ISLAMABAD: More than 70 young students from across Pakistan have been selected for the
European Unions Erasmus plus programme, the worldand#39;s most successful student exchange
programme.
Young students from around the world will have an opportunity to pursue a masters degree from
different universities across Europe. The Erasmus Plus is a €14.7 billion programme, which
combines all of the EUs current schemes for education, training, youth and sport.
The successful students from Pakistan will study agriculture, energy, biotechnology, business
studies, engineering, telecommunications, economic cooperation and political science across the
European Union.
To honour them, EU Ambassador to Pakistan Jean-François Cautain hosted a pre-departure brief
here for the successful candidates from Islamabad and adjoining areas.
He said the mobility that the European Union had encouraged since its inception provided young
people with greater opportunities and equal access to resources and knowledge.
“This has greatly contributed to raising the quality of academia, research and innovation
throughout Europe. Welcoming non-EU Students is an additional aspect of Erasmus+
programme that we value very much especially at a time where globalisation is manipulated to
oppose peoples from different parts of the world,” he said.
The EU ambassador said the Erasmus+ programme provided a unique opportunity for Pakistans
future leaders to experience such a transfer of knowledge and contribute to the sustainable
development of Pakistan.
He said such exchange programmes further strengthened the social, cultural, academic and
commercial partnerships between the European Union and Pakistan.
Also in attendance were ambassadors and student counsellors from the various EU member
states, who briefed students about different study programmes at various universities in Europe.
The students also met with other Erasmus+ Alumni members and learned about their experiences
of studying in Europe.
EMA programme representative Waqar Baig, on behalf of the president of the South Asian
Chapter, Erasmus Mundus Students and Alumni Association, said the mobility of the Erasmus
programme and strong focus on research and innovation had been a great learning experience for
him.
“It opens up a thinking process which not only contributes directly towards the skill and career
development of young minds, but also has the potential to completely transform the indigenous
higher education, academia and research in Pakistan,” he said.