European Union have awarded fifty two Nepalese students full scholarships for the period 2019-2020 for Erasmus Plus scholarships. They will spend 2 years full time in prestigious European Universities to pursue their Master Degrees in various fields.

The Delegation of the European Union to Nepal organized a Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO) for the new scholarship recipients of Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree (EMJMD) batch 2019-2021. During the Pre-Departure Orientation the students were given useful tips and advice for living and studying in Europe.

While welcoming the awardees, EU Ambassador to Nepal, Veronica Cody, said “These Erasmus+ scholarships offer a lifetime opportunity for young Nepalis to pursue their studies at the highest level, to learn more about European cultures, languages, academic systems and, not least, people at some of the best universities in Europe. "

"Apart from improving student's expertise, the scholarships are also meant to enrich young people's life experiences, help create mutual understanding and openness between people and cultures. We hope that these scholarships will help these stude ther excel and that they will return to Nepal with enhanced skills and knowledge useful for the country and themselves, as well as with fond memories of Europe."

More than 700 Nepalese students have benefited from the EU’s Erasmus+ Scholarship Program. The Erasmus+ scholarships also provide opportunities for Europeans to undertake short-term studies and teaching in various universities across Nepal.

"Erasmus is a valuable opportunity for us, as it will support our future career development, contribute to the enhancement of knowledge and science in Nepal and establish good mutual cooperation between Nepal and European universities," Aasma Sharma, one Erasmus Nepal awardee, who will undertake Emjmd program in Plant Health at Universita Politenica Universitat Politecnicade Valencia in Spain.

"Being awarded the Erasmus+ scholarship is a dream come true after my long search for funding to study abroad. Our world is becoming more intertwined than ever. The rise of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Mining, Internet of Things and Cloud Computing creates economic opportunity if we can work together to capture it. Nepal needs more experts of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Humanities, that can collaborate well in the future," said Hridaya Sagar Subedi, who will undertake the EMJMD Programme in Big Data Management and Analytics at Universitelibre De Bruxelles in Belgium.

According to a press release issued by EU Delegation to Nepal, Erasmus Alumni also participated in the event. Rojika Maharjan and team shared their experience and advice with new awardees. “Everything, from your home and your language to your daily routine, changes. The first change is rather abrupt: you move from your home to a foreign city about which you only know details from movies or the internet. You don’t know anything about the specific neighborhood or university you’ll be based in, and it’s the same each time you move on again. Each time, you have to start a home and make sure you continue to excel academically, once you’ve got used to how public transport works and found the nearest bank and post office, it’s time to move again. It’s important to stay flexible and not be frustrated by the constant changes. Learn to expect differences between one place and another, and make sure you enjoy the moment as much as you can in each destination. If you can do this, your Erasmus Mundus experience will be the best time of your life”; they said.

In addition to the Erasmus scholarships, the EU Delegation in Nepal has been providing ongoing support to the Government of Nepal/Ministry of Education, Science and Technology on Quality Education and Technical and Vocational Training.

The program was held at the EU Delegation to Nepal.