Prime Highlights

• India retains its position as the leading beneficiary of the Erasmus Mundus programme since 2004, with 75 students awarded fully funded scholarships for 2026–2028.
• The EU launched the EU-India Student Ambassadors Network, selecting 40 ambassadors from 20 universities across 14 Indian states and Union Territories.

Key Facts

• The Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree is a flagship EU scholarship programme funding students to pursue joint master’s degrees across international university consortia in Europe.
• Nearly 100,000 Indian students are currently enrolled in higher education institutions across Europe.

Background

The EU has announced scholarships for 75 Indian students for the academic years 2026-2028 under the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree Programme (EMJMD). It strengthens the position of India among the top three countries receiving these scholarships and the number one country benefiting from the program since 2004.

These full scholarships make it possible for students to follow a master’s degree path at universities in fifteen European countries for two years. These include France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, Finland, Ireland, and the Netherlands. The programme covers tuition fees, travel expenses, and living costs in full.

Selected students will study high-demand fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, renewable energy, smart urban development, vaccinology, nanosystems, and pharmaceutical sciences. The programme also covers social sciences and cultural studies.

The EU established the EU-India Student Ambassadors Network concurrently with the scholarship announcement. The initiative selected 40 ambassadors from 20 Indian universities spread across 14 states and Union Territories. It is intended to increase access to higher education possibilities for Europeans and develop links between academics and individuals from India and Europe.

Currently, almost 100,000 Indian students are studying at European universities, reflecting the growing importance of Europe as a study destination. The universities of Europe remain popular among Indian students looking for international experience.

The EMJMD is one of the EU’s flagship scholarship programmes. It funds students to complete joint master’s degrees designed and delivered by international university consortia across multiple European countries.