Irish HEIs feature in ErasmusPlus Calls 2017

Irish higher education institutions feature among the applicants for support under three separate actions of the Erasmus+ Programme. The Irish National Agency at the HEA has been active in promoting these initiatives within the higher education sector.

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees (EMJMD)

7 Irish higher education institutions have applied for support under the EU’s prestigious Erasmus Mundus Joint Master call. 2 HEIs have applied to lead programmes while the remaining five are partners in programmes led by other programme country institutions.

In total, 122 applications have been lodged with the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) in Brussels up 33% compared to 2016.

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees are high-quality integrated master’s programmes offered by consortia of universities. A consortium must include at least three higher education institutions from different Programme Countries. Beyond this minimum, other HEIs from Programme or Partner Countries may also be involved. The selected consortia offer EU-funded scholarships to the best students applying from across the world. Students enrolled must study in at least two countries.

The final EMJMD selection results will be available in July. They will be published on the EACEA website and on Eurireland.ie.

Erasmus+ Capacity Building Measures

In relation to the 2017 Call, 36 applications out of the 574 project proposals submitted by Programme Countries feature Irish HEIs as a co-ordinator or partner of capacity building measures under Erasmus+ Key Action 2 Co-operation. 3 proposed projects have Irish lead co-ordinators. In total, 833 proposals were submitted by Programme and Partner Countries. The Russian Federation was the largest Partner Country participant featuring in 134 project applications.

Capacity-building for higher education projects are carried out by a partnership of higher education organisations from Programme Countries on the one hand and from one or more other regions of the world. Together they help develop HEI expertise and governance, and/or contribute to higher education reform.

The final Capacity-Building results will be available in late July. They will be published on the EACEA website and on Eurireland.ie.

Jean Monnet Activities

At the deadline of 23 February 2017, a total of 1,166 proposals were received, an increase of 13% on the 2016 call and a record figure compared to previous years. 5 applications have been made by Irish HEIs. Proposals were received from 31 of the 33 Programme Countries and from 42 Partner Countries (with Iran, Bahrain and Algeria as ‘first-timers’).

Jean Monnet Activities support academic research and teaching, co-operation projects and outreach in the field of European integration studies.

The final Jean Monnet results will be available in late July. They will be published on the EACEA website and on Eurireland.ie.