08.02.13

Libyan students have been encouraged to participate in two well-known EU funded programmes: Erasmus Mundus and Erasmus Tempus. A number of Calls for Proposals are regularly issued for these two programs and are meant to provide an opportunity for students and institutions to apply for specific study projects.

The EU stressed its on-going efforts to actively support economic development and institutional reform in Libya. It further stated that higher education institutions are key players to Libya’s successful transition towards democracy and knowledge-based economies and societies. These institutions are crucial for the development of human resources and for experimenting and developing new societal governance mechanisms and approaches. This expertise benefits hugely from the international exchange of ideas and mobility of individuals.

A new office has been established by the EU in Libya, namely the National Tempus Office, whose purpose is to disseminate information about the EU education programs and support Libyan institutions in preparing applications. Approximately €41.7m are earmarked for the upcoming Call for Proposals and the bulk of the applications are available for the Southern Mediterranean countries who aim to participate in the Tempus programme.

The amount has been increased by more than 40% when compared to the grants that were available last year. Libyan institutions and students who wish to participate in this educational programme should note that the deadline to apply is March 26, 2013. The results will be published in October with programmes due to start in December this year. Another €16.56m worth of scholarships have also been made available by Erasmus Mundus for partnership projects involving higher education institutions from five North African countries including Libya, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.

This Call for Proposals aims to grant a minimum of 170 scholarships per project (a total of 680) for undergraduates, masters’ students, doctoral candidates, post-doctoral researchers and staff from the EU and partner countries involved. The deadline for applications is 15 April 15, with the results to be published in July. Activities can start as of July 15.

(Source: Tripoli Post)