Objectives

What is Erasmus Mundus ?

Overall objectives of the European Commission Programme called "Erasmus Mundus" (from the "Erasmus Mundus 2009-2013 Programme Guide", European Commission) :
"Erasmus Mundus is a cooperation and mobility programme in the field of higher education for :

The enhancement of quality in European higher education;
The promotion of the European Union as a centre of excellence in learning around the world;the promotion of intercultural understanding through cooperation with third countries as well as for the development of third countries in the field of higher education.

The programme's specific objectives are:

To contribute to the mutual enrichment of societies by developing the qualifications of men and woman so that they possess appropriate skills, particularly as regards the labour market, and are open-minded and internationally experienced;
To promote mobility both for students, researchers, academics and administrative staff from third-countries, especially from vulnerable groups, selected on the basis of academic excellence, to obtain qualifications and/or experience in the European Union
To contribute towards the development of human resources and the international co-operation capacity of higher education institutions in third-countries through increased mobility streams between the EU and third-countries in accordance with the principles of equal opportunities and non-discrimination.
The implementation of the programme, shall contribute fully to promoting the horizontal policies of the European Union, in particular by:
Enhancing the European knowledge-based economy and society and contributing to creating more jobs in line with the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy and strengthening the global competitiveness of the European Union, its sustainable economic growth and its greater social cohesion;
Fostering culture, knowledge and skills for peaceful and sustainable development in a Europe of diversity;
Promoting awareness of the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity within Europe, as well of the need to combat racism and xenophobia and promoting intercultural education;
Making provision for students with special needs, and in particular by helping to promote their integration into mainstream higher education, and promoting equal opportunities for all;
Promoting equality between men and women and contributing to combating all forms of discrimination based on gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation;
Promoting the development of third-countries.

Action 2 – Erasmus Mundus Partnerships :

Erasmus Mundus Partnerships aim at promoting institutional cooperation and mobility activities between Europe and third-country Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). This Action is built on the previous EU programme External Cooperation Window (2006-2008) with a wider geographical coverage, a larger scope and differentiated objectives.

Action 2 provides:

Support for the establishment of cooperation partnerships between European HEIs and HEIs from targeted third countries/territories with the objective of organising and implementing structured individual mobility arrangements between the European and the third-country/territories partners.
Scholarships of various lengths - depending on the priorities defined for the third countries/territories concerned, the level of studies or the particular arrangements agreed within the partnership - for European and third-country/territory individuals (students, scholars, researchers, professionals).

Contrary to the other Erasmus Mundus Actions (Actions 1 and 3), which are funded from the budget of the European Union allocated to the education activities, Action 2 activities are funded by different financial instruments available in the context of the external relations activities of the Union (i.e. the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument, the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance, the Development Cooperation Instrument, the European Development Fund and the Industrialised Countries Instrument).
Because of the diversity in the policy objectives covered by these financial instruments, but also due to the different needs and priorities of the third countries concerned, Action 2 implementation rules may vary considerably from one year to another and from one partner country to another."

For more information: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/index_en.php