38 students off to Europe on EU-funded study programme
Thirty-eight Namibian students have left Namibia for universities across Europe under the EU’s Erasmus+ programme, with the European Union fully funding their studies abroad.
The students will study at universities in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Estonia and Spain.
The EU Delegation to Namibia hosted a farewell event for the students last month, marking their departure for what officials described as an opportunity to gain international academic and professional experience.
EU Ambassador to Namibia Ana Beatriz Martins congratulated the students on their successful applications and urged them to embrace the experience of studying in a different cultural and academic environment. “Studying abroad changes your perspective. When you live and study in another country, you learn things that cannot be taught in a lecture hall,” Martins said.
She said studying abroad exposes students to different approaches to learning, working and communicating, while also allowing them to better understand their own country. “You discover different ways of thinking and working, learn to adapt and communicate across cultures, and sometimes being away also helps you understand your own country differently,” she said.
Martins encouraged the students to take advantage of Europe’s diversity while remembering that they would also represent Namibia during their time abroad.
Deputy executive director of higher education Dr Lisho Mundia similarly emphasised the responsibility attached to being an international student. “There is a duty to be an international student. It is a duty that calls for you to be an ambassador to Namibia and a duty that calls for you to be a high-level representative of yourself,” Mundia said.
He urged the students to conduct themselves with integrity, remain focused on their academic programmes and ensure that they represent Namibia positively while abroad. Mundia also expressed appreciation to the EU and its partners for their continued support to Namibia’s higher education sector, particularly in creating opportunities for students and academics to gain international exposure and experience.
Growing academic exchange
Erasmus+ is the EU’s programme for education, training, youth and sport. With a budget of approximately N$491.6 billion (€26.2 billion) for the 2021–2027 period, the programme supports learning mobility and institutional cooperation, allowing participants to acquire new knowledge, skills and international experience.
Close to 300 Namibian students and higher education staff receive funding each year to undertake mobility programmes in Europe, while approximately 150 European students and staff undertake academic mobility in Namibia.
Since 2021, approximately 1 000 Namibian students and higher education staff have received Erasmus+ support to study or work in Europe. During the same period, almost 500 students and higher education staff from Europe have been supported to undertake academic mobility in Namibia.
The programme also contributes to longer-term cooperation between institutions, with Namibian and European universities working together on initiatives aimed at strengthening higher education. The project brings together universities from Namibia and Europe to strengthen internationalisation, educational quality, employability, research and international collaboration.
