Dear EMA members in Southeast Asia,

Greetings from Bangkok and Jakarta!

We are writing to you on behalf of the Erasmus Mundus Students and Alumni Association (EMA). The EMA has recently initiated a new channel called the EMA Southeast Asia Chapter for members in 11 countries in the Southeast Asian region; namely, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonedia, Laos PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam. The EMA Southeast Asia Chapter aims to create more effective ways to communicate as well as maintain friendships and networking among the EMA members, not only at regional lever but also worldwide.

In order to make the EMA Southeast Asia Chapter works, we need your agreement and willingness to participate in our upcoming activities and events. Please read the invitation letter as attached, then fill in the data sheet file and send back to us no later than 15 April 2009.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We look forward to having your active response as well as welcoming you to the EMA Southeast Asia Chapter.

Best regards,

EMA-SEA Pro-Team Chapter
Chaidarun Iamphak, Thailand
Iqbal Akbar, Indonesia

Erasmus Mundus alumnae with Thelma Gecolea and prospective students

At the office of the delegation, Erasmus Mundus alumna Vera Horigue presented an overview of on coastal resource management in the Philippines and in the EU. This was followed by a discussion on possible EM promotional efforts chaired by country representative Jill Lopez. The March 26 meeting is the first in a series of quarterly sessions with presentations of EM alumni. Keep posted for schedules.

Jill introduces the presenter

Vera talks about coastal resources management issues

Ambassador Alistair MacDonald makes a suggestion

The second issue of the Erasmus Mundus Students and Alumni Association magazine is out. If you haven’t received your copy by post, register or update your account in the EMA website.

Check out the reportage on the Jakarta networking event by Pinoy EM alumna Abby,  Indonesian EM alumnus Iqbal and our guest blogger Yansen on page 8.

[Update] PDF version of Emanate #2 is here.

I’m sharing this for the benefit of international students in the United Kingdom, EM or not. Do take advantage of HOST UK and and be open to an experience will give you a new perspective on life in Britain.

The blog’s been quiet for several weeks, but we’re still here…

Sharing something from a trip I took two years ago. Happy day of hearts, everyone!

I remember, it was Valentine’s Day when I got the first notification from the HEEM Programme.

I remember receiving the final notification from the University of Oslo two days before my last day at work and flying to Norway two weeks after getting married.

I remember buying grocery items good for one week upon arrival in Oslo and converted the total amount in Philippine Peso. Surprisingly, it was equivalent to my whole month grocery in Manila!

I remember the difficulty of explaining to my friends and relatives about my course and why I’ll be studying in three different universities.

I remember the initial reactions of people about European Master in Higher Education. Most of them thought that I’m intending to become a professor.

I remember the need to go home immediately after class because I have a “Skype date” with my family or husband.

HEEM study trip to Brussels

I remember how my batch was able to organize a trip to Brussels and visit the European Commission and agencies such as EUA, ESMU and EMA. We appreciated that the University of Oslo shouldered our travel expenses

I remember reading more than 100 articles about higher education in just one semester. After discussing too much about Humboldt, I remember not wanting to deal with history anymore.

1st International Student Party at Saha in Tampere, Finland

I remember playing UNO, having house parties and going to SAHA (a popular club in Tampere) until 4am.

I remember when my husband forgot his wedding ring at a wash area in Tampere. Two hours later, the ring was still there as if nobody had made an attempt to steal it.

I remember attending the auction at Tampere Police Station where I got a nice bike for 20 euros. My husband and I shouted our bid in Finnish.

I remember the sauna party that we had during spring. Recently, my classmates had started making plans of flying to Finland in May 2009 to attend this party and meet the new batch of HEEM students.

I remember how the Erasmus buddies in Aveiro failed to help us. Luckily, my two Portuguese classmates assisted the group in finding apartments.

I remember living without internet in Portugal and staying until midnight at the computer lab to download movies and search articles for my assignments.

I remember complaining about the University of Aveiro library, telling my friends that it’s the noisiest library on this planet! The situation made me feel that I want to go back to Finland for my last semester.

I remember when somebody told me that our HEEM coordinator was shocked to find out that I’m living with five other colleagues in a notorious neighborhood called Rua de Espinho. I’m happy to say that we survived Aveiro for 2 months and nothing happened!

I remember the excitement of catching Ryanair flights, backpacking and sending postcards. I remember travelling for 23 days last September before coming to Portugal.

At the Arc de Triomphe in Paris

I remember getting worried about writing my thesis starting January.

I remember contemplating the other day that I’ll be back to Nordic life soon and fulfill the last installment of this programme.

Charisse N. Reyes
HEEM-European Master in Higher Education ‘09
University of Oslo, Norway
University of Tampere, Finland
University of Aveiro, Portugal

[Our guest blogger is an Erasmus Mundus alumnus from Indonesia. EM alumni from all countries are invited to also send to contribute memories of their EM study to this blog.]

I remember having difficulty explaining to people where Bolzano is. Bolzano, located in the north of Italy, is a very small city famous for tourist resorts, especially in the winter. It is very close to the Dolomites, hence tourists go there for skiing. By train, it is 45 minutes from Innsbruck (Austria), four hours from Munich (Germany), and 1.5 hours from Verona (Italy).

I remember feeling lost-in-time due to the long-haul flight: Jakarta-Singapore-Colombo-Dubai-Munich. This was not my first flight. However, I only had short-haul flights before. It was just like sleeping for 24 hours and once I flipped my eyes, I was already on the other part of the globe – far from home, far from family and friends.

I remember the sorrow I felt during the first two days in Bolzano, eating only fruits and crackers. I arrived in Bolzano Friday late at night. I just slept and slept on Saturday due to tiredness and jet-lag without buying any food. Sunday was a disaster, as supermarkets are closed on that day.  (I come from Jakarta, the city that never dies. Whether it is holiday, religious day, New Year, day or at late night, you can always find supermarkets and stores to buy something.)

I remember that Bolzano’s library is such a nice place to study. It has a lot of English books, full Internet connection, and many excellent facilities.

I remember living and studying with students from various countries in five continents. We stayed together in student house/dorm called Rainerum. Father Gregorio and Paolo as the dorm headmasters were great. Father Paolo has a book containing words and greetings in foreign languages from foreign students. Father Gregorio brought us to interesting places around Bolzano several times.

with Father Gregorio climbing the Alps

with Father Gregorio in Venice

I remember planning to jog regularly during spring – a plan that I could never commit to The jogging track in Bolzano is just too nice. It is just by the river, passing some old castles and kids park, with great scenery.

I remember losing my cheap flight tickets to Norway (May 2007) and to Paris (July 2007). I just can’t resist the low prices that Ryan Air offered.

the nice jogging track in Bolzano

multiculturalism in Rainerum

I remember being picked up by Benjamin, my buddy (a local student that is assigned by the university to help a foreign student) at Wien Westbahnhof (train station) on my first arrival in Vienna. It was a freezing day during the beginning of winter. He wore only shorts at that time while I was feeling chilly. How come?

I remember enjoying the flexible class schedule in TU Wien. They have semester calendar, but the class may not be held all the way along the calendar. Some classes were held only for 1 month, with 4 sessions per week constituting total of 14 sessions. This was a factor that allowed me for traveling more in the second year.

I remember walking over the ruins of Athens Acropolis, playing kites during the clean-day festival, climbing through Acrocorinth, tasting local seafood culinary, being trapped in a tourist’s cruise ship (for 85 EUR day-trips to 3 islands: Poros, Hydra, and Aegina) some days in Greece in March 2008.

Acropolis, Athens, Greece

Hydra Island – a good place if you need to get away from the outside world

I remember of being a volunteer in the closing ceremony of Euro 2008™, being walking distance away from Michael Ballack and the German team when they were rehearsing.

I remember that I was happy knowing that there is no Thesis defense in TU Wien. Basically the arrangements are only between the student and his/her supervisor. Once all the goals are satisfied, the supervisor simply writes an acknowledgement letter certifying that the student finished Thesis. There is no panel of lecturers that would ask you killer questions. Sounds fun?

at Schoenbrunn Palace in Vienna with Indonesian friends

in front of Ernst-Happel stadium at the final match of Euro 2008™

I remember that I brought a suit to Vienna for defense and for graduation. However, there is no defense there. As for graduation, somehow 2008’s graduation day was delayed to be held along with the regular students’ graduation). So, it’s the same if I brought no suit – hence giving me some extra space in the luggage.

I remember that last week, Bolzano sent me an invitation to attend graduation degree ceremony on 12 December, but I couldn’t come. I should be happy enough just to obtain two degree certificates in three languages after two years of study, even without the graduation pictures.

Yansen Darmaputra
European Master in Computational Logic (EMCL) 2006-2008
Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy
Technische Universität Wien, Austria