ISLAMABAD: Maintaining its 2022 position, Pakistan has once again been ranked first in the world for the number of scholarships awarded under the Erasmus Mundus scholarships this year. As many as 192 Pakistani students, 103 men and 89 women, have won the scholarships.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan held on Tuesday a pre-departure session to celebrate the awardees who are set to leave for different European countries to study under the Erasmus+ Programme. A total of 2835 students from 128 countries have been selected for the scholarships.
HEC began offering facilitation for materialisation of the programme for Pakistani students in 2016, which resulted in an increase in the number of scholarship awardees. Pakistan is continuing the upward trajectory from 46 students awarded scholarships in 2017 to 78 in 2018; 91 in 2019; 134 in 2020; 141 in 2021; 166 in 2022 and 192 selectees proceeding in 2023. Hence, the number of students benefitting from the programme in Pakistan has reached 848.
Congratulating the students for winning the scholarships, Dr. Shaista Sohail advised the students to focus their studies and learn about Europe and its culture. “Studying in Europe is not about academic excellence alone, but it will also provide you with an environment of diverse culture,” she highlighted. She noted that the European nations are coming closer to one another with good economic, social and cultural relations. She urged the students to demonstrate the qualities of a good Pakistani, learn, and gain experience. She hoped that the students will be part of the development process in Pakistan as they return home after completion of their studies.
The Executive Director also shed light on HEC’s role in increasing the number of scholarship recipients with every passing year. She said that the EU Delegation in Pakistan in collaboration with HEC conduct a series of workshops/information sessions in different cities of Pakistan to create awareness about Erasmus+ activities. These workshops and awareness sessions have turned out to be very effective resulting in highest-ever number of Pakistani students receiving scholarships to study in the EU universities
In his welcome remarks, Chargé d’Affaires, Delegation of EU in Pakistan, Mr. Thomas Seiler expressed his pleasure that women in a large number are benefiting from the scholarship opportunity offered under the programme. He said the ceremony is a celebration of the partnership between EU and HEC which has made it possible to have so many programme beneficiaries from Pakistan. He said EU focuses on enhancing people-to-people contact, and higher education is effective means to achieving this end. He said that the programme will help students in personal development as well as their national role in the future.
Alumni of the Erasmus + Programme also expressed their views and guided the selected students. The ceremony concluded after a question-and-answer session held to give the students a clearer view of features offered under the programme.
The Erasmus+ Programme is a prestigious, integrated, international study programme, jointly delivered by an international consortium of higher education institutions. It is designed to support programme countries efforts to benefit from European knowledge institutions in a lifelong learning perspective. It is a programme for education, training, youth and sport for 2021-2027. It offers a range of opportunities for higher education students, staff and institutions from around the world. It places a strong focus on social inclusion, the green and digital transitions, and promoting young people’s participation in democratic life.
