120 higher education institutions from 25 European countries to come together at the European Higher Education Virtual Fair 2021

120 higher education institutions from 25 European countries to come together at the European Higher Education Virtual Fair 2021
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Kolkata:The 6thedition of the European Higher Education Virtual Fair (EHEVF) India will be held from24 to 26 November 2021through a3Dvirtual platformthat will connect leading European higher education institutions with Indian students. The Fair aims to promote Europe as a destination for higher education and research for Indian students who are planning to study abroad in 2022.

120 higher education institutes from 24 EU Member States including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden will be present at the fair. Norway is participating as an associated country to the EU programme, Erasmus+.

A number of top top-ranking European universities (as per QS World University Rankings 2022) are participating this year. These include Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, Ireland; Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands; Leiden University, The Netherlands; University of Groningen, The Netherlands; Aarhus University, Denmark; University of Twente, the Netherlands; Radboud University, The Netherlands; Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium;  University of Antwerp, Belgium; Università degli studi di Padova, Italy; University of Navarra, Spain; University College Cork, Ireland; University of Tartu, Estonia; and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya , BarcelonaTECH, Spain. With this, the students will have the opportunity to interact and choose from a range of universities and courses.

The European Higher Education Virtual Fair 2021 will provide Indian students an opportunity to interact with world-class institutions available in Europe and help with practical steps on how to get admission into one of these. H.E. Ugo ASTUTO, Ambassador of the European Union to India, said, “Choosing the Country, University and the course for pursuing higher education is a key decision. The EHEVF brings together the EU, its Member States, universities and education organisations on one platform, making it easier for students to gain insights into the European higher education landscape and to take an informed decision.” He added, “The mobility of students is a critical aspect of people-to-people contacts, strengthening connectivity between the EU and India through academic and cultural exchanges.”

The EU is the world’s leading destination for higher education accounting for 25% of the world’s top 200 Higher Educational Institutes (HEIs) in the world[1]. A wide range of courses are available in the EU across different disciplines from traditional to cutting edge frontiers of knowledge. In 2019, about 70,000 Indian students were studying in the EU for various degrees (UG, PG, and PhD). Besides the high academic standards in Europe, foreign students also stand to gain rich cultural experience due to Europe’s cultural and linguistic diversity.

Under the EU flagship programme Erasmus+, out of the 2,756 Erasmus Mundus scholarship awardees worldwide in 2021, 153 Indian students have been awarded this prestigious scholarships.  With this, India ranks first for the second consecutive year among 167 countries. 

Virtual Fair: face-to-face with European Universities

The two-day fair will be packed with activities, including webinars on specialized courses and programs, country presentations and live chats with representatives, alumni and scholars from participating schools and universities.

Students will be able to interact with European universities through webinars, live chats, video calls and learn about higher education opportunities offered by the participating institutes. Aspiring students logging in to the virtual fair would receive advice and authentic information directly from university staff. Students interested to attend the European Higher Education Virtual Fair (EHEVF) 2021 can register free of charge at https://bit.ly/EHEVF2021

Aspiring students can expect to seek clarity and information on:

  • Scholarship opportunities offered by the  EU, EU Member States, Norway through Erasmus+ and national programmes;
  • Steps to undertake  and the timeline on scholarships;
  • How best to prepare to go to Europe;
  • Post-study prospects for employment opportunities in the EU.

As part of the virtual Fair, ‘Town hall discussions’ will be organised at the end of each day (from 6.45 – 7.30 pm) on the following topics:

  • 24 November: Education Opportunities at EU Level(information on Erasmus programme, Study in Europe project; Interaction with Euraxess and Erasmus Alumni)
  • 25 November: Tools to facilitate mobility of students
  • 26 November: EU-India Connectivity and what is in for students?