Seventy-five Indian students have secured the prestigious Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree (EMJMD) scholarships for the 2026-28 academic cycle, once again placing India among the leading beneficiaries of the European Union’s flagship higher education programme.The latest cohort highlights India’s continued success in the scholarship scheme, with the country remaining one of the top recipients globally. The achievement comes at a time when close to one lakh Indian students are pursuing higher education across Europe, reflecting growing academic links between India and the continent.The announcement was made at a pre-departure event hosted by the Delegation of the European Union to India in New Delhi, where selected scholars, alumni, education experts and representatives of EU member states gathered ahead of the students’ departure.
Scholars to study across 15 European countries
The selected students will pursue master’s degrees at universities across 15 European nations, including France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands.Their fields of study range from artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to renewable energy, smart urban development and vaccinology. Others will focus on disciplines such as humanities, social sciences and gender studies.The scholarship programme has also continued its trend of near-equal representation of male and female students, underlining efforts to ensure wider participation across disciplines.
EU launches student ambassador network
Alongside the scholarship announcement, the European Union launched the EU-India Student Ambassadors’ Network, bringing together 40 students from 20 universities spread across 14 states and Union Territories.The ambassadors will work to increase awareness about European education opportunities, research collaborations and exchange programmes among students across India. The initiative is expected to serve as a bridge between young people in India and Europe while encouraging more students to explore international study options.
Students from top institutions selected
The ambassador network includes students from some of India’s leading institutions, including IIT Madras, IIT Bombay, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University and Mumbai University.Regional institutions such as Panjab University and Gauhati University are also represented, reflecting the programme’s reach beyond major metropolitan centres.
More than two decades of academic cooperation
India has been one of the strongest participants in Erasmus+ since the programme began engaging with Indian students. Since 2004, more than 7,500 scholarships have been awarded to Indian nationals, while over 2,500 students have completed joint master’s degrees through the initiative.The programme’s impact extends beyond student mobility. Since 2021, Indian universities have participated in 16 projects aimed at strengthening higher education capacity, while 17 Indian academics have been recognised through Jean Monnet Actions for their work in European Studies.
